Liam's Birth Story, part 4

{{To catch up: part 1, part 2 or part 3.}}

My thoughts: Did she seriously just say concussion? Yes, she did. I'm going to have a baby sometime soon'ish and my son might have a concussion. And my diaper needs to be changed. AGAIN! What is wrong with this day?

As I hung up the phone, I looked out my kitchen window to see water shooting 12 feet straight into the air. This seriously wasn't happening, right? I walked outside, investigated the situation and determined that, yes, this was actually happening and I had no idea how to fix it.
 
*Insert contraction here*
  
We had reached pandemonium status. I was left with no choice. Wake my sleep deprived husband to save me from melting.

Me: Hi, Rod. I know you're tired, but ummm...... there's a 12 foot water fountain shooting in the air Bellagio style, and I'm in labor'ish, oh and our son has a concussion. But, seriously, go look in the backyard.


Rod: {{silently rolls out of bed and stammers outside}}

10 minutes later

Rod: {{silently enters house, soaking wet, and returns to bed}}

 

The very last pregnancy selfie. Holy huge belly.

 
12:15pm 

Crew and I walked to pick Pax up from school. I was hoping that a brisk walk would help do something. Anything, really. That entire morning I was cleaning like a crazy lady, and nothing exciting was happening. Sure, I would have occasional contractions, they even hurt, but I knew we had a long way to go. I was growing impatient.

Once we were home, and after Paxton's classmate asked if I shoved a basketball up my shirt, we ate lunch. I told the boys that we were going to make birthday cupcakes for the baby, something I would soon regret. They were thrilled. The walk to and from Pax's school was successful in that contractions were coming and finally worth noticing.

Text update to midwives.

1:22pm

Me: I just started having contractions that have caught my attention. Nothing regular though.

I put some music on and we made our cupcakes. Normally, I could handle how "helpful" the boys were being, but my contractions were making it hard to focus. I debated whether or not to call my sister in law to take the boys. There wasn't a pattern to the contractions, but when they came, they came with a vengeance. I'd always heard that contractions with a broken bag of water was more intense, and having experienced that now, I would have to say yes and AMEN. I began recording them.

1:27pm. 40 seconds

1:31pm. 12seconds

1:40pm. 1minute 14seconds 

Between contractions I thought I could have the boys home with me, hoping their presence would be a calming influence. I had romanticized the idea of the boys being near, not necessarily in the room, but near when their brother was born. In my head, that sounded ideal.... Until a contraction would bring me down from my delusions; it was far too intense. Their shenanigans, answering millions of questions to appease their curious minds, and playing referee was a task I wasn't up for.

1:46pm. 27seconds

1:51pm. 23seconds

1:55pm. 29seconds

2:00pm. 1minute 2 seconds

2:03pm 35seconds

2:10pm 33seconds

2:14pm 16seconds

2:17pm 51seconds

2:26pm. 43seconds 

2:28pm 28seconds

2:34pm 31seconds

I was incredibly overwhelmed. I thought baking birthday cupcakes with the boys would be the perfect, age appropriate way for them to connect to their brother's birth. I was growing impatient, however, with how involved the process had become. Baking with young children is a tedious task and my contractions were unrelenting.

Time to update midwives.

2:31pm

Me: Contractions are serious now. Still no definite pattern, though.

By this point, the cupcakes were finished, the boys were happy, but I needed emotional support. I wanted somebody to exist in the same space as me, somebody who by only touching me or being present would calm me. That person was Rod; I needed him. I woke him up.

2:34pm 31 seconds

2:39pm 50 seconds

2:41pm 43 seconds

2:54pm 57 seconds

2:59pm 38 seconds

I expressed everything that was rolling around my head, mainly my indecisiveness on whether or not the boys should stay at home as I wanted, or go elsewhere. A few more contractions and I decided that I needed quiet; they would have to leave.

3:16pm 51 seconds

This was getting intense. While Rod made arrangements to take the boys to his sister's house, I decided it was time for my birth team to come to our home. Liam was coming.

3:18pm

Me (to midwives): I think it's time for y'all to come.


....to be continued