Finally, I get a min. for an official update (PsIP!)

Everybody is napping but me so I can take the time to write the last week into a nutshell before I have another visitor and have to feed Oona again!

Last you ladies heard, my water had broken Tuesday around 6:30am. Well, it turns out it was just a forebag and not "the water". I went to my BPP planned for that day and the results came back 8/8 with normal fluid levels.

I had started doing acupuncture and moxibustion on Monday to get baby to turn and drop. The acupuncturist also sent me home with instructions to DH to massage pressure points associated with relaxing my reproductive organs and helping baby drop. I returned Tuesday for a session just before our BPP appointment and after our BPP we went out and got sushi (mine was cooked) and went home to bed, DH giving me my prescribed massage just before we turned in and me praying that I would wake with contractions.

Wednesday morning I woke up and was crying because I was so disappointed baby wouldn't come and she was officially overdue (but bless my MW for calculating my due date as the 28th because that allowed us the two days we needed to have this baby at home)! I told DH I didn't want to be induced. He said "no one has to induce you but the Lord". It made me giggle but he was serious, our baby's birth was in God's hands and not the hospital's hands or the state's hands or even ours! I felt better but I was still so stressed!

Our midwife came by about noon and she checked me. I was still only just under 2cm dilated but baby had turned! and no sign of ruptured waters! Baby was LOP instead of ROP and taking the long way to OA but still getting there! MW joked that she would be back tonight to deliver.

I went to my acupuncturist and stayed there for at least two hours. I finished laundry at the mat, came home and ate cheese and crackers and veggies (lots of celery, my friend said celery induces contractions), bounced on the birthing ball and played solitaire and watched a movie until I was soooo sleepy and DH came to rub my pressure points before I passed out.

I was almost asleep before I realized that I was having "regular" contractions. I asked for DH's phone and used the stop watch to time my contractions. I slept in between them but they were coming 9 to 5 minutes apart. After about two hours I got up to use the toilet and was showing a little bright pink blood and mucus and I knew tonight might be the night! I remembered my MW's words and smiled.

There is no way I can describe what happened next in a nutshell, but I will attempt it any way:

My 12 hour labor through the night and into the morning was full of crying, chanting, singing, struggle and triumph. Sometimes I wanted to die, others I was so happy to be alive! I would look to my husband and feel a little sorrow at his helplessness, at my own. I would look to my husband and I would see his complete awe and pleasure in the coming of our child and in my strength to be her harbinger. It was the definition of awesome.

And that's what I said when they put her on my chest in her icky bloody glory, "She's so awesome!"

She was born at 11:28am on March 15th weighing 8lbs 13oz and 20 inches long. She has blonde eyebrows and eyelashes and strawberry blonde hair. We'll see how long that lasts, but I hope she stays a little bit ginger!

Thanks, bump-buddies for being there for me this whole time and for being patient with the latest addition to the February baby board! I look forward to the rest of this journey with you guys! Since Oona is so much younger than her Feb BMB peers I get the advantage of hearing about it first even though we didn't quite make it to the party in time!

Seriously, Thanks, ladies!

Now here's more pics:

Today, holding her father's finger:

Just born:

Yesterday, being a super hero:

First family photo (its blurry cause we were excited and didn't do it right) :

I swear I have some pretty vintage pinafores for her but I am still getting used to dressing her and such and want to make sure I am keeping her warm enough so I'll have to take formal pics (soon but) later with bows and dresses. For now, she can rock the gender neutral clothing!