Baby Nark #2 is here!

So on Saturday I woke up and magic-erased nearly every surface in my house, moved some furniture around, did lunges, ate a piece of chicken coated in cayenne pepper, twiddled my nipples and took a warm bath. Then we had friends over for dinner, and they brought me hot chips, hot salsa and fresh jalapenos. Don't know if it was one of those things that helped, or just the fact that I was 41 weeks & 5 days, but...

I woke at 4:44 a.m. on Sunday with a super strong contraction. I had maybe 3 at 9-10 minutes apart, and then they jumped to 4 minutes for a few, and by 6 a.m. they were 3 or less. I was (sort of, halfway, b/c there wasn't time) admitted to L&D at 7:03 a.m. I had another natural delivery, and let's just say it was INTENSE. Last time I spent hours on a birthing ball. This time I flopped onto the bed and screamed "GET HIM OUT!" So much for requesting the room with the best jacuzzi tub, and bringing along my yoga matt & blocks. I heard the nurse ask DH for my birth plan, and I yelled, "Who CARES? Get him OUT." She said something to him about just wanting to know what I wanted for him when he arrived and DH started fumbling around. I ordered him to not let go of my hand and between contractions I think I said something like, "Oh, whatever. Just give him to me when he comes out, leave him with me, and don't circumcise him." I showed up at 8-9 cm & was complete and pushing by 7:30. I read the Hynobirthing book this time, and I guess it maybe helped a little tiny bit in terms of reminding me to breathe and that my body knows what it's doing...but I certainly was not calm or quiet or "gently breathing my baby out." I screamed and shouted and cursed and probably scared the begeezus out of everyone else on the floor. At one point I got really worried that he wasn't going to fit, but the midwife and nurse promised me he would, and after 45 minutes of pushing the whole ordeal was worth it. They handed him right up to me immediately, and suddenly I was holding the most incredible, gooey little creature. (Well, not exactly little...he was 9 lbs 3 oz.) He was making his sister's exact pitiful burst-into-tears face. He is perfect. 

We named him Hendrik, after his dad (he's the fifth, actually), and are calling him Hendri.

We were able to come home yesterday, and we're both doing great. He's nursing well, and while he cries more than DD did (which was absolutely none at all), he's generally a calm and quiet baby so far. I'm probably insane to not be sleeping now while he's passed out, but I wanted to get a birth story down before I start to forget it. Hope everyone is doing well!