Dylan's Birth Day

So here's the birth story, in case you're interested.  You're probably not, and that's ok because I'm mainly writing it down for my own memory, and for Dylan someday:

On Thursday, August 8th we were scheduled for an ultrasound appointment, where we were told that our baby hadn't been growing as he should have the last few weeks, or as the doctor put it, he had "dropped off the charts."  Obviously scary to hear, and the doctor recommended for me to be induced within a week. Having been planning a natural birth, this was dreaded news, compiled by the fact that I feared our baby's tiny body being under great stress from an induction.


The next day, on August 9th, we decided to go camping to keep our minds off of the news.
We loaded up the car and headed off to the Santa Cruz Mountains, where we met our friends,

Kyle

Melanie (with her adorable baby bump!)

their adorable, adventurous son Hudson

and we also brought along Brett's brother Ryan, and our rascal dog - who was happiest being ultra-snuggled between 2 pillows in the car. 

On the way there (around 6:30pm), I started feeling cramping in my stomach, but I wasn't sure what it was, didn't want to overreact, and from all my reading, I knew labor was a long process, so even if I was in labor, I figured we would be able to drive the hour and a half back to civilization if need be.  So we stayed out camping.

As the night went on, the cramps became stronger, and I became aware that I was probably in early labor, which was great news!  The night before, Brett and I had been praying that I would be able to labor naturally to avoid induction, so I was so excited, and a little bit in disbelief that our baby was coming on his own, 10 days before he was due, and right after being told he needed to come.

Camping with our good friends for the beginning of labor was the ideal way to go through it. Thanks again K&M!

 By morning, it was clear that our original plans to go to the beach for the day probably needed to be cancelled.  We decided to head home and hunker down to go through labor.  (I have to say, camping for the first 16 hours of labor was the best way to go through it.  I didn't plan it that way, but if I could do it again, that's exactly where I would want to be - as long as the labor was not a quick one - giving birth in the woods is not my idea of an ideal birth.  Yikes.)

Our goals was to hold-off from going to the hospital for as long as we dared, so that we could more comfortably experience labor in our home.  So that's what we did.
And I have to say, it was actually more comfortable than I feared it would be.  Brett was amazing.  I have come to call him the "world's best doula".  Originally, we were considering paying $600 for a doula, and I would have to say Brett was probably better than any doula I could have hoped for, and free!  He prepared by reading this book along with me:

And he did it all:  massage, counting, holding me through a contraction, suggesting positions during contractions, taking walks, arranging pillows, breathing with me.  I remember during one particularly difficult contraction, he went to the car to put in the carseat, and while he was gone I realized how much harder it was without him.  I am so grateful he was there with me through the whole process!

Our plan was to go into the hospital when contractions were 4 min apart, but they went from 5 min apart to 2 min apart after we went for a walk.  So we went to the hospital at around 10:30pm:

We got into Labor and Delivery at 10:45pm, and found out I was dilated to a 7.  I was excited, but starting to really be in a lot of pain so I hoped I didn't have too long to go.  At this point it was still endurable though.

On my way walking to the Labor room, my water broke.  This was the point from which things "got crazy up in heea".
I got into the labor room and continued going through each contraction with Brett's help.  At this point it was pretty painful and there wasn't much Brett could do.  I pretty much just sat on the birth/yoga ball and leaned over the bed on some pillows, and moaned through each contraction.  After 20 minutes in the labor room, the most incredible downward pressure came over me and I became:

"The-Quintessential-Crazy-Woman-in-Labor-Screaming-Down-the-Hospital-Corridor-at-the-Top-Of-Her-Lungs"

Really.  

But at least it didn't last long.

After another 20 minutes, our baby had arrived, at 12:07am on August 11th.

 I couldn't believe what had transpired over the last 30 hours.  We went from happy-go-lucky weekend campers, to parents of a beautiful, vulnerable, miracle baby.
Some days are just days.  Other days change your whole life.  This was one of those.