Birth Story, finally!!! :)

Well, I was waiting and waiting to be able to post a birth story, and now it's been a few days since the happy event, and I am just now getting to it. I had been having prodromal labor for a few weeks, with strengthening contractions that would just peter out and didn't seem to be accomplishing anything. Monday afternoon and evening I had been having some more regular ctx, not very frequent, but requiring more concentration, and radiating down my legs more. After being "in and out" of labor for so long, though, the thought never really settled in my brain that this was really "it." We put the boys to bed, and went through our nightly routine as of late- Nate looking for baseball cards on ebay, me doing dishes and I think I took a shower, too. We have been watching episodes of The Andy Griffith Show on DVD every night before we go to sleep, and had settled in to doing that. I was watching some and pacing in the bedroom while Nate was still on the computer, then I laid down in bed with him and we watched some together at about 10:30. At 11:30, I had had a few ctx that I had to close my eyes and breathe through, and I told Nate I was going to go get in the hot tub so I could relax enough to go to sleep. I was in the tub for quite awhile, Nate fell asleep. When I got in the hot tub, I was moving around and decided to check myself while I was squatting. I could feel the baby's head behind the bag of waters. It was such a cool feeling, it really connected me to the baby, and was really exciting. The ctx radiating down my legs were getting stronger, but still not very frequent, maybe only every 10- 15 minutes, but I felt like I wanted warmer water on me. I had been going back and forth from the toilet to the tub, and then I got in the shower and put the spray on my legs. The part that really was getting tight was my upper thighs, the crease between my legs and my belly. I remember this being the worse while I was in labor with Ian. Being in the hot tub had felt good as far as being weightless, but the most comfortable position for me, sitting cross legged, didn't seem to be the best for dealing with the ctx. When I got into the shower, it felt good to put my hands on the far wall, and lock my knees and let my belly sway during the ctx. It was about this time, around 1:30, that I started to think maybe I was really in labor, and if not, that I was wanting Nate's support anyway. I got out of the shower and stood at the door to our bedroom and called his name. After he finally picked his head up, I said "I need you to get up and be with me." He fumbled for his glasses, and said "Yeah", then promptly put his head back down and closed his eyes. I said it again, louder, and this time, he woke up and got up. I told him I was getting back in the hot tub. When he got out there, he was all smiles, and I told him that I had felt the baby's head. I still wasn't positive this was really it, even though my ctx were much stronger now, and closer together. I thought I felt my water break while in the tub here, but I wasn't sure of it. I started to feel like I wanted the hotter water of the shower on my legs, and he helped me to the shower. In the hot tub and on the way to the shower, I was feeling like I was going to throw up, and even leaned over the toilet for awhile, but nothing happened. In the shower, at about 1:45, I started to feel more pressure down, and feel a little shaky. I thought I might be heading fast for transition, so I told Nate to call the midwife. He said he would, then did some other things, getting towels out, and some ice for me. I had another good ctx that felt more like pressure down a few minutes later and asked if he had called yet. He called her then, it was about 2:00 am. I was getting ancy in the shower, and got out. I felt a ctx coming while I was standing outside the shower, and just hung on Nate standing up. It was a much more comfortable position, just having him support my weight, and swaying my belly. I then went to head back to the hot tub. Right before I got to it, though, I could feel another one coming on stronger, and had him hold me the same way again. I remember how soft his gray Biogaurd fleece shirt felt on my face, it was nice. That ctx, my body just wanted to squat there, and after it, I told Nate I just needed to sit down right then. Thankfully, the birth kit was right out there, actually, he probably had gotten it out when I was in the shower, and he pulled out some blue pads and put them under and around me. I was sort of sitting, but with my legs up, and propping myself up on my arms behind me. He went to get something out of the bedroom, and I had a ctx while he was gone that I involuntarily pushed on, and my water broke with a splash that soaked the carpet past the blue pads. It felt good once the ctx switched from being in my legs to bearing down. He came back and held me, supported me as I leaned into him with my head. I roared through a ctx, and Nate kept telling me to breathe, and "SShh, it's alright, just relax." I knew the baby was coming right away, but couldn't verbalize it. Then I pushed again, and he looked down and saw her head. His eyes got real wide and he said "Okay, just slowly now." He put his hands down to support her head out of me. I pushed once more after her head was all out, and felt her body slide out of me. I just have to say, I was so impressed with my Nathan here, he handled everything so calmly and expertly. He was amazing. As soon as she was out, at 2:25am, he said "We have our baby girl!" I had had my eyes closed and just opened them to see once she was out. It all happened so quickly, though, it really didn't register that it was over. She pinked up and cried right away. Nate put her on my chest and covered her with a blue pad, then suctioned her nose. I didn't believe him that she was actually a girl! I thought he must have missed something, so I checked myself. I kept doubting and it wasn't until the third time I looked that I actually accepted that we really had a baby girl. What a surprise! :) I held her, and Nate propped some pillows up behind me so I could sit back a bit. The placenta came out about 10 minutes later. Nate called Leanne and calmly said "Well, we have a baby girl." He asked if we should do anything with the cord, and she said to just leave it. I just sat there and held my baby, really shocked that it was over and she was here, and she was a she! Nate covered us up with some towels and tried to adjust the pads underneath me so the carpet didn't get trashed, to no avail. We already knew we would probably call a baby girl Grace, so that's what we called her right away. I tried to get her to nurse, and she latched on pretty well at about 3:00. Then she was just making little squeaky noises and grunting. Leanne got here at around 3:30, and came in and checked us out. She had me push a few times to get the last of the placenta completely delivered, then we clamped and cut the cord at 3:50. She checked me for tears, and found none, just a slight skidmark. It felt so good to hand the baby off and to be able to get up myself. Leanne helped me to the shower, which I was so looking forward to, and which just felt wonderful. I just felt crampy, not sore in my perineum at all. The hot water, and getting clean felt so good. Finally, I got out, and got dressed and into my bed. Leanne brought me some cocoa and toast with way too much pb and j on it, which I ate some of. I tried to nurse Grace again, but she wasn't really interested. Then Leanne checked her all out, and she was perfectly healthy, weighing 7 lbs, 12 oz, and 21 1/2 " long. Then I put a diaper and some clothes on her. Because Leanne hadn't been here to take any blood from the cord after she was born, we had to prick her heel to do the blood test to see if she had positive blood. She has A+, so I had to have a rhogam shot. After this, we finally settled back into bed and tried to get some sleep. It was around 5:30 or 6, I think. I was still having crampy ctx, which have thankfully gotten better now, but they were really bad for a few days there. When the boys woke up at around 8, Nate got up with them. After awhile they came in to see their "sister-baby." I wanted Nate to get it on camera, but the battery was dead. George was excited to see her, but just acted like it was no big deal, and she knew she was coming. Ian just kept saying "baby" and patting her and grinning. She is a few days old now, and I am starting to really fall in love with her. She has a cute little dimple on her right cheek, and she smiled at me this morning when I sang to her. Nate's mom took the boys today, which was such a great help to me, and really was wonderful to have some quiet time alone with my baby girl. Well, the boys should all be back soon and I am so hungry and excited to have the baked ziti my wonderful friend Misty brought over. It was so great to visit with her, and I got a really cute picture of her holding Grace. She brought me a ton of presents from everyone at Bible study, and cookies too. It just overwhelms me, people's love and generosity. Well, that's all for now, I probably won't be able to post as often now, but I am glad I have this place to keep record of how my baby girl is growing and how our family is adjusting.