and then there were three...

Warning: This post may contain some graphic content after all birth is a tad messy, read at your own risk.

Our story begins late one warm summer night. I laid on our too small leather couch watching t.v. with my husband who was practically falling off the side of the little love seat so I could lay on my side, the only way I could comfortably exist at this point in my pregnancy. I had reached my breaking point, feet so swollen shoes wouldn't fit, hips so sore I couldn't sleep, a brain and body so exhausted I'd cry at sappy Applebee's commercials and the thought of walking up our stairs to go to bed. I had been absolutely sure going into this weekend that our little man was going to make his grand arrival. As we approached 11pm on Sunday night there I lay wheezing because my son was curled up under my lungs and moaning because I had stayed up too late, would have to wake up soon to get ready for work, and face all of the well meaning comments "You're still pregnant?!" "You look like you are about to pop!" and on not nearly enough sleep I'd have to fain amusement at these comments and try hard not make a snarky remark in return or just start throwing punches. As I heaved my ever burgeoning belly up 15 stairs I felt a very slight twinge in my abdomen. Having had painful Braxton Hicks contractions since I was 6 months pregnant I just figured that walking up the stairs was causing some false labor. I snuggled into my pile of support and body pillows and then felt the twinge again. I looked at the clock, it was 12:30am. Again I figured I'd stayed up to late and over did it this weekend trying to get encourage  our kid to come out already and was just having some Braxton Hicks. I lay in bed for another hour or so my mind racing at the possibility of giving birth soon and just as I started to drift off to sleep I had a big contraction. This did not feel like anything I'd had before and I knew then I'd be meeting my baby soon. I tried to remember what my Brio/Bradley instructor had told us to do when contractions started.

1. Go back to sleep
2. When you can no longer do #1 start timing the contractions
3. Only wake up your spouse when you absolutely have to so he can be well rested too.

I tried number one and had no success at around 3am I started timing the contractions at 5 I started panicking that like so many stories I'd heard before I'd labor all night just to have it stop in the morning, I'd heard taking a warm shower can stop labor or help progress it I decided to give this a try. After a 45 minute shower I popped my head into our bedroom where Jake was softly snoring to tell him that I was probably having a baby but not to get up, I was going downstairs to watch T.V. and keep timing my contractions. After 3 episodes of The Real Houseswives of New York City Jake came downstairs to see how I was feeling and if he should stay home, at this point I was having 30-60 second contractions with 3-6 minutes in between. I felt fine I could still get up and go to the bathroom get myself a glass of water so I told him to go ahead and go to work and I'd call him if things changed. I called my midwife at 9 because I didn't want to wake or bother her (I was still in a little bit of denial that I was having a baby) she said she'd check back with me in an hour to see how I felt. Meanwhile Jake called and texted me non-stop while at work and finally at 10 he said he was coming home, I was grateful just because I was bored and didn't know how much longer I'd have to sit at home alone watching terrible reality television. At 11am my midwife showed up with her assistant just to see how I was fairing. They let themselves in because in less than an hour I'd gotten to the point that walking across the room was too hard. After they saw the little nest of pillows I'd made in the living room and how pale my face was they rushed around getting me food and hydrating me and finally doing the exam. I was 6cm dialated and 100% effaced all this happened with out even breaking a sweat I was relieved but very aware of how long it could take to get to the additional 4cm. Jake arrived shortly after them and quickly got to work massaging my shoulders and waiting on me hand and foot.

At 2pm the ball really started rolling my midwife Dana and her assistant Alletta stepped out for some lunch and Jake and I were left to manage pain together. He was an incredible help, he applied counter pressure to my lower back like a champion! He made sure every muscle was loose reminding me to unclench my fists and relax my jaw so all my energy stayed focused on delivering our kiddo. We had been planning to deliver our little guy at home since I was about 4 months pregnant I had so much peace about this decision and was really looking forward to the experience. I really wanted a water birth so my midwife filled up a relaxing heated tub right in front of our flat screen in the living room. We had the Housewives marathon on mute, Rich Mullins' The Color Green playing on the ipod, and my wonderful midwife came by my side to encourage me with a devotional and a prayer. I closed my eyes and leaned over the cushioned edge of the hot tub with every contraction. This was the part in class they referred to as transition.I didn't want  anyone talking to me, I didn't want to be touched or moved. I was in the tub for 2 long hours when Jake encouraged me to be examined by Dana. She discovered that in 2 hours I had only moved up a centimeter. My heart sunk. I had been doing a ton of work for 2 hours which felt like an eternity at the time. She thought the tub was perhaps a little too relaxing and the lack of gravity wasn't helping my big baby move down. She politely requested I go up and down the stairs for a while. This was a huge challenge for me not in labor I cried at the thought of doing it while riding the waves of contractions. I made it up to the top of our stairs and knelt down and cried through a HUGE contraction. I made it back down the stairs and was greeted by yet another huge contraction. I told Dana I couldn't do that again. She asked me when the last time I slept was and I had to think...I suppose it was Saturday night. She could tell I was exhausted and asked me to go up those stairs one more time but this time Jake could help me and the two of us were to snuggle into bed and try to get some rest between these intense waves.

The contractions over the next 2 hours came on fast and steady. Poor Jake's hands were exhausted from pushing on my lower back so hard. He and Alletta took turns pushing on my back, holding my hands, giving me water,Gatorade, pasta salad, and fruit. I've never been more cared for in my life! If a contraction started and neither of them were there to apply counter pressure (God forbid they have to go to the bathroom) all holy hell broke loose, I was a like a crazed animal making guttural noises that would scare an exorcist. I guess those noises were a sign to my darling midwife that it was time to begin pushing. She did one last exam and found that I was just shy of 10cm. One bit of cervix had yet to thin out and make it over my boys head so she asked if she could hold it back while I pushed and I said yes. Thankfully I was so pumped up with adrenaline I felt nothing and the joy and relief of getting to push was indescribable! Finally I was able to help my body make progress. My bags of water were still intact and I was pushing so hard they were expecting the bottom bag to burst and we'd have a Sea World splash zone scenario, but an hour dragged on with out any water breaking. I was coming up on 22 hours with no sleep and after every push I'd cry whyyyyyy? My husband wanted to answer but being a smart man who values his life he'd just dab my head with a cool wash cloth and tell me I was doing great. We tried laboring on my side, squatting, and laying on my back with my legs in the air like a beetle bug. The last position, the beetle bug, aka McRoberts was the one I stuck with because I could lay down and I was too exhausted to do anything else, they tried to get me to move and I'm sure I incoherently told them some version of leave me alone. After a few more unsuccessful efforts to push hard and

 break my own water, my midwife broke it for me. Again the adrenaline was amazing and I felt nothing! I pushed once after that and was told my son had a ton of hair and after another push they said I could feel his head if I wanted. I was too tired to even lift my arm so Jake did it for me. He said my pupils dilated and I had a rush of energy which was a good thing because once my water was broken I had dcontraction on top of contraction on top of contraction. I felt like I was at a sporting event everyone was standing over me cheering me on and Dana was loudly praying supernatural strength into my tired muscles. 45minutes from my water breaking and a few pushes later there it was the sweetest little cry. What seemed so suddenly (even though it took 23hours) a chubby, HAIRY, warm little body was placed on my chest and for the first time I laid eyes on my precious Archer and he looked right back at me alert and adorable. His little bottom lip was trembling and while I cooed at him to let him know he was safe and immeasurably loved I noticed he was the spitting image of his father. I looked to Jake to see his reaction, he was on the cusp of collapsing into a exhaustion and joy induced fit of laugh/crying.

I've never seen him look so happy! His expression then beat out the one he wore when I walked down the aisle almost 5 years earlier. This moment was the most perfect thing that ever existed. I'm going to let you revel in it with me a little bit while I work on Pt. 2 of his birth and our first few days with a new born.









JOY! UNSPEAKABLE JOY!

  
Archer Abishai Steven Kelly
Born June 27th at 11:35pm weighing 9lbs 3oz (and a 15in head!)