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



Karl setting up the birthing tub a week before my due date.


All set up and ready to go!


During my contractions... 2 minutes apart!


I think this pictures about explains it all! AUGH!!!!


Holding Landry Lucas for the 1st time!






1st newborn check from Detrah my midwife!




Getting weighed for the 1st time. 8lbs. 2oz


Landry wearing a onesie that was Karl's when he was a newborn.









Landry at 1 week old

the birth of everett stephen

my mom arrived in atlanta from fresno, ca on saturday, november 22, 2008. we had prayed that i would not go into labor before she got into atlanta. she really wanted to be with us during the birth and wanted to experience my water birth. the lord answered our prayers because she arrived just in time... perfect time!

driving back home from celebrating jessica's 21st birrthday at ted's montana grill on a sunday evening at 7pm-ish, november 23, 2008 to be exact. i began feeling what i believed to be braxton hicks contractions. turned out to be the "real thing". since this was my first pregnancy, i had no idea what to expect.

i felt like i was going to burst! i layed down on our bed and propped my feet up on to a pile of soft pillows as i moaned and moaned. then took a few baths to relax. from that moment, i knew i had a very long night ahead of me. trying to fall asleep was not a success. looking at the time passing by was no help at all. i learned in my birthing class not to time the contractions as soon as they start because it will seem like forever. we waited as long as we could then began timing my contractions. 10 minutes apart. 7 minutes apart. 5 minutes apart. around 5am it was time to call my mid wife, margaret strickhouser (she is an amazing woman and i highly recommend her). another prayer was answered, margaret was on call! i gathered my belongings as fast as i could being that i only packed half of my things the day before, woke my mom up and got myself ready to go. in between my contractions i was packing karl's bag too and crossing the list off. hey, at least i was prepared with a list. i had already packed the fish net... but we will not go there.

karl loaded up the car with a pile of towels on my seat just in case my water broke on the way. we were off to the hospital passing all the commuters on the highway. we missed most drivers because it was around 6:00 in the am. we pulled into the hospital drop off spot. apparently i was the only woman in labor that morning that asked for a wheelchair. the others just walked right in. i think my adrenaline was pumping so much that i could not even walk. after being admitted into the hospital, i was examined and was told that i was 5cms dilated. since this was a planned water birth the wonderful staff began to fill the huge tub with hot water and i mean HOT!!i slowly stepped in by the help of karl. ohhhh, it was amazing! the hot water was so relaxin let me tell ya! it was my drug of choice for sure, no epidural for me! the hot water was probably just like a natural anesthetic. it eased the pain of my contractions that were very close together. i believe at that time they were about a minute apart. by this time it was after 7am and i had promised my mom before that the hospital has a coffee bar for patients. i felt horrible being that my mom was still on west coast time and if you know my mom she runs on her coffee. my mid wife was very generous and brought a huge cup of coffee to her!

the time passing was so slow!!! gradually, i began to dilate with my contractions closer together. it was very encouraging to hear karl's soothing voice tell me how good of a job i was doing. i was filled with so much excitement! it was a very emotional experience and i just wanted to see my baby and hold him in my arms. by the time i got between 9-10 cms i was beginning to feel the urge to push. that feeling was one i can not describe. it was a such a huge relief for me to push during each contraction! i loved being in the water and feeling so free and being able to move and turn to a comfortable position rather than having to be restricted in a bed. from the time that i started pushing to the time that everett was born was a total of 5 long hours. it seemed like forever, but the grace of GOD was with me. trying to push everett out was a very long and drawn out process. as you can tell, it was a 5 hour process. i was EXHAUSTED and that is an under statement! after approximately 3 1/2 hours of pushing, i was not progressing. everett's head would crown then go back in. that was happening for a long time. margaret, my mid wife suggested that i get out of the water and try to push on the bed. i was so upset because it was my desire for a few years (after watching a documentary called, the business of being born. visit the link: www.thebusinessofbeingborn.com to have a water birth. however, everett was not wanting to come out. karl's line of the day was, "he is stubborn just like his mommy!" karl knows how to keep the humor alive! after an hour and a half our little or should i say huge baby was born!!! that was the most amazing experience i have ever had, thus far! i was filled with emotion however did not cry like i thought i would. i was just trying to concentrate on getting the baby OUT! margaret layed the baby on my chest and i remember saying, "my baby, my baby, i love you, i love you, i love you!" i looked over at karl and he had tears in his eyes. he leaned over to kiss me and i melted. i could not believe that our dreams had come true.

after karl cut the umbilical cord we finally decided on the baby's name. we announced it to my mom since she did not know yet. baby everett stephen baune was born on november 24, 2008 at 5:55pm weighing 8lbs 15oz and 20 inches long. we were over joyed with emotions! it was such a miracle!

thank you to my amazing husband karl for your support through the whole birthing experience and for your loving and encouraging words. thank you to my beautiful mother who was my cheerleader and held my hand throughout. i love you both very much and i am very blessed to have you both be apart of this experience. now onto being a mother and wife!


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