the baby

My water broke on Saturday night at 10:31 p.m. I was pretty sure I hadn't peed my pants, if only because I haven't been able to pee more than a trickle at a time in three months. But, I changed underwear and laid on the couch to see if it happened again (as per instructions from google). It happened again, and off we were to finish packing the hospital bags.

We arrived at the hospital and were seen in the temporary room, and once the fluid was determined to be my water, we were moved to a birthing suite. Now, I had broken my water, but I wasn't in labor. No contractions, still one centimeter dilated. So, I was given pitocin, which I knew was going to make an epidural-free labor difficult, if not impossible. My doctor predicted a 24-hour labor. The hub and I walked the halls, swayed, he massaged my back - anything to get it going on its own.

I'll provide the in-between later, with more coffee and more sleep, but skipping to the end, I was ten centimeters by 10:00 a.m. the next morning, pushed for thirty minutes, and Britton August Bogle was born at 10:56 a.m., a mere twelve hours and twenty-five minutes after my water breaking. While waddling the halls, I compared the whole thing to planning a wedding - months of waiting and planning for something that lasts minutes. You just hope you remember every detail, and that less important memories will fade so you have the gift of reliving the moments. The birth was surreal, it was world-changing, it moved me in a way I had no idea any other person could. I am forever changed by what I actively created and experienced, and the whole thing - the conception, the nine months, the labor, the birth, and the baby - all perfect.

Daddy:

Proud grandparents:

Four generations:

Arriving home:



Auntie Jessica:

My baby girl:

Look at that mouth:

She works her magic on Jessica and makes her pass out:

First (of many) Diaper Genie trash runs:

First bath and massage:

Heading to the pediatrician on Wednesday morning:

Flowers from the hub's work: