BIRTH STORY: ROSIE JEWELL

My spring baby is ONE and my heart is so full! This milestone is not nearly as hard for me as when Olive turned one. I didn't know then what I had to look forward to after the first year and I felt a little sad that the "newborn" stage was over already and we were heading into the toddler years. This time around I am just so happy to celebrate Rosie's first year of life and excited to see her start walking and talking and interacting more with us!

It took a lot of convincing (myself) to sit down and write Ro's birth story - I'm much more of a dreamer and an artist than I am a writer, but I know that a year (or 10!) from now I may read through these old posts and be glad I did. So here we go. 

It was April 17, the last day of the Feast of Unleavened Bread and Isaac was off work. We decided to walk the greenway before dinner - as soon as we got in the car I felt my contractions starting. I knew right then we would probably be meeting our baby girl in the next 24 hrs - I had a hunch she would be born April 18. 

The contractions were frequent, but easy. We watched Grey's Anatomy that evening. I remember turning to Isaac and saying, "This is so easy! Maybe these are actually huge contractions and my body just knows what to do this time around so it feels easy!" He did not seem convinced. 

A little more Grey's Anatomy and we were ready for bed. My midwife checked me and I was at 5cm. I told her I felt fine. She decided to sleep on the couch, just in case. After a quiet night she slipped out early in the morning before we woke. 

I had muesli for breakfast and felt my contractions pick up again once I started moving around. Isaac got our birthing pool blown up and Dad picked up Olive so Isaac could focus on ME!

I spent the morning in and out of the pool laughing and talking with Isaac and my midwives between contractions. 

My hopes that I would sail through this birth without any/much discomfort were dashed at 11am when after a whopping contraction I burst into tears at the kitchen table. I think my midwife must have thought that was a good sign because she whipped out her pen and made a note on her chart as if to say, "Good. Progress." 

By 1:30 I was hoping and praying each contraction was the last one. I needed a little energy to make it to the finish line... we put on Bob Marley and ordered some Thai food. 

1:52 - My body started pushing and I started yelling! We freaked out the Thai food delivery guy who arrived mid-roar. For a split second, fear swept over me. I felt so small and weak and afraid. I told Isaac I wasn't sure I could do it. I prayed out loud for strength and reminded myself this is my race and I AM AT THE FINISH LINE.

... 

2:00 - head crowning.

...

2:01 - welcome to the world, Rosie Jewell! 

Welcome, little Rosie, to this breathtaking world! We have been waiting so long to meet you. Waiting to see your perfect face, to brush your cheek and smell your skin. Waiting to hear the sound of your cry, to kiss you, to feel your fingers wrap around ours. Waiting to hold you, to rock you to sleep. We have been counting down the months, the days, the weeks, the hours until this moment. And now it is here! You are the fruit of our love. You are a miracle. You are a gift from God. You are ours. 

Read Olive's birth story here =)