Last year on this day, Joseph became a big brother!!! Here's the story of how little Michael came into this world.
When I became pregnant for the third time, it was no surprise. Joseph was such an adorable and easy baby that I was eager to have another. Dave had been away in Ukraine, and when he came back, we decided it was a good time to try to have another baby. A few weeks later, I took a pregnancy test. It came back negative. I was really hopping for baby #3 so the negative results brought on tears. A week after the negative test, I took another, but because I was so upset about the last results, I had Dave look at it for me. Dave, being a typical guy had no idea how to read a pregnancy test. He said "I see a line and I think I see another, but it's really faint." I ran into the bathroom, threw my arms around him and started crying - happy tears (which really confused Dave) and said "that means I'm pregnant". Nine months later, this is what happened.
Since I was so certain of when I conceived, I thought I knew my due date. According to MY calculations, the baby should have arrived on May 27th, but my ultrasounds said differently. The first ultrasound said June 2nd and the second ultrasound said June 4th (Joseph's birthday). I was still so certain that I knew the correct date, so I insisted that the midwives write May 27th on my charts - although I think they decided on May 29th. I think I wanted that so that when "my" due date past, the midwives would start doing things to move things along. If they went by the ultrasound date, I would have to wait until the middle of June before anyone did anything, and I was NOT waiting that long. So, my due date came and went and no baby. It was no surprise since Rosie and Joseph were both over a week late. I felt like I was going to be pregnant forever!
Then the day came, well actually, the day before came. I was laying on my in-laws couch complaining about how HUGE I was and how I felt like the baby was never coming out. We decided that we were going to head out to Costco for some ice cream, it was a pregnancy craving. Before heading out the door I took Rosie to the bathroom. When I picked her up to put her on the toilet, I felt a warm feeling. I knew exactly what that was! There was no mistaking it. My water broke! From what I had been told, the baby's head would be sitting low and would act like a cork so that the amniotic fluid wouldn't leak out super fast, but things were way different for me. Sorry for the details, but I couldn't walk or move without a substantial amount of fluid coming out. Now, I'm the kind of person who would rather keep my going into labor a secret. I don't like feeling like a ticking time bomb where everyone is sitting next to the phone just waiting for a phone call every step of the way. Having my water break at my in-laws was the last thing I wanted. I wanted to go home without telling anyone what was going on, but that was kind of impossible. I pulled Dave aside and told him what happened. We grabbed a towel, told his family that we needed to go home to have a baby because my water broke, and away we went.
It was about dinner time when my water broke, and I wasn't feeling any contractions so we were still awhile away from meeting the baby. My midwife Anne came over to see how I was doing. Since nothing was going on, except for soaking every towel in the house and some very light contractions, she left but told me to call as soon as things picked up. At around 1 am things started to pick up. I could feel some strong contractions (although not crazy painful) and I felt they were about 5-10 minutes apart. In retrospect, it was too early to call the midwives, but I could feel some slight pressure like I might be ready to push a little, but mostly I was afraid that this labor would be way faster than the last.
The midwives arrived and checked my progress. I was only about 5 cm dilated and the baby's head still hadn't dropped. This, I just couldn't understand. How could the baby's head be so high up still? My water had broken, I was having contractions, I was dilated half way. If the baby's head was so high, when was I going to have this baby? The midwife gave me some homeopathic medicine to make sure my body kept the contractions going and told me that I needed to go for a walk around the block. "Really?" I thought. "Walk around the block, with water gushing out every 5 seconds, contractions, in the MIDDLE of the NIGHT?" It wasn't going to happen! They said it would help the baby's head drop, but I refused. I had faith the baby would come out on it's own. I really didn't want the midwives to go back home. I had a feeling something was going to happen soon, but they left any way and told me to call when things REALLY picked up.
I went to bed (sort of). Joseph woke up in the middle of the night crying so I let him sleep in our bed, after all, this would be his very last chance to cuddle me as the baby of the family. I have a love/hate for these moments. I love having cuddle time and I love spending those last moments with my baby before the next one arrives. It's so emotional for me. I hate it because it's kind of sad. I feel so much anxiety for the youngest who will soon be the second youngest. I worried that Joseph would feel left out, replaced, jealous, etc. I cuddled him until my contractions started to become unbearable. Then woke Dave up and asked him to move Joseph back to his own bed. Then I called the midwives. Things were definitely happening now. I was in a lot of pain and all I wanted to do was lay on my side and try to ignore the pain.
It felt like an eternity before the midwives finally showed up. I was expecting to see THREE midwives, the 2 that were assigned to me, and the midwife that delivered my first 2 babies (who was technically on vacation but wanted to be there any way). Only the two that were assigned came, much to my disappointment. They checked me, then realized this was "for real" and then sent a text message to my other midwife. I wish they had called her earlier! Any way, I was only about 6-7 cm dilated so my midwife figured she had time to teach the other midwife some stuff about home births, even though I told them I needed to push. Just then I looked up and saw Rosie's bedroom door open up. I was in the middle of a contraction but was still able to say "Rosie's up. She needs breakfast.... MOM!" I'm not sure if she saw anything because there's a good chance Dave was blocking her view, but in a second, my mom was there bringing her down for her usual bowl of Special K. So there I was, in labor, telling everyone that I NEEDED to push, but they didn't believe me. One of the midwives assured me "you're not quite there yet". I felt so much pressure and wanted to push so badly, so I did... and then I would stop because nobody was really paying attention. The midwives were going over their check list instead of checking me. Dave was ready to help catch the baby and was sitting next to me telling me I was doing great. Suddenly the baby's head started to crown. The midwives threw on their gloves in a panic and got ready. See, I was RIGHT!
In a few seconds I felt a huge sense of relief as the baby's head was out. The cord was wrapped around the neck so they quickly turned the baby around to "unravel" the cord, then I was given the ok to keep on pushing. In a moment the baby was born!! It was 7:38 am when Dave handed me the baby and said, with a smile "It's a boy hun." I held the little bundle in my arms and cried a fountain of happy tears. Even though it was my third, it was such an amazing miracle all over again. He was so perfect and cute and I fell in love with him in an instant. He laid on me and started to cry that adorable newborn cry. At that moment I felt like the luckiest person on earth! Now I had 3 gorgeous, healthy children, and now Rosie and Joseph had a baby brother. I thought of how cool it was that my boys had birthdays a day apart and how fun it will be for them to share birthday parties.
Rhea (the midwife that delivered Rosie and Joseph) walked into the room a few moments after he arrived. She got right to work checking him and checking me to make sure everything was healthy. He looked great except his heart was racing. We figure it had something to do with the cord being around his neck, which also explains why he hadn't "dropped" earlier on during labor. The cord was keeping him up. They needed him to calm down and get his heart rate to a normal pace otherwise we would have to go into the hospital. I was slightly scared, but I knew my loving touch would help him settle. I got him in place and nursed him, which he was pretty good at. I also wrapped him in a heated blanket and held him close. It worked! His heart rate stabilized and he fell asleep in my arms. Dave brought Rosie and Joseph to come and see him. They were intrigued, but not in love with him yet. I think it always takes kids a few days to realize what's going on. Rosie was more interested that Joseph, that's for sure. Rosie was excited to be able to hold him and wanted to be a "helper girl". When we weighed him, I was pretty certain that he would weigh less than Joseph did. I could just tell because the labor was slightly easier. He weighed 8 pounds and 1 ounce.
I kept on looking at him and trying to figure out who he looked more like when I noticed blonde hair and fair skin. I thought "wow he looks way different!" Dave didn't notice at all that he looked different, not at first anyway. Then he opened his cute little eyes, and they were blue!! Who would have thought that we'd have a blonde hair blue eyed baby!
Michael has been a joy in our family. He is full of energy and works hard to steal away all of my attention. He loved nursing only on my left side and I had to trick him by switching sides quickly, to get him to nurse on the right. He went through a time where he experienced colic which was very difficult for me (and him I'm sure) but after a blessing, and after I cut of dairy, he changed. He didn't cry as much when I set him down and was happier and more calm. Rosie and Joseph have become best buddies with Michael, even when he knocks over their block castles, or sticks one of their toys in his mouth, they always want to kiss and hug him. I often see them hiding in the "club house" (cupboard under the TV) and laughing. Michael is a brave little guy and will jump and dive onto people and furniture. He also weighs a lot less than the other 2 kids did at his age. I'm sure it has a lot to do with how active he his and how many calories he burning off per second. This past year has been so much fun as I watch Michael grown, change, and learn. I look forward to many more years with my little sunshine.
Happy Birthday Michael!!!
We love you soooo much!
Me Ka Aloha
- Elisabeth
