Baby Caleb

This is us with Alan's WONDERFUL mother, she has been a Godsend, I am so unbelievably sad to see her go tomorrow, and I am heartbroken for my poor children who will miss her even more than I. We love you G-ma B!!!!

A little history....With Calvin's labor I had a full epidural and it lasted 12 hours, I figured that because I felt a lot even though I had an epidural that I could totally do a natural child birth, so with Ellie I said that I would do it natural. Well.......Ellie wanted out REAL bad. Her labor was 5 hours total. Lets just say I did NOT know what natural child birth felt like, I was BEGGING for an epidural, how it ended I got some Neubaine and a Saddle Block.
So.....Caleb's labor. ;0)
I started having sporadic contractions around 10 o'clock Sunday night, I tried to go to bed but they kept waking me up, so around midnight I got myself into the bathtub and labored in there for an hour or so while Alan tried to catch up on some sleep. I called my midwife and let her know what was going on and she said I could come down to the hospital whenever I felt I didn't want to do it at home any more, she was already down there. I felt the contractions get pretty deep and thought I should probably get to the hospital, Ellie's labor was only 5 hours long so I figures I'd better get down there just in case. So Alan and I headed to the hospital. When they checked me I was only at 3cm and after what seemed like forever in Triage they checked me again and I was only a 3.5. This was not fun news, but they decided my cervix was changing enough to admit me, so that was good news because then I could get into the tub and turn those jets on. So I am not very good at remember a time schedule seeing as how I was laboring. I did AWESOME, I was laboring through the contractions really well, I was able to get myself into my happy place and just breathe through them. After about 2 or 3 hours in the tub alone I decided Alan needed to get up off the couch and be with me. ;0) So I grabbed my nurse and had her grab him for me.
He was amazing, he was able to talk me through each contractions, I felt really strong. I'm not sure but I think it was a few more hours and my nurse came in and they said they could check me and maybe break my water. I was really nervous to have my water broken because I knew my cushion would be gone and the contractions would be much harder and I would feel a LOT more pressure in my down stairs. I finally got up the guts to get out of the tub and get checked. I knew they were going to make me lay on my side to get the baby the baby to flip after they broke my water so I told them if I have to lay down I will need some added help. When I lay down I felt I didn't have control over the pain, so I liked to sit on the edge of the bed or sit up in the bathtub. So my midwife checked me and I was an 8 so she broke my water and instantly I had a contraction that lasted forever and it was quite painful, I had to groan through it rather than just breathe. So my nurse came in with some Neubaine, and that made the contractions bearable, but made me a little tired and loopy, but I was able to sleep between contractions, but I was still moanin and a groanin through the contractions. So I lay on my left side for a while and then they had me flip sides to get the baby to turn and come down a little further. It didn't seem too long after that that I had to most intense urge to push, I announced "I'm pushing" followed by a very loud groan, and a minute later Caleb was born. Honestly at first I was wondering if it was even worth it, but it really was. The connection Alan and I had while I was laboring was awesome, I never knew I could be so focused and that Alan could be so wonderfully helpful. I remember thinking "there is no turning back now" which normally would have totally freaked me out and made me panic but this time I was able to stay in total control, I am quite proud of myself. The only thing I regret is my taking the Neubaine, it made me SO loopy and tired even after Caleb was here. I couldn't even hold him when he was born, I was almost falling asleep, it took a good 2 hours before I felt I could even nurse him. That part I do NOT like, so I have a goal for next time. All in all it was a wonderful experience, and I love my baby boy. So, here is what you all stopped by for, the main attraction in all his precious glory. Baby Caleb!

Ellie can't stand when she is not the one holding him.



Poor kid, we only had girl blankets...