A baby grace


We have a new baby. We totally thought she was going to be a boy. Totally. Why, you ask? Why does anyone think they know anything about a baby before he or she is born... a feeling. But she is totally a girl. Dark curly hair, fine facial features, long fingers... and she was almost a home birth. Woops.

Early on in the pregnancy I thought, "hey, a home birth might not be so bad... I'll ask about it." So I did. I took the book home from the midwife and put it on my dresser. Three weeks later I brought it back (not having cracked it open) having decided for sure NO... I didn't do any research just decided I didn't want to do the laundry and I didn't want my kids to hear me yell or cry. Just my opinion.

We moved to Abbotsford, I picked a new midwife clinic, went to a few appointments.. they changed my due date from September 6 to September 4th. I "knew" the baby would be late because my original due date as calculated by myself was September 11.

And so it went. I was pregnant. So tired. So  moving. So watching mounds of things accumulate and not get moved. Watching friends and family come and do things for me while I sat in a chair without energy... and watched .. and waited.

My brother and his wife visited from Montreal. They were leaving on the 4th. Wouldn't it be great if the baby could be born while they were here? But i knew I would be late so...

Monday morning, September 3rd, about 9 am I called a friend to ask if pain in my tailbone was a sign of labor. She said maybe. An hour later I knew it was, but since I knew I wasn't going to have my baby for at least a week, I assumed this was the false kind of labor. I felt foolish but called my midwife. She should know. She had just delivered 3 babies during the first part of her shift and was going home to shower. "Take 2 tylenol and 2 gravol. If it's real, nothing will change and you call me and we'll go from there. If  it goes away, then you have some time to rest."

So it sort of went away. Longer time between contractions. I rested. Slept. My sister in law did my laundry. Cleaned my bathroom. My kitchen. Then, it changed. It came fast. It really hurt. I went in the shower but quickly got out because... well, it felt like I had to hold things in and when you are supposed to have a baby you are not supposed to feel like that. Well you are.. but not if you're not into home births.. I called Joel. He was down the street at my mom's washing our car. The phone rang in the hallway. It was 4:30 pm. He left his phone at home. I started to cry. My mom checked on me. I called the midwife. When the midwife heard my voice she said "Go to the hospital. I will meet you there." Joel was summoned. I got into the car. Groaning. 5 minute drive. Held my belly and walked as fast and as slow as I had to. 4th floor. Someone got into the elevator and pushed 2nd floor. Are they kidding? Can't they see me? I got to maternity and grunted, "I'm here to have a baby." They had everything ready. One look at me and they took me quite seriously. Checked me. Fully dilated. Wheelchaired me down to my room, told me they could deliver a baby if the midwife or doctor didn't make it. Midwife made it. She was nice. Calm. Gentle. Told me to look her in the eye. It was about 4:55 pm. Or something.
 It hurt but it was different. I was thinking about a friend who pushed for 3 days. Surely I couldn't be ready to have a baby yet. The midwife asked me if I felt like I wanted to push. YESSSSS!! I said.. "But am I allowed?" Absolutely she says. I wait and when it's right, I push. I feel like I'm going to pull a hamstring. She gives a few instructions. I will spare you but if you want to know, man it was good advice. She is an amazing midwife. Again, "heidi, open your eyes. look at me." I opened my eyes and stuck a quivering lower lip out. Far. Very far. Still thinking about my friend who was in labor for 3 days. "One or two more pushes and you'll be done." LIAR!! I thought. I looked at Joel (who had just paid for 12 hours of parking). "It's true Heidi. I can see the baby." OK fine. I pushed and ... well.. There was a flury of activity and then we all had to figure out what happened and what time it happened and as it happened, at 5:09 pm,  I had a baby girl. It was so fast. It seemed like I hadn't done enough. It hurt, but not like my other birth. 7 minutes of pushing? No rips or complications. Not exhausted.... is this possible... and a GIRL??

Thankfully, that morning Joel had said, "Uh Heidi, if it's a girl, we have no names." So I showed him my list and we discussed it. Ranen Harper we decided. Ranen - "Ray'-nen": songful, joyful in Hebrew. Harper - Joel's mom's maiden name, to honor his grandparents who raised him during some really important growing up years.  Then when she was born, we decided, GRACE!! She was born in a day of grace. My brother and his wife and their kids got to see her before they returned to Montreal. So special to me.

And now this black haired beauty is ours to know and to love.  We have no idea who she looks like yet or if the curly black hair is going to stay.. but she is beautiful.. our little Ranen Grace. We're still debating the spelling.

Almost a home birth. A baby and a lot of grace.

Comments

Kimchiman said…
Very COOL!

Nancy and I are thrilled for y'all!
6:59 PM
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