Declan's Birth and First Two Months

So I guess it is about time I wrote this all down.  I have told this story so many times already!  My homebirthing story starts way back with Alice.  I had such a negative hospital experience with her birth that Spencer and I decided we would do something different with Norah.  However, with Norah, we were so transitionary up until her birth, that we HAD to have her in a hospital, but it was in a different state and we spoke up for ourselves and had a very supportive nurse and Dr.  Still, it wasn't exactly what we wanted.  

After Norah we were NOT planning on jumping the gun on a having a third child.  However, the Lord has His plans, and he doesn't usually let selfish desires stand in His way.  Declan was ready to come and he made sure we knew.  So, finally, we decided to 'let' him - I am certain he would have whether or not we did.

The Last Picture of me before Declan was born.  I was actually having contractions at this point, they were about 10 minutes apart.

Finally, the fateful day arrived, I was late, and everything started to... smell...  That's right, smell.  I went to Walmart the first week of official pregnancy and could smell EVERYTHING in the store from one spot.  Needless to say, the rotisserie chicken made me want to vomit.  That was weird, I thought, if I didn't know any better I'd think I was pregnant.  I even texted Spencer that very thought and experience!  So then I was late and took a stinking test...  That's right, it was positive.  VERY positive.  I remember before I could officially take the test, I took one and nothing showed up.  I knew nothing would, but I hoped.  My joints were all starting to loosen up, my knees were bothering me when I ran, and I even told my running buddies I thought I was pregnant because of the knee thing.  They all suspected I had bad shoes and that I needed to get my "gait" checked.  Blah...  at this point I was just ready to be pregnant.  I had already given in to the prompting of having a third child, 'SO COME ALREADY' I thought!  Anyway, he did, and here we are... with three BEAUTIFUL (slash handsome) children!

All three babies together the night Declan was born :)  It was so nice to be at home!

When I was about, I don't know, 10 weeks pregnant or so, we started to look at our options.  I started going down the 'normal' route of birthing...  you know, dr, hospital, etc...  but it all felt... off.  Had we stayed in TX I would have had my baby at home or at a birthing center, I was connected to amazing midwives there.  In UT, it was an entirely foreign land to me.  So after speaking with the midwife across the street (yes, across the street!) I was connected to my midwife, and I will tell you, she is AMAZING!  (The midwife across the street is in a master's program, was traveling very near my due date, and doesn't practice midwifery regularly; otherwise I would have just gone with her)   So after interviewing her and talking with my Dr, we decided to go with the homebirth and keep my Dr informed if anything should take a wrong turn.  

Peeking out at the world on daddy's chest.

Tick, Tock, Tick, Tock.....  That is how pregnancy works, you know. Like a time bomb...  The first few minutes go by fast, but the last few seconds go by... so............ slow.  Everyone in my neighborhood started having their babies before me.... I was the last one due...  I tried to stay busy, hoping that after each commitment was fulfilled, after I had reached full term, I would just go into labor.  I joked that I could go into labor after my baby shower since that was THE LAST thing I HAD to do.  

One month old :)

So February 18th finally rolled around and I had the most wonderful baby shower!  I loved it!  Everyone was asking about my homebirth plans, and I had nothing but support!  I was still joking that the baby could come then, since I was done with everything I had committed to doing that month.  Little did I know that the contractions that were already 10-15 minutes apart would stop until he did.  

The day went on and I just did what I did almost every day at that point... clean.

First Sunday outfit!

Then... I lost the plug...  I called my mom and my midwife just to let them know, in case I went into labor.  I got excited for a minute, and then I went into 'the house will be clean or I will turn into an evil witch' mode.  So, it was spotless by 7 pm.  I didn't even fix my family dinner... that wasn't important.  I had to have the entire house dusted, mopped, vacuumed, etc., before I stopped.  And it was.  Then we put the girls down and I started timing my contractions. They were 3-4 minutes apart. Up to that point, I knew they had been close, but that was really close.  After a little over an hour I called my midwife. She came at, I don't know, close to 9 30pm.  

She checked me, I was only 2 cm... then she waited an hour and checked me again... progress... she called her assistants, and that was that. I made it to 4 cm and then stuck there for 4-5 hours.  I psyched myself into that too, I had said several times before that I didn't know what I would do if I got stuck at a 4... so I got stuck at a four.  Bahumbug!  So everyone took their naps and I tried....  but the contractions were 2 minutes apart and just plain uncomfortable.  

7 weeks old and smiling!

Morning came, I had made it to a 5.  I think our midwife knew I was a little too anxious with everyone there.  We sent our girls to church with our good friends, one assistant went to her church to hear her husband and daughter speak, and the other assistant and our midwife went to get breakfast.  Spencer and I were left with one assignment, to get my labor going!  Run up and down the stairs, make-out, take a walk around the block.... anything!  So we did...  I even had a green smoothie :)   By the time the midwife came back contractions were finally more intense.  

The last Newborn outfit he fit in...  it has now entered the "too small" box.

Then I was getting stuck at a 6... so after an hour or two at a 6 and barely over halfway effaced, I just had her break my water.  I was done.  That was at 11:26...   Hardly any water came out because of how Declan was positioned, so I moved to the ball... then came that famous 'gush' of water.  I thought I had peed myself.  Wait... no... that was just my water coming.  I moved to the tub, then the contractions were unbearable.  I actually felt Declan coming down.  After about 3-4 of the most painful contractions I had ever had (and I was on pitocin with Norah and went without pain meds) I knew he was coming.  Our midwife checked and said I was complete.  I had one more contraction and said he was coming... I could feel it... there was no going back.  Our midwife was concerned that our tub was too narrow, so as soon as that contraction was over I just stood up and said 'if we are moving me we are doing it NOW' Spencer was behind me this entire time and helped me get to the bed.  But then I couldn't sit.  Declan had wiggled down and I couldn't bend in the middle.  Darn it all... so Spencer grabbed my hands over the midwife and held me up and one of the assistants was pushing me up from the back and sticking pillows behind me so I could sit up.  The contraction came, and I just started pushing.  The midwife had to tell me to back off... I was pushing too fast...  how do you back off, you wonder?.... you don't...  So Declan came at 11:42 am, and he was super blue and slimy... lol... you thought I was going to say beautiful or something, right?  Well, he was, and I held him, I didn't care.  I mean we had a towel, but I still had him skin to skin.  I felt amazing!  I had done it!  The moment I was waiting for came, and I had an instant connection with my baby the way I had hoped for.  I LOVED it!  I felt empowered.  I could now accomplish anything, and no one could tell me otherwise.

Sportin' the Burnt Orange!  Hook 'Em \m/

Alice and Norah joined us shortly thereafter, since church let out at noon.  And I loved having all my babies with me right away!  I enjoyed the rest of my day with visits from good friends.  I managed to sneak a 45 minute nap in (I didn't sleep at all through the night).  Spencer and I absolutely loved being at home!  I loved sleeping in my own bed, and not having nurses bother me at all hours of the night.  I loved that my little girls were just down the hall, and that Spencer wasn't confined to an uncomfortable cot.  I loved that my baby didn't have to suffer through being poked or prodded, and that we didn't have to bring him home.  It was awesome!

Two Months old. He LOVES being up and able to look around :)

My mom and sister came in that Wednesday (Declan was born on Sunday 2/19), and I was able to start catching up on sleep and play time with my girls.  I am so grateful they were able to be here for so long.  Everyone says the hardest adjustment is 2 to 3, but I have been so blessed with help from my family and wonderful friends that this seems to be quite a bit easier than I had expected.  Don't get me wrong... it is still quite challenging at times, but not nearly as hard as it could be.  My mom was able to spend a grand total of 5 weeks with me and my sister almost 3.  I know they made HUGE sacrifices to be with me, and for that I know they will be blessed immensely!  

Alice loves her baby brother, she thinks "he is so cute and little!" Norah loves him too, but she is a little more jealous than I had expected...  She loves holding him and giving him hugs and kisses, but she also has no problem pushing him out of my lap so she can have a turn in it.  Spencer loves is "little man," and does so much to take care of him and give me much needed breaks for my sanity.  He really is a great support, and I would literally go crazy without his help.

Look at those BLUE eyes! I hope they stay that way!

All in all, it is surreal to be a family of 5...  I still forget I have 3 children sometimes, I mean, I don't forget about any of them, I just forget I have that many... It's weird... I am only 25...  Is this real?  Yes, yes it is.  And it is amazing!