.: Welcome to our family of 4!

Karl and I are super proud and excited to have the privilege of welcoming our water baby, Landry Lucas into the world in January 2011! Karl and I had a planned home water birth (at my mothers house since that is where I was temporally living). Karl had moved up to the San Francisco bay area to start his first quarter of school, so I was back in Fresno taking care of Everett with a big, FAT pregnant belly! Lots of work taking care of a 2 year old going through the terrible 2's! But he certainly lights up my heart!

I had been anxiously awaiting the arrival of our baby. I was quite worried that I would go into labor or my water would break all while Karl was away at school. I prayed it would be on a weekend sense that is when he made his trips back down to Fresno to be with Everett and myself. I am not a very patient person when it comes to the unexpected. So we prayed and prayed that we would have a baby born on the weekend and God sure knows best because I went into labor on a Saturday night! The Lord has perfect timing!

I'd been having contractions off and on for several weeks, so I was thinking it could be any day. I had tried everything under the sun to help induce my labor naturally. I joke that it was my white bean chili. On Saturday the 22nd of January we had a relaxing day at home. I took a nap and got some good rest in and cooked white bean chili for dinner. Right as we sat down to eat at 6:00pm, I began having contractions. Could have been the chili, but I don't think the spicy chili would get to me that fast. After all, I only had a few bites. I had to get up and walk around as the contractions were pretty painful. They came and went and then Karl began to time them. These contractions were all over the map with no consistency what so ever. They were 10 minutes apart then 7 minutes apart then 12 minutes apart. I didn't think it was the real thing and thought it was false labor. They eventually started getting closer and closer together. 5 minutes apart and 7 minutes apart. At this point we were contemplating whether or not to call my midwife or not to see what she thought. And a few minutes later my midwife, Detrah called. We told her what was going on and we decided that I would wait it out and give her a call back. Probably 20 minutes later we gave her the OK to come on over.

My gracious mother took Everett to a hotel. I didn't know how long I'd be in labor and did not want him waking up and hearing mama screaming and in pain and get scared.

With some soothing Christian music playing and candles burning and the smell of lavender, I was all ready to get this whole process done! My real labor began with contractions 2 minutes apart lasting for about 1 minute. Those 1 minute contractions seem like the longest 1 minute ever. But I was able to walk around, stand up which felt the best and sit on my big exercise ball to do relaxing movements to help with the pain. Around 9pm I got into the water. I rented a birthing tub from a company that keeps the water warm which was super nice! It was great laboring in the warm and relaxing water. I loved it when I was able to do that during my labor with Everett (although I ended up delivering him on a bed) which I loved to death! I've said it before and I will say it again... the warm water is like a natural anesthetic. No drugs for me please! My babies were born into the world drug free! I was having contractions and Karl went into the kitchen for something and I said to him, "babe, I want you in here with me." So he leaves and come back to me with his swim trucks on." LOL! I was thinking, what in the world?? I had meant in "here" as in the living room with me helping me through the contractions and Karl thought I meant in the water with me. Oh my... a little miscommunication. That was too funny! It must have been around 11pm when I suddenly felt the urge to push. Detrah did 1 exam and that was it. She told me I was at 9cms and after 1 contraction I started pushing. Must have been that contraction that opened me to a 10! As the baby was coming out I could feel his little head with tons of hair! That was such an incredibly amazing experience to be able feel him coming out! Within less than an hour of pushing, he made his appearance into the water at 11:44pm. Karl had planned on catching the baby, but that one last push came pretty hard and fast that he just popped right out into the water and another midwife, Alex who is interning brought him out of the water and into my arms at last! What a relief because all that hard pushing was over! I held him so tight against me and just loved on him. After several minutes I got out of the water with the baby and layed down to have Karl cut the umbilical cord and to deliver the placenta. I was not expecting the labor to only be 6 hours. I knew the 2nd baby usually comes a lot faster, but I was not expecting it to be that fast. Compared to my 23 hours of labor with Everett, this was a piece of cake!

What an experience for sure! I am so overjoyed that I had the opportunity to have a home water birth. I would not have done it any other way. I am thankful to have had Karl there with me through it all and not stuck in traffic in San Francisco! I am blessed to have such a knowledgeable and wonderful and nurturing midwife who I love dearly! And most importantly to have a very healthy baby boy weighing 8 pounds and 2 ounces and 21 inches long. What a joy! I love you, Landry Lucas and look forward to a lifetime of many memories with you and our sweet family! You have a mommy and daddy and big brother who love you so much! xoxo