Saturday Morning I woke up about 3:30 and thought I felt a little trickle of something. I went to the bathroom to see if I could figure out if my water was leaking, but I really couldn’t though things seemed a little more “watery”.

I went back to bed, but I was a little excited and couldn’t fall back to sleep. At 4:15 contractions started and by 4:30 I thought I’d go downstairs and eat and listen to a bit of my Hypnobabies Scripts. Things were really going and I wasn’t sure if I should wake up Austin or call Richelle (midwife). About 6 , I went back upstairs because I was so sleepy. Austin was still sleeping and I didn’t feel like waking him up. I fell asleep about 6:30 and was surprised to by woken up to Cole over an hour later. When I went to the bathroom I had some bloody show, but besides feeling a bit like something was going to happen, there wasn’t much sign of the hour and a half of real labor that I had.

Every once in a while during the morning I would think I would feel a little trickle, but I figured it was wishful thinking as it was never enough to get anything wet really. My only hope was the bloody show and the one other time I had that before I was in labor was with Diana and I had her that same day. After breakfast the kids and I went for a walk. I was really hoping I would get something started. Nothing really happened; I’d have a weak contraction maybe once an hour, but nothing else at all. I’ve always had fairly fast labors and I’ve never had any of them start and then stop for hours, so I was really thinking I was just trying to talk myself into going into labor instead of actually being in labor. As far as labor goes the day was pretty uneventful. About 3:30, I figured I would lay down and listen to some my Hypnobabies. At 4:10 I felt a much bigger gush and called Richelle. She had been at a birth all day and had just gotten home. She wanted to know if she should come straight over, I told her nothing much was going on and it was probably ok having her not come over quit yet. She was going to sterilize her instruments and call me in a couple hours, unless I called her.

I called my mom and my mom and sister headed over and they were here about 5:30. By this time contractions had started and were 10 and 4 minutes apart, definitely real, but not too intense or too long. I really thought nothing was going to happen much. Richelle called about 6:15 and was here by 6:30. She listened to the baby and everything was great. Then she asked me what I wanted to do, she figured I was feeling like a “watched pot” and I think she was right. Everyone left Austin and I alone about 7 and we walked around upstairs and I tried to relax and stop being so impatient with still not holding my baby. It was actually such a nice time to be with Austin. He is the most amazing birth support person ever. He knew just what to say and knew when I needed to be told to relax and other things. I told him it was too bad that was one of the only times we got to walk around holding hands and spending time together. I was so nice to just talk and even joke with him while we (at least tried) to patiently wait for our little girl to come.

Finally, 9:30 I thought things were picking up and it would be a good time for Richelle and Nancy (assistant) to come and check on me. Baby was great and I was dilated to a 7. They started getting things ready and it was so nice to have everyone in there. It was just a nice relaxing environment. Austin stayed with my rubbing my back and cuddling with me a bit. I kept telling him how impatient I was and he’d keep my grounded. What a great husband I have. At 10:50 or so I started feeling like I needed to push. I think my impatience came into play again after 20 minutes I was surprised that I was not holding a baby and I felt like my pushing was doing nothing. I had been kneeling over the bed pushing in that position and I don’t even know if I had gotten anywhere. Baby was still sounding just fine though. About 11:25 Richelle amazingly said “I think you want to be standing up and have Austin support you while you push.” I kind of thought it was a crazy suggestion, but I also knew what I was doing was doing nothing to get my baby here. So I stood up and it was amazing how fast and easy things went from there. She was totally right and Evie was born at 11:32. I supported my perineum while she crown and then I leaned back over the bed and Austin was able to catch her and hand her to me. It was a great experience.

Richelle, Austin and I all decided that Evie must have “known” not to come early so Richelle could be with us for the birth. I came to the realization that even though it was probably my longest labor and pushing that it was probably just what Evie needed. It was a slow and less intense labor and she might have needed that. She’s beautiful. She cried when she came down, but calmed down so fast I wondered if she was still breathing-she was. She was 7 pounds 9 ounces and 20 inches long. The name thing has been hard, but I think her name is Evangelene (Evie) and we’re still working on a middle name. We have to turn in the birth certificate thing tomorrow.

I can’t believe how welcome the kids have made her. Five days later and Diana still screams with delight to see her. She has the whole family wrapped around her little fingers. Cole’s a little worried that she is too small and thinks (lovingly) that she might need to go back in my tummy to grow bigger. He loves to kiss her and hold her and soothingly tell her “it’s all right” while she cries through each diaper change. Ariana and Bria love her and can’t get enough of her.