Oh baby don't it feel like heaven right now, Don't it feel like somethin' from a dream

Sure enough, next post is the birth story.

It's a GIRL!

Christine Ione Reaves was born at 5:57 a.m. on November 28, 2008.

I had been having what I am assuming prodromal labor for what felt like weeks. I was so hoping that I would have had the baby before Thanksgiving so I could eat as much as I wanted. That didn't happen, of course. My sister goaded me into taking castor oil, but I only took 2 ounces. I threw that up not long after I took it, so I don't know how much I actually had in my system. I took it with Marty too, and he was born that night, so I will always wonder about both of them and whether they would have come their nights anyway or not.

Well, to my knowledge, nothing was happening, and I fell asleep on the couch watching the House marathon on USA. Now, I have every episode of House available on DVD, so I was watching the marathon only because nothing else was on.

At 3 a.m., I woke up with severe cramps/contractions. Sure enough, I had diarrhea. Because I had taken the castor oil, I wasn't convinced I was in labor. I was seriously waiting for my water to break before I believed I was in labor.

From 3 to about 4:30, I labored alone, still not convinced I was in labor. A couple times in there, I tried to get Martin up because I didn't want to be alone, but he didn't get up until 4:30. We decided to call my mom so she could come over and tell me if she thought it was real. We called her about 5 a.m.

My mom came right over and actually timed my contractions which I hadn't been doing. It turns out that they were coming every 1-1/2 to 2 minutes lasting 45 seconds to a minute. Occassionally, I would get a longer break between the contractions which to me felt like 3 or 4 minutes, but it was really only the 2 minutes. They were actually right on top of each other. Basically, I was in transition from the time I woke up and never knew it.

When mom got here, I was laboring on my knees bent over leaning on my pillows on the couch. I couldn't keep my feet relaxed, so I stood up and ended up leaning on mom during my contractions with my wonderful husband rubbing my lower back during them. Everything they did was exactly what I needed done.

At 5:35 a.m., we looked at the clock and decided to call the midwife at 6. Then, we decided to go ahead and call anyway. Mom called my dad and told him to get to the house and told my sister to hurry and get to my house.

A few minutes later, I informed Mom that I was feeling pushy. In a slight panic, Mom called Lynne, the midwife, back and informed her. She told mom to get me to lie down on my right side and breathe. I did NOT want to lie down, but I did it. Mom called my sister back and begged her to get to the house. Mom ran and got Mara out of bed and then sent Mara to get Martin off the phone outside where he was smoking by the pack and calling everyone and their brother.

My hips have a tendency to lock down where I can't move when the baby is right there. I asked someone to lift my leg. When Martin lifted my leg, the bag of waters was bulging. I never intentionally pushed, but then again I never have with any of my 3 kids. My body always seems to do it for me.

In one of those unintentional pushes, the bag burst and the head was completely out. With the next contraction, my body pushed the rest of her out. Her head never even molded. She has the most rounded head I have ever seen from a vaginal birth.

The midwife didn't make it here until about 20 to 30 minutes after she was born. I was so happy the way it worked out. It was what I really, in my heart, wanted. After 8 previous grandchildren and attending a total of 12 births, my mom finally got to catch one. She says it ranks right up there with her most amazing moments. I remember telling her that if anyone could do it, she could. I was probably the calmest one in the room when she was being born. Mom trusts birth and the female body, but she had never thought to be in a position where she was the only one there. She had always figured that if she ever got to catch, there would be someone there to tell her what to do.

Christine was 6 pounds 13 ounces and 21 inches long. She was 4 ounces and 1/2 inch bigger than Marty was at birth. She was a great latch at birth and nursed well. Her big sister and brother both adore her. She was perfect and calm. She never wanted to cry. My mom got her to cry just so she felt better about it.

Once the midwife got there, the cord was done pulsing, and Mara cut the cord. I delivered the placenta about 30 minutes or so after she was born.

Mom drove me and Chris into her first appointment with the pediatrician this morning, where Chris was, of course, perfect. We were talking about the birth, and I said to her, "my dear mom, that was a natural birth." She cracked up.

Do I have regrets? Sure...I don't think you can have any experience without having some kind of regrets. My regrets are that I didn't realize I was as far into my labor as I was. Both of my previous labors had been 6-1/2 hours. This one was just under 3. I wish my sister had been able to get here a few minutes earlier so that she was here. I wish my dad had gotten here a few minutes earlier too so that he could have watched his brave wife catch her 9th grandbaby and taken pictures. I wish I knew what my Nana really thought about a baby having her middle name (Ione). Do I regret that my midwife didn't make it? No. Do I regret it that the birth was technically unassisted? Absolutely not. It was really exactly what my heart wanted with the exception of the rest of my family not being here. I had really wanted my mother-in-law here too, but I had given "permission" for them to go visit their daughter so they were in Atlanta. It turns out that even if they had stayed home, she would have never been able to make it from where they live 2 hours away.

As much as I enjoyed my birth center births, this birth was by far the most special. She is wearing her "I was born at home" onesie that I decorated for her.

I am thrilled about her birth. She is such a sweet little girl. I am so happy to be the mother of 2 girls and a boy, and I still secretly hope that Martin will give in and let us have 1 more before I get too much older.

That's enough for now. Chris is still sleeping, but family is coming soon.

So much love for everyone right now...