Aspen Willow's birth story

I woke up at 5:30 this morning with Landon.  Darn time change.  He went back to sleep until 6, but I was up.  By 5:45 I started having mild contractions and thought I would time them - why not?  The contractions continued about 10-12 minutes apart for the rest of the morning.  They never intensified.

Brian went with us to swim lessons (which he never does, but I knew he'd be doing it next week and wanted him to be prepared).  Anyhow, then I dropped him off at home and we went to Music class at the McPhie's house.  We always stay afterwards and let Andrew and Hunter play.  I had an ulterior motive this week...Megan had offered that I could walk on her treadmill and she would watch my boys.  So Tami and Megan sat and talked to me while I walked on an 8% incline at 3.5 mph for 40 minutes.  I wouldn't have gotten off except that Landon insisted on carrying his plate around their house - dumping food on the floor everywhere.  *sigh*  Ok, time to go home for a nap for Landon and some one on one time with Hunter.

We went home at around 1, but I lost a bunch of my mucous plug before leaving.  I was still having contractions but had given up on timing them because they weren't getting any worse and they weren't getting closer together.  Oh well.

Landon went down for a nap.  Hunter and I drew some pictures and then we took a shower.  I texted Elizabeth (my doula/midwife/woman I love) and told her about the contractions and the mucous plug.  I told her I'd talk to her later if anything changed.  After the shower the contractions were about 3-4 minutes apart but not hard.  I wasn't concerned, but I did ask Brian to come home from work.  Just in case - I wanted him to drive me.  I told Elizabeth and she suggested we make a date out of it and come up to L.A. for dinner.  I happened to have a sitter from 2-6 today.  Lucky me.  Rachel was with them.  Have I mentioned how much I adore Rachel?

So Brian came home from work and we drove up to Elizabeth's office in West Hollywood at around 3:30.  I was still not sure that we were coming home with a baby, as contractions were back at 8-10 minutes apart and not hard.  I didn't have to breathe through them.  I could easily talk through them.

When we got to Elizabeth's office she checked and I was 5 cm dilated.  Good news.  5 cm meant I wasn't going home without a baby.  We simply live too far from the hospital to be 5 cm dilated and in Manhattan Beach.  Elizabeth is close friends with my doctor (she actually was having lunch with her when I texted her before my shower at 1:30), so she knew the deal.  We decided that if I wasn't in active labor (meaning having contractions that escalated) that they would break my water at 9 pm.   I called Megan and let her know that we wouldn't be home tonight - it was Go time!! (Have I mentioned how much I love Megan?)

Because I wasn't in any pain and the contractions weren't that close together, we decided to have an early dinner.  The 3 of us went to Elizabeth's favorite restaurant.  At the end I had 2 contractions that made me breathe through them.  I decided that we should go to the hospital.  It was very simple.

We got to the hospital at 5:30 and I was fine.  I was standing there signing papers and joking around with the staff (asking for a good room, of course).  When they checked me I was....8.  Yes, I was at 8 and still just barely breathing through intermittent contractions!  That's when it got tough.  I started to have to breathe through every contraction at around 6.  Then I had the really hard ones.  I think I had 5 of those.  Suddenly, my water broke.  It was literally 2 minutes later (and no pushing at all) when I felt my little girl come down through my pelvis, turn her body and she was delivered.  I was on all fours again, like I was with Landon.

A side note - my doctor did not make it to the birth despite the fact that she was in the hospital.  She was pretty bummed, as was I.  I think it is pretty cool though that a first year resident delivered me.  She has never delivered anyone on all fours but she did a rockstar job at it.  She laid Aspen down on the bed.  I turned over, scooped her up, and brought her right to my chest.  It was incredible.  I cannot believe this little angel is here and that she is ours.  Her APGARs were 9 and 9 - higher than both the boys.  She has no facial bruising, no marks on her at all.  She is just perfect.  When she isn't trying to nurse (which she usually is), she is happily resting in her bassinet.  She's not fussy and just seems like such a little angel.  The easiest birth and the easiest baby so far.  She's doing great with nursing too!

She looks like a mix of Hunter and Landon.  Brian keeps saying "Oh, now I see more Landon."  "Oh now I see more Hunter."  I just see my sweet baby girl who looks a lot like her brothers did on their birthdays.  I'll post pictures soon!

Aspen Willow George
born 11/7/11 (One month before Mommy turns 30!)
6 lbs 10 ozs
20 inches

She's perfect!