Baby Benjamin's Birth or Bouncing with Bowling Balls

Today (according to my midwife) is my due date. I am happy to say that this time I already have a baby instead of having three days left of pregnancy like I did with Claire. Last Wednesday, May 30th, I went bowling with the young women in my ward. It was M&M bowling, so you choose an M&M and then bowl in a silly way that was chosen for that color, i.e. granny style, sitting, or hopping. Yes, I hopped down to the line with a bowling ball 12 days before my due date. I had it in my mind that I went bowling with Claire a week before she was born and nothing happened, so nothing would happen this time. I was wrong. I woke up in the morning with a bloody show. All my kids have always been born with in 24 hours of a bloody show.

I let my mom, midwife, mother-in-law and sister know that the baby was going to be coming pretty soon. My mom and sister came and helped me prepare for the inevitable. Mom did the dishes, Zilpha mopped the floor, I rested and got a chiropractic adjustment. Zilpha took Audrey for a sleepover and Nathan went with my mom. At 5:00pm nothing had started and Claire was upset that everyone left her, so I took her on a walk, which helped get the contractions coming regularly.

5:30 Curtis got home from work, the contractions were mild enough, he mowed the lawn while I sat with Claire and watched. We ate dinner and started watching a movie. I wanted to rest. I was convinced they weren't strong enough to be labor and if I rested they would stop and I'd get a good night's sleep before we met our boy.
9:30 We had been timing the contractions with an app for the past several hours and called the midwife to let her know they were 30 seconds long and 3-5 minutes apart. She offered to come over and get things started with essential oils or breaking my waters, but I chose to rest. She said to call her when the contractions were a minute long. I went to bed, still thinking that maybe they would stop and I could sleep all night. =)
11:15 I was feeling restless and timed the contractions at one minute each. I knew my resting was done and called the midwife, stating I wasn't sure if this was it, but I couldn't talk through the contractions very easily so she started on her way and said I could get in the water.
11:30 Mom arrived with Nathan, who went straight to bed.
11:45 The midwives arrived and I was in the tub, comfortable, but the contractions seem to be coming on top of each other, still not so strong. I still wasn't convince I was going to have the baby very soon.
11:53 My water broke.
12:00 Two pushes (one for his head, one for his body) and he was out!

 Benjamin William Gibby

7lbs 19.5 inches long

June 1st 2012 12:00pm

The midwives had never seen so much vernix. It was like someone had frosted him like a cupcake.

Claire woke up not long after because of the commotion. She loved seeing her baby brother and giggled when she saw him nursing. It seemed so funny to her that he would suck on me.

 

What a sweety he has been. We have all enjoyed him so much. Claire has been very understanding of me needing to hold and feed him all the time. Audrey and Nathan have been great helpers, but get a little stir crazy. It has been nice when they can go play with cousins or friends.