The Birth of Leon

How is that I'm holding an almost two week old baby? I was going through my pictures and realized in the flash of an eye I went from a big belly to holding a new 7 pound baby. I realized last night I needed to sit down and write about the birth before the details fleed me, before the fresh smell of newborn didn't linger in our house anymore, before these wrinkly little feet begin to move, before this newborn grunts and stretches turn to coos and rolling over and eventually words and walking... I look at Braylon and know exactly how all to quickly it comes, though each stage is fun and unique they past way to fast. Fortunately the labor of Leon was also fast but those kind of things we can only hope for them to be fast. Leading up to Leon's birth I felt fantastic, other than the urging want to meet my sweet little baby, I didn't have any other wants for labor to begin, I probably could have gone on being pregnant for months without it bothering me, complete opposite of Braylon,  I was sick, tired and my hips hurt in ways I couldn't have ever imagined.... I cried in my laundry room the night before I had Braylon, I pleaded with God to please let me have him soon, the next morning I started labor. Leon's pregnancy was night and day with his from the start, it made pregnancy easy for me so I fully expected to have a hard delivery because that just seemed fair. I begin to get really nervous about birth very early on, way more nervous than with Braylon, and it doesn't make much sense, it seems like I would have felt more prepared, but I didn't, remembering how hard it was made me doubt myself. We decided to deliver at a hospital across the bay, we loved our doctor, in fact I'm pretty sure Braylon thinks he is his best friend. He was so supportive as a doctor the whole 9 months and knew my plans to delivery natural. So my due date came and went just like it had with Braylon but wasn't a big deal and to be honest I didn't feel labor anytime soon, Sunday and Monday came and went too.... Monday night we went across the bay to have dinner and look for Braylon some shoes, with no luck, but we did enjoy just the 3 of us one last time before we became 4. The next morning I couldn't stand to vaccum or mop my floors one more time, so I set out to vaccum my car out and find Braylon some shoes. I returned home that afternoon and told Michael I was going to lay down because my legs were hurting, this should have been clue number one, I felt only had pain in my legs with my labor with Braylon. When I woke up Michael grilled some meat and I cooked some vegetables, I text Heather, my mother in law and told her, not to get her hopes up but I thought I'd be in labor soon, I meant the next day but she went on ahead and came to stay just in case. We ate dinner, once we finished it was pretty late in the evening, I took a shower and did my hair, when I got out I laid on the couch with Braylon until he fell asleep. I had been having contractions, they were very inconsistent, and besides I had been having "good" contractions for weeks without progress. I finally got in the bed around 10:30 that night and text my mom telling her I was confused because my contractions weren't consistent but I was feeling a lot of pressure and thought labor may be soon.  I tried to lay down and every 20 minutes or so I would have a really strong contraction, I woke Michael up and asked him to get me some water, this was around 11:45, when he came back his mom came in the room and said she would lay on the floor so Michael could sleep in case he did have to get up for work at 4:00, and she would help me if needed, I had a contraction in front of her and she convinced me to call my doctor, so I did, but felt silly because I couldn't really even say I was having consistent contractions, and I didn't feel like it was it and feared Michael calling in for a false alarm. I got on the phone and darn it my doctor wasn't on call.... I felt like I wanted to be Katherine Heigl from knocked up, I wanted to take a bath and wait for him to be on call, but babies don't wait.  He had a doctor join his practice that week and this was her first week on call, we exchanged a few words I told her I was planning on natural and she told me she was calling the hospital and worse case scenario they would just send me home but she thought I should atleast be checked, so I agreed I would make the hour drive and atleast see. We got up and collected our things I had more and more contractions come, it was beggining to feel like labor was starting, I laid down with my first baby for a few minutes and shed a few tears, because I didn't want to leave him behind, once I finally got up and decided to leave, when we got in the car I text my mom as my contractions were coming every 3 minutes and the pressure was unreal. Me and Michael prayed for us to make it safely because this was changing fast, and just like that we hit the bay way and nothing, Michael looked at me once we got off the interstate and said your not having anymore, but I had already noticed, I was looking at the clock trying to imagine I was having a contraction but, no nothing... I took the opportunity to take out the flash cards I had began making months ago, I put verses on one side and my prayers for the delivery, Leon and me on the other side. I read them over and over the weeks leading up and prayed and prayed. When we arrived to the hospital I walked in no problem and went to the desk to fill out paperwork before the maternity ward would come get me, I answered her questions and signed papers and laughed at her jokes, and remember still feeling silly because I knew she didn't think I was in labor, and I feared I wasn't either... The woman from labor and delivery finally came and got us I still wasn't having contractions, once we got in a room we met our nurse and got changed I started having contractions again here and there I finally got in the bed around 1:45 AM for her to check me and she told me I was 4cm and completely effaced, that was progress! I had been 2cm and 20% effaced the previous week so she said they would keep me considering I was 4 days over and she felt my water was going to break at any moment. Over the next hour my mom, dad and oldest sister came in to say hello, my mom talked me through a few contractions and man did they hurt but I would still have 10 and 15 minute breaks, then have two right on top of each other then a break again, I truly thought that I would be in labor on into the next day because I still wasn't having consistent contractions. My dad went to get food around three and I told Michael I didn't want to smell anything so we planned he would step out and eat it, well Leon had other plans, after they took michaels ordered I decided I wanted to be checked again so the nurse came in and checked me and said I was a 6 maybe more but she couldn't accurately see because she didn't want to break my water, that was around 3:30 AM, everyone had cleared out, I finally felt like I was doing it even though my contractions still had not been consistent but I had some that where going off the chart and I guess they were getting the Job done. At 4:20 AM I was complaining of a lot of pressure so the nurse checked me again I was 8cm, I asked her if I would make it to 6:00 AM so my doctor could deliver him and she laughed and said oh baby you won't make it to then, she told me she was going to call the on call doctor in because it would be soon, at 4:30 my water broke, I told Michael I could feel him coming and man I wasn't lying, the nurse came in and kept telling me to wait to push that the doctor would be in soon, but I kept telling her I wasn't trying but that he was coming, the doctor came in around 4:40 AM, she was asking me some questions, we made some decisions about how I wanted to push and what would happen after delivery. My dad popped in I guess to tell us Michael's food was there, I'm not really sure, but I hollered dad I'm fixing to push and boy was I, he turned around and let's just say Michael never are his Waffle House. I finally told her he is coming and she okay let's see so she counted to ten and I pushed and his head was out, then to ten again and started counting a third time but he was out before she finished! He didn't get to come to my chest like I wanted because I apparently make the shortest umbilical cords ever, so she held him down at my waste until the cord stop pulsing and then he was all mine! I was in awe I couldn't stop awing over what had just taken place! I could have never imagined birth could be so easy! The nurse leaned over and said you're a rockstar, you just delivered a baby better then most people who get epidurals! 

She and our baby nurse and even who ended up being our doctor were wonderful and really answers to prayers, they supported and respected us the whole way through. We got to enjoy our little Leon for the next two hours and then big brother got to meet him, he walked in and said hey mama, hey baby like he knew exactly who he was coming to meet! After him the grandparents and then the siblings got to enjoy him and our doctor made a appearance about 3 hours to late but he did still come by to see our sweet little Leon and of course Braylon was excited to see him too! We stayed until the next morning and then were able To go home! My doctor told me before we left that he still couldn't believe I had the baby like that when I did, he said  he could have sworn I had  another week! I guess that explains all his talks about how some woman go to 42 weeks the last few visits:) overall it was great birth and was such answers to prayers! I was blown away by the ease and really never would have thought I would have a easy birth like that, I know it's very well that could have been my experience without all the praying and scriptures I memorized but I owe it all to Jesus. I know he had us in his hands and I know that he listened and saw every desire in my heart. Leon I didn't know what my world was missing without you here, I didn't know the love I would feel or the overwhelming joy you and your brother could bring me. Thank you sweet son for being you! I can't wait to get to know you more and more each day! I love the adventure you, your brother and daddy bring to my life!