Things to Remember...: 2012

I am finally writing out David's birth story! David is is now five months so I am fuzzy on the details. I want to try to write down as much as I can remember before I forget any more details.

January 20th, David's due date, I prayed that God would allow David to be born soon. January 21st, I woke up around 6:30am and could hear a thunder storm. By 7am contractions started. I was so thankful and felt such excitement that God had answered my prayer! I found out later that storms commonly cause women to go into labor.
My contractions began to get more and more painful and I told Chad and called my midwife, Tanya. My mother was able to be there and help with the boys. She kept them busy and on the other side of the house. As the pain got worse I got into the shower and Chad began to get the birth pool ready. I had such a beautiful and wonderful experience with Declan's water birth just 16 months before:) Chad massaged my back and push on my lower back during contractions it helped so much. We put on peaceful music and lit candles.
Tanya arrived and the contractions became harder to handle. I walked back and forth in our bedroom as Chad and Tanya quietly prepared things. The storm was getting louder outside. The county tornado alarms started sounding as Chad went to the other room to listen to the news. He came back and informs us that there was a chance that the tornado would touch down and was actually right above us. I felt so helpless.. As if I felt helpless enough just being in labor! But I also felt at peace as I prayed and knew God was in control of all things. We had the bedroom windows open and could hear rain and lighting and wind. I quickly put my mind on other things as I started to have thoughts of what would happen if I ended up birthing a baby while a tornado tore apart our house! Thankfully the tornado never touched down. The wind and rain slowly quieted. We praised God.
My other midwife arrived as she was late because of the storm. I was walking from our bathroom back to our room when my water broke on the bathroom floor. There was also some blood and the pain got even more intense. At that point I really wanted to get in the birth pool. I was thankful my water broke before I got in, that way I knew it had happened.
The water did not seam as soothing as it had been with Declan's birth. This was probably because I think I was already in transition. I felt like I needed to push. Now that I was pushing it made the contractions a little more bearable.
Around 3:15pm David finally came out and up into my arms. I was so thankful Tanya actually helped slightly push his shoulders together as he was being born to prevent me from ripping and it worked! He cried so sweet as soon as he hit the air. He was my first baby to cry at birth. He seamed to be straining just a little to get air as he cried. Tanya gave him some oxygen just to make sure he was getting enough and then he was fine. I just cried as we kissed him and thanked God. His little hands started grabbing mine right away and he still does that a lot:) He had black hair and red skin. He weighed 8lbs 11oz and was so healthy in every way. He also nursed really well. My after labor contractions were very very painful and I almost got sick during one of them. I am so thankful for all the ways my husband Chad supported, comforted and protected me through the whole thing. I am also so grateful to my midwifes and to my mother. The boys had a sweet meeting with David and fell in love with him as we all did:) I loved having him at home. God used David's birth to draw me closer to Him and give me an opportunity to trust Him. David is such a huge blessing! Words can't describe!