I didn’t sleep the night before as I was restless. I had been having contractions for weeks but without much change. I wasn’t about to time them because doing so was becoming frustrating when I would see they were irregular and sporadic. Jonah slept peacefully through the night unaware that I had been in and out of the tub, eating peanut butter and banana sandwiches and playing those annoying free games from the app store. I began to notice that I was having some bloody show and waited until 4 a.m. to call my mother in law. She agreed she thought I was in labor. I called Carrie at 5 a.m. because that was about all I could wait. She answered immediately and we discussed how my night had gone; she agreed that she thought I was in labor. She encouraged me to try to sleep; she said I would need rest because it was going to be a long day. I woke Jonah and told him to call work and let them know he wouldn’t be in that day. We curled up with our two dogs and slept the morning away. 

At around 10 a.m. Carrie and I spoke again, giving her updates on how I felt and the timing of the contractions. She told me to get a shower and get pretty because it would be the last time that I would feel like doing so for a while. After I showered and did my hair and make-up Jonah and I went for a walk around our neighborhood. It was a slow walk with me stopping with each contraction. It had just rained and the cool air couldn’t have been more welcomed. When we got back home I called Jonah’s mom over as we had a plan that she would clean my kitchen and bathrooms so that my OCD self didn’t attempt to do so in labor. Jonah was right there with me all day, making me the best breakfast burrito of my life, watching TV with me, reminding me to drink and drawing me baths to relax in.  

Carrie and I talked throughout the day and around 5 p.m. she and her assistant were going to head over. She left the decision of their arrival up to me, she was close but she wasn’t going to come until I told her to. Knowing that she was close gave me comfort and allowed me to relax and let my body do the work. At around 8 p.m. I told Carrie to come over as my contractions were 5 minutes apart and were growing stronger.

When Carrie arrived she checked me immediately, I was at 5 cm. I was so excited! Jonah’s mother and my mother arrived around the same time as Carrie and Jen, her assistant. Jonah and I stayed in our back bedroom, just lying on the bed and changing positons as we had learned and practiced in our classes. Carrie checked me again and I was at 7 cm. I was getting so excited knowing that we were going to be meeting our baby girl within hours.  Carried warned me that the transition between 7 and 10 would intense, she was right. I was struggling with back pain, although Aspen was in the correct position. I asked Carrie if I could labor in my tub to help ease the pain, she gladly said yes. I went from 7 to 10cm in my tub in what felt like only minutes but was closer to a few hours. Jonah sat in the bathroom floor and held my hand, I dosed off between contractions. Carrie would come in to do vital checks and Doppler Aspen’s heart rate. 

After a few hours, Carrie recommended that I get out so that she can properly check me. I was moved to my front room where apparently the mothers, Carrie and Jen had been busy. They had waterproof barriers, sheets, pillows and a birth stool, all ready to go. Carrie had my lie down and she checked me, I was at a 10! Thank the Lord! My water still had not broken and Carrie felt that there was a lot of it. 

She asked if we could break it, she felt it would keep things moving along. I gladly obliged. As soon as she broke my water I felt the overwhelming need to push with the next contraction that came, this was at 2:11 a.m.  I moved to the birth stool and pushing began. The first few pushes were of no assistance to Aspen as Carrie had to teach my how to push, I needed instruction. After I got the hang of it, it only took a dozen pushes or so before Aspen’s head was birthed, with the next contraction came her shoulders and before I knew it Carrie was telling me to grab her. I pulled her immediately to my chest and we were assisted to the floor. She was born at 2:53 a.m. The moment was more magical than I could have ever imagined.  Within minutes the cord had stopped pulsating and was clamped and cut. I delivered the placenta within another few minutes and about 30 minutes after delivering Aspen we were cozy and cuddled up in our bed. 

Carrie did teaching on how Jonah and our mothers should help care for me and then she did Aspen’s newborn assessment, right on our bed! She wasn’t wisped away to a cold and sterile room to be poked and prodded, she was looked over and assessed right in front of us. Mom made me waffles and orange juice while I ate and watched Carrie tell me that everything with our baby girl was perfect. Carrie and Jen waited around until I peed and ensured that I wasn’t having an excessive bleeding. They helped our mother’s clean up and straighten the house and start laundry. By dawn, Carrie and Jen had left and we were all winding down and ready to sleep. 

The next morning we had breakfast made by our mothers and our other close family members began to arrive to meet Aspen and congratulate us. Everything was on our time. Everything was perfect.