The day Colson arrived!

~this is Colson's birth story, so there are some details that all might not want to read and there are some pictures, nothing too exposing, but I wanted to warn readers~



After many days of waiting and trying to figure out when this baby would arrive, the due date came and I was rather anxious to get this baby out.  I was checked at my midwife appointment and baby was head down, in a good position and I was at a 2.  We had planned on having my membrane stripped, but ended up not because my midwife had two other patients that were overdue and she didn't feel like that was the best idea to have us all racing to the finish line.  Feeling rather discouraged, I drove home, but came to terms through some encouragement from a friend that baby would come when baby was ready.  That was Friday, July 19th.

Saturday, was a great day, we got a lot done around the house and I was at peace with baby coming whenever that happened.  Darin told me that I was very relaxed, which probably meant baby would be coming soon, although he said this, neither of us thought it would be happening that weekend.  He talked to his guy that would be doing music when the baby came and told him to plan on doing music next week because baby didn't look to be coming this weekend.  I took a belly picture because I had done a terrible job at documenting this pregnancy and I am so glad that I did.

Saturday evening, Darin and I watched a movie and I was having pretty bad back pain, but it was constant, so I didn't really think anything of it.  Darin rubbed my back, which helped and we went to bed.  I woke up around 2 am with some contractions, which wasn't that unusual, but then noticed that things were different.  I couldn't go back to sleep, so I decided to start timing them.  They were coming often and lasting for awhile, so I decided that I needed to wake Darin up to let him know what was going on.  I also needed him to move Caily and Lexi from our bed, since it was a little crowded.  I woke him up and told him, I think I am in labor, can you move Caily and Lexi to their bed and he woke right up!  One of the few times that has ever happened.  This was around 2:30.  He came back downstairs and said he was going to start cleaning, he nests for me.  I sent a text to our doula to let her know what was going on and got in the shower to see if things were going to progress or slow down.  The shower did not slow things down and Darin started texting with the doula and asking me questions.  I decided that this was the real deal and people needed to start making their way to our house.  I got out of the shower because it wasn't really helping and started laboring on the floor of our bedroom on my hands and knees.  By this point, Darin was on the phone with our doula, Amy, and overheard something about back up midwife.  Our midwife, who had been at a birth the night before was at another birth and wouldn't be able to get to our house in time.  So, her back up was called.  

Between 3 and 4, Darin and I were alone and starting to get a bit anxious that no body else was there yet.  Darin was also trying to get ahold of his back up guy, to tell him that he was going to have to do music in a couple of hours.  Finally, the midwife, April, came and at that point, I was just glad to have to someone there and was not upset that I didn't know here.  She arrived around 3:50 and Amy about 5 minutes later.  April asked if I wanted to be checked and I said no because I was afraid I was only going to be at a 3 or something.  Things progressed, but I still was on the floor on my hands and knees able to breathe through all the contractions. April told me that she wanted to check me and I was at an 8, this was 4:41, and told me I could get in the bath.   I was quite shocked that I was already an 8 and was relieved that I could get in the bath.  At some point during all of this my midwife that I had been seeing, assistant showed up, Ashley.  

Darin was by my side the whole time and I don't think I could have done it without his support and encouragement.  There is something amazing about going through labor together as husband and wife, the love and joy is so deep, truly incredible.  

 I got in the bath and it was soothing at first.  I was able to work through the contractions, although they were picking up in intensity.  At some point my water broke, which brought a short spell of relief.  I was checked again was complete and was told I could push if I felt the urge to.  I didn't really feel the relief that I had in the past from being able to push and couldn't really find a position that gave me enough leverage.  At one point, I had a pretty good break in contractions and it was funny because I was just sitting there, waiting for the next contraction and kinda laughing with everyone.  April checked me again and this time, there was a lip of my cervix that wasn't completely out of the way, this is when things got a little crazy painful.  She had to push on the lip through contractions and she wanted me to try to not push through contractions.  This was miserable and I could not find a position that worked, so they got me out of the bath and onto the birthing stool, next to our bed.

I had thought that I would not like the birthing stool, but it was just what I needed to get that darn lip out of the way and push the baby out.  After a couple of contractions, the lip moved out of the way and I was able to push fully and without any inhibitions.  I don't know how long I was on the stool, but I pushed out the baby's head and then April said, and now for the shoulders.  With the girls, once their head was out, the body quickly followed, not so much with our big boy.  Also, I was told after, that he turned 180 degrees, once his head was out and then with another push or two out he came.  There was such immediate relief when he was born and he was placed immediately on my chest with a towel over him.  I said, thank you Lord and Darin and I were so excited to see our newest baby.  He was born at 5:10.  After a couple ofminutes, Darin asked, so is it a boy or a girl.  They told him to check and he rolled the baby over and he said it's a boy!  

We were thrilled and shocked that he was a boy.  After a couple more moments, Darin, Amy and April helped me into the bed, where I continued to hold our boy and we waited for the cord to stop pulsing before Darin cut it.  We were able to enjoy our little boy for awhile and he pooped on me twice.  I got up to use the restroom and Ashley started checking our little man out.  He weighed in at a whopping 9 lbs 14 oz, after pooping twice and measured 21.5 inches.  Before weighing him, they were guessing how much he weighed and both April and Ashley guessed around 10 lbs. and Amy said 8 something.  Both April and Ashley said she needed to hold him before making that her final answer, so she did and quickly changed her guess to 9 something.  

 Father and son sharing a moment

 Our little big man, getting checked out by Ashley.

Weighing in at 9 lbs 14 oz

One of our prayers through the whole labor was that the girls would sleep through the whole thing and they did.  A couple of times, we thought we heard something and Darin would go check on them, but they didn't wake up.  They woke up one by one and were so excited to find out they had a new baby and it was a boy.  Caily was the first to come down, followed by Bria, and Lexi.  Bria, was thrilled to find a baby in her house and wanted to hold it right away.  

 Caily had just woken up to a house full of people and a new baby brother.  I love the rawness and beauty of her expression

 Caily holding Colson's feet.

 Our oldest looking in on our youngest.

Our FOUR children!

So excited that our little man arrived safe and sound, cannot believe that it has been over 2 months since that day.  I love looking back and pictures of that day and seeing each of our little family member's reaction to his arrival, so much love and joy!