Wednesday morning at about 2:00 I woke up with contractions 3 minutes apart. They hurt a little but it was nothing unbearable. Justin, with typical Daddy-alarm, thought it would be best to make a trip to the hospital. So, after a stop at Dunkin Donuts for the obligatory coffee, cinnamon bun, and honey glazed dunking stick, we made our way to the 4th floor of the Medical Center. The nurse was less than charming, the bed less than tempur-pedic, and my dilation less than impressive. After 4 hours of monitoring, and dilated only to 3-4 cm, they gave me the option to stay and wait a few hours for the midwife or go home. I chose home. The contractions spaced out gradually and stopped altogether in the late afternoon on Wednesday. They started up again lightly around 8pm but we didn't get our hopes up and decided to go ahead and go to bed. About 11pm I woke up in pain. Contractions about 8 minutes apart. They were so intense that I woke Justin and asked him to fill the bathtub for me in hopes that sitting in the water would ease the pain a little. The contractions started coming closer and closer together, until they were about 2-3 minutes apart and I was having to concentrate to breathe through them. After 2 hours in the tub they spaced out again and virtually went away, so I went back to bed. Before I even had a chance to fall asleep they were back with a vengance. Going from 10, to 8, to 3 minutes apart very quickly. They continued in that pattern of painful irregularity all night long, until, at around 5:00am, they became regular and mean. Justin put a call in to the midwife who told us to meet her at the hospital at 6:00. Elizabeth came over to be with the kids and we set off for the hospital, pretty sure that we would get to stay this time. When we arrived, I was dilated to 7cm. They took me down the hall to the birthing room and asked if I was ready to get into the tub. I took a deep breath and stepped through the door of the room where I planned to do this thing completely naturally. The bath tub was filled right away and I got in as soon as it was ready. I stayed in for about 2 hours, breathing through many hard contractions. Unfortunately, when my midwife checked me again I was still at 7cm. Hours of work with no progress at all. My options were to continue on in the same way, or to do something that would speed things up....like break my water or start some pitocin. I knew I didn't want the pitocin so I opted for letting her break my water, even though I knew from experience that the pain to come after that would be the worst. With the water broken I made my way to the birthing ball, where I sat, leaned over the bed, with Justin rubbing my back for over an hour, in extrememly intense pain that could only be rivaled by the pain that was to come next. Feeling the urge to push during a 3 minute long contraction on the birthing ball I decided to get back in the tub. The next half hour or so was a jumble of the following:

Excruciating Pain
(Me) I CAN'T DO THIS!!!!
Crying
(Justin) You're doing great
(Midwife) Push when you need to
Excruciating Pain
Pushing
(Me) I'M GONNA DIE!!!!
(Midwife) Look at me and breathe
(Justin) It's almost over
Banshee screaming
(Midwife) Let your body bring the baby down
Pushing
(Me) I NEED SOMETHING TO MAKE THE PAIN STOP!!!
(Midwife) The only thing that's going to make it stop is the baby coming out
(Me) WHY ISN'T SHE COMING?!?!
Excruciating Pain
Pushing
Excruciating Pain
Pushing
Excruciating Pain
Pushing
Excruciating Pain
(Justin) I see her head!
Pushing Harder
(Me) HER HEAD JUST WENT BACK IN!!!!!
Unearthly screaming
Excruciating Pain
(Midwife) I need to get this cord from around her neck
Pushing Harder

And finally.....

She arrived! As she was pulled up out of the water and placed in my arms I saw her face for the first time. She was purple, and covered in her sticky white coating, but beautiful. After some suctioning of her nose and mouth, patting of her bottom, and prodding she took her first breath and whimpered. I was still shaking from the pain and had a hard time maneuvering her slick little body. I almost dropped her back in the water! After a few minutes Justin cut the cord, I delivered the placenta, and my midwife handed her to Justin so I could get out of the tub. She was out, she was fine, and I didn't die after all! Hallelujah!

They didn't take her from us right away. We laid with her in all her sticky glory on the double bed and held her, looked at her, and rested, utterly exhausted. We spent almost 2 hours just being with her before the nurse weighed and measured her. 6 pounds 15 ounces, 19.5 inches.

Astrid Emilia Jane....divine srength, industrious, ambitious, God is gracious.