Isaac Nathan Stol

It's so crazy how every birth experience is so different from the rest. I woke up at midnight with a pretty strong contraction. They were coming about 3 to 4 minutes apart. I was thankful that I had gone to bed about 9:45 so at least I got a couple of hours of sleep. That was more then almost every one there at the birth. I called my midwife right away due to my history of short labors. I was really hoping that it was the real thing and not false labor like I had (for two days) with Haley. I would just feel really bad waking everyone up to find out the it wasn't really going to happen. So anyway the contractions came pretty consistently for about an hour and then they didn't. I was still pretty sure I was going to have the baby that morning because the contractions were strong and felt productive. I could actually feel Isaac moving down during a couple of them. By this time it was about three in the morning. The contractions were intense but very sporadic but pressure was building. After my mother and sister (in-law) arrived I had the midwife go ahead and check me. At that point I had labored the entire time in the living room pretty much by myself while everyone sat around chatting. I was mostly involved in conversations as well accept for a few times during some strong contractions. Probably only the midwives new when I was even having a contraction because I was very relaxed and in control.

So I went and layed down on the bed and to my surprise the midwife said I was fully dialated and was ready to push. I didn't feel the urge to push yet so I had my water broken. (I just can't seem to get over pushing my babies out when i don't feel the urge...after my birth experience with Elizabeth that is!) Anyway, after my water was broken it took a few minutes for the pushing urge contractions to kick in and then I pushed through a few contractions and baby was out.

There was a slight delay in his coming. After I pushed his head out the cord was wrapped pretty tightly around his neck and it was keeping him from coming out the rest of the way. I thought it was pretty strange because usually after the head the body is a piece of cake...or at the very least a lot less work. My midwife said if I could push baby out the rest of the way (even though I wasn't having a contraction) she wouldn't have to cut the cord. I really like my babies to get all of there blood out of the placenta so I pushed and i had to push hard too. This was by far the hardest baby (besides Elizabeth...who's birth is a whole different class) I've pushed out yet.

So everyone was amazed (besides the midwives) that i had labored so carefree and was ready to have my baby. It was a fun and excited birth experience.

Hans had gone to bed for a little nap thinking that it was going to be a while. After the midwife checked me I realized that he was still asleep. So my mom had to go wake him up and let him know that baby was ready to be pushed out. He came sleepily in to the room full of humorous comments as always. It's fun to laugh and birth at the same time. Although there was no laughing going on when it came time to push. All my attention was on pushing.

My girls slept through the whole thing in the room right next to all the activity. Hans did wake Elizabeth up around 6:00 AM to meet her little brother. She felt special to have that individual time with him before her sisters. She got to watch us weigh and measure him. She was especially thrilled to find out the her Auntie Lanaya was going to take her and her sisters home with her. She kept asking if they could leave. I think she must like her cousins!

Morgan and Haley really didn't have much time to wake up and see him before they had to leave with Auntie. But Haley (how is a complete baby lover) did ask to hold him and managed to squeeze in a little bonding before she left. It was so sweet to watch her. She was holding him looking down at his face and from time to time she would gently rub her lips against his nose.

Isaac is a very mellow and sweet baby so far. He's hardly fussed at all since he's been born.

It's a long post but that is the nitty gritty. Visitors are welcome as long as you call first to make sure we're not sleeping. If we don't answerer...were probably sleeping!

A big thank you to my midwife Ann and Shannon. You guys were a great support. And mostly I thank my loving God and Father for making my body so able to birth peaceable! I enjoyed my hot shower singing praises to Him after Isaac was out.

What a wonderful life!