Born at 1:10am on 13 June 2013
Weight - 8 pounds 8 ounces
Height - 51 cms/ 20 inches
Original due date - 11 June
Official due date - 15 June
(birth story was written on 18 June)
It’s almost 5days to the hour that Alexander was born, and
here is how I remember the details of that crazy, amazing night.
We spent the day at Sedgwick with family (and stealing tools
from Grandpa), and got home around 4:30. I was craving eggplant parm, and took
Hudson to the grocery store for supplies. I joked to Gabe that eggplant parm
can make you go into labour. Dinner was delicious, except the garlic bread –
that sucked (shouldn’t have tried a new brand).
9:39 – I sent a text to Aunt Chelsea – “I think everyone in
Victoria may decide to celebrate my baby’s birthday. No real news, just feeling
like maybe it will happen tonight/tomorrow”. I felt a bit more pressure.
10:30 – We headed to bed. I was in the guest room because of
all the tossing, turning and toilet runs. I read in bed for awhile.
11:50 – Felt a little twinge. Went to the bedroom to see if
Gabe was up, but he wasn’t and didn’t think it was anything significant enough
to wake him.
12:00 – Went to the toilet. Was stretching with my arms
above my head and my head looking up and I heard a pop then felt the baby move.
I thought “Oh my God, did my water just break”, but then I didn’t feel anything
gush out. I stood up and walked out of the bathroom and in the hallway I felt
some liquid. Then I freaked a bit and went to wake Gabe up. He was a bit
shocked and was like “what do we do”, and I told him to google water breaking.
He did and it said labour usually starts in 24-48 hours, so he suggested we get
some sleep while we could (easy for him to say!).
12:30ish – I head back to the guest room. I lay down and I
feel two little contractions, and remember a friend saying don’t lay down
because it can disguise how much you are progressing. I decide to get in the
shower. In the shower I wonder what Gabe is thinking when he hears the shower
turn on (he later tells me that he was thinking – what the heck is she doing,
didn’t she have a shower earlier). I feel two more contractions and call out to
Gabe (I’m thinking that I am definitely going to need an epidural!) He comes in
and I tell him to start getting things ready – like moving the car. He suggests
calling Chelsea. I say just get stuff together. He starts to pack things up and
then I have another contraction and he says he’s calling Chelsea.
12:55 – Gabe called Chelsea to have her come stay with
Hudson. We did not feel any real rush at this point.
Before 1 – I turned the shower off and had an intense
contraction and asked Gabe to tell me a story to distract me. He says “Uhhh, I
can’t” and at that point I was so mad because it was his job to distract me
with stories and he was failing on the first request! He then starts talking
about Hudson.
1:00 – I head to the toilet. At this point Gabe is freaking
out and saying we need to call the midwife. He goes to grab the number and my
phone. He’s struggling with my phone and telling me I have to talk to her
(because they say they prefer to have the women call so they can tell how bad
it is). I am having a few intense contractions now.
1:02 – He calls the hospital and talks to them for a minute,
because I sit up a bit and see blood in the toilet. The midwife says it’s a
bright show and to call 000 for an ambulance.
1:03 – Gabe calls 000. She asks if I feel the urge to push.
I say yes while pushing. She asks if he can see anything. He says no and then
yes he thinks he sees the head. She tells him to get clean blankets on the
floor and get me off the toilet. I did not want to get off the toilet, but I
reluctantly did.
1:05 – I get on the floor and push. Gabe rushes to open the
door for the ambulance drivers. Then I push and feel the relief of Alexander
sliding out – born at approximately 1:10am. I feel euphoric at this point. But
Gabe is stressing about getting the baby to breathe and then we hear him and he’s
put on my chest. Then I hear Gabe say that I have a fair bit of bleeding. Gabe also tells me that we have another baby boy!
1:13 – The ambulance drivers arrive and Gabe gets off the
phone. Hudson wakes up at this point. Gabe brings him into the bathroom to meet
his brother. After a few minutes, I walk to the ambulance. Aunt Chelsea arrives
and pops into the ambulance to say hi (she happens to know one of the ambulance
drivers). Then we drive off. It was a rough ride. I felt more contractions and
pain, but didn’t deliver the placenta until we got to the hospital.
At the hospital they tell me that I’m the second home
delivery that night, which is unusual. They weigh Alexander – 4.07/8 pounds 8
ounces and 51 cm. I deliver the placenta. The midwife shows it to me – it is a
pretty amazing organ. She says it looks healthy. She checks me and says there
is a small tear. Finally Gabe arrives and eventually the doctor comes in stitch
the tear. I am given gas and feel high as a kite. Eventually we are transferred
to a room and Gabe heads home for a bit of sleep.
He stole his red hair and his middle name from his Uncle Nic! Both our boys stole their middle names from their Uncles, and our hope is that Hudson and Xander will create the amazing memories we were able to with our brothers.
Off to cuddle Xander,
B
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