Noah Dale Hodge 7lbs 0 ozs 19 in, born 4/28/10 @ 455pm

sooooo here's the long awaited story...

4/27/10 @ 1130pm my water broke... i wasn't sure if that's what it was or if i was peeing my pants- HAHA... so i figured the CNM (midwife) would tell me to just go back to sleep, so we did...as i was laying there i thought about the time limit to deliver a baby once your water has broken (to prevent infection, etc.) so i figured i better call... so i called Judy Osborne (the CNM on call) to make sure that's what we should do because i wasn't having contractions at all..

At this point I am confused since all along I've learned that she should be in active labor or at least starting first stage labor when her water breaks. So the fact that she is totally normally is confusing but I wasn't going to complain for her.

** side note**

Dave and I months ago- probably back in Jan or Feb were guessing when we thought he'd be born- i came up with April 28th in my head and asked him his date... he said APRIL 28th!!! i screamed, "No way! that's the date i was thinking!" so just a side note about how odd it is that this all happened and he was really born on April 28th!! too funny!

so i wasn't having contractions or anything, Judy said to go back to sleep (take a Benadryl if needed...she must not know who she's talking to...the QUEEN of sleep! who is knocked out for DAYS with 1/2 a Benadryl..haha) so she said to sleep and if i wasn't having contractions by noon the next day they would have me come into the office and try some natural means to get things started. so we went to sleep... i was a little concerned that i was contracting and afraid after all the scares with my BP that i would end up in the hospital on pitocin after all- so Dave and I just prayed against that and went to sleep... to wake up to my phone ringing at 830 am- it was Judy the CNM calling to check in... she said how's it going? i said fine, i've been sleeping..."have you had any contractions?" "Well, a few, but i think they are just braxton-hicks b/c they aren't painful at all- i can just feel my stomach get real hard" "okay- well do you know about how far apart they are?" "Ummm...now i felt like an idiot b/c i have been sleeping- so i have no idea! haha" she just laughed and said...rriighhht, you've been sleeping- haha, wow-- yes i just slept through all the excitement...oh well!

so she said i want Dave to go get you some things to make a drink and drink it at 10am if you're still not having contractions... and it takes about 4-5 hours to act and hopefully by 2pm you will be calling louise (our doula) and we will be rockin and rollin in the middle of the night tonight and have a baby hopefully...

below is the recipe:

4 Tbsp castor oil...umm can i say i thought it was Kastrol Oil (the kind you put in your car--haha thank goodness Dave knew better!!)

4 Tbsp almond butter

1 C apricot nectar

1 C champagne

6 drops lemon juice

so Dave goes on the run...he laughs b/c he said he felt like an idiot buying Champagne at 9am on a weds! HAHA

That morning was all too normal. She was feeling fine and I woke up and started working from home. After I get word of the receipe I run to the store to find the odd ingredients. The nectar and butter weren't so hard to find. Castor oil was a lttile hard. I finally found it at Wal-Mart. The Champagne was funny since I was at the ABC store at 9am on a Wednesday, that was a first.

he comes home with it and i talked to my friend michele, who said she thought castor oil made y ou vomit and really bad stomach cramps... so, of course, i'm dreading the drink at this point- scared if i take it and i vomit all the way through labor--how miserable! sooo i procrastinated until about 1130 until i actually started drinking it... i told dave...umm so in this glass could make you vomit, diarrhea, stomach cramp and go into labor- the worst pain you've experienced in your life...WANNA DRINK?! HAHA soo i drink it and sit around and nothing...so i took another nap...still nothing

about 145 i started feeling menstrual crampy, my doula needed a big heads up b/c of childcare, etc. and i remember my mom saying her labor started feeling like she was goig to start her period- so i figured i better just call...called Louise told her i was feeling crampy, but that we didn't need her yet, just a heads up...she said sounded great, sounds like things are progressing and to call her with updates every hour

At this point, I am thinking here we go, it's gonna be 4am before this baby comes out...but regardless I was excited to finally see him. I went into this crazy nesting/cleaning phase in between her contractions.

***SIDE NOTE***

we have been told over and over again that the typical 1st labor lasts for 15-17 hours...fact

so keep this in mind for the rest of the story...

so about 15 mins later i knew it was labor b/c they were definite cramps and they would come and go- nothing unbearable, but def. noticable... so i got in my "side relaxed position" like a well trained Bradley Childbirth Student and began to try and relax...meanwhile, i have no idea what got into my husband...i guess NESTING took over his body b/c he was cleaning like a mad man, organizing and finishing minute details around the house- then i hear a screwdriver going...the last screw that was missing from his crib just came in, getting the mail, oh my goodness- i had no idea what got into him, but these contractions at this point (230) were pretty painful and i was very uncomfortable... and they felt like they were getting pretty intense. so i said, hunny, please stop and come help me- my back is killing me! so he came and started rubbing my back and helping me get into different positions to try and get comfortable...welp none worked except on all fours in our living room...staring into the rug! haha so that's where i stayed for the next hour-- contractions were VERY intense lasting about 30-45 secs and a minute apart... so i'm feeling like what is the deal? we learned in our classes and you read online they start about 15-20 mins apart lasting a few secs and SLOWLY progress to lasting a minute and a minute apart in ACTIVE labor...well i was only a half hour- max hour into real labor, so i started getting ticked that i just couldn't get a break from the contractions and they were very painful... the CNM called and Dave told her where my contractions were- i couldn't even talk to her at this point ( note to self and all-- in subsequent labors-- this is a SIGN That you are progressing WAY faster than you think you are! haha) and i heard her say to dave on the phone "good, sounds like things are progressing, remember you will be at this point with contractions closer for a couple hours or more before you need to head in" --- yes, in my pain, i heard this and wanted to break down adn cry--- HOURS of this? i didn't know if i was being a baby or what, but that just sounded like i couldn't do it--- HOURS? i was already dying! haha

so i told myself i had to focus and get through it...so a nice lil pattern on our rug became my focal point for the next hour--

i finally told Dave... i just don'tthink this is right- i'm not getting any breaks, i'm SUPPOSED TO GET BREAKS like at least 10 mins b/w and there is NO BREAK- it goes one right into the other! i don't think this is right...call Louise and ask her to come- she'll know what to do- i need help! haha

Dave was so absolutely amazing throughout the entire thing- rubbing my back, bringing me OJ to drink, reminding me to breath and stay focused- i couldn't have done it without such an amazing partner to stand by my side the entire time!!

She kept groaning and monaing (rightfully so I might add) but my job as I learned it was to keep her focused on breathing and focusing on the contractions. Also, I was massaging her back trying to take away some of the pain.

so he calls louise adn tells her to head on her way- not to drop and run, but head on over...she's about 45 mins away and its 330 at this point- (one hour into labor) she said...remember we're about to get into rush hour traffic- so i'll be glad to come over there, but then we should plan on laboring at your house for quite a few hours or else we should just head to the birth center now ... so again, we've been told labor is goig to be at least 15 hours- so we thought, we had PLENTY of time...mias well come to our house...meanwhile, i am having contractions that are lasting a minute now with no breaks in between, but again, i thought i was just being a baby and wasn't handling the pain well- so i kept telling myself to man up... its go time and i have to getthrough this...little did we know that i was transitioning at that point in time and was the toughest part of labor-- i somehow skipped the easy/light stage! long story short Louise shows up at the house- i couldn't even acknowlege her i was in non-stop contractions --she looks at me for a few seconds, looks at Dave and says- we need to get out of here-- her demeanor is saying she's a lot farther than we think she is- so Dave runs and is frantically loading the car-- louise helps me through a contraction and OH MY GOSH-- i have to push!! so i tell her omgosh lousie- i have to push!!! she's like ohh no...dont' push- try to breath through it- whatever you do don't push! so i get to the door and PUSHHH--- anyone who's had a baby knows that when you haev to push- there's no stoppin it!! its such an overwhelming sensation! so she gets me int he back seat of the explorer and tells me to ride on all fours to the birth center and that she would call Judy.

At this point I am like O. M. G. I felt crappy because we were still at home and she is ready to push!!??!?! But it went against everything we learned and heard from others. So I kept thinking there is no way that we are this far along, it's been like an hour. So I am running around (staying calm but really kind of crazy, just not showing it) trying to get everything in the car to leave (side note: the bag were packed by the door, just not in the car)

**side note-- the birth center has 1 CNM who does office visits/ clinic for the week adn the other CNM is on call for labors and deliveries- so Leslie was in the office that day and Judy was on call- so Judy was coming from home as well-- again this is at 4pm, so right int he middle of rush hour!...thank goodness this all happened during business hours and Leslie was there!!

we're driving like crazy to try to make it to the birth center before Noah comes out in the car! i had urges the whole time and kept trying to mentally talk myself out of these overwhelming pushing contractions! then in between these pushes i was painfree-- so then i thoguth great- did my labor just stop and i'm goign to get to the birth center and they're going to tell me i'm 5 cms and a baby and to go back home>! how embarassing! haha ...THEN...i felt him come down!! i said Dave-- call louise- he's coming out NOW!! he calls louise who said...book it-- we gotta get there- tell her not to push!! so i tell Dave- you have to take the emergency lane or something b/c we just hit traffic on 26- and i knew he was on his way into the world!!... the only thing i could think of to save us was to SIT ON MY HEAL!! hhaha i figured if i sat on it his head couldn't come out!! HAHA soo we squeel into the birth center on 2 wheels and i get outa the car- no shoes on-- walk into the clinic side b/c they have to check you before they'll let you push the secretary looks at me like i'm a luny b/c i'm pushing int he lobby!! HAHA Leslie checks me and says...head over right now... i had no idea what that meant- so i looked at dave he didn't know either- look at Louise and she's like...its time to PUSH, you're ready!

Of course, I am behind every slow grandma on the way. So I am passing people left in right weaving through traffic. I did my best to focus and get there as fast and safe as possible. I probably would make a good wheel man for the mob given the way I was driving.

they asked me earlier in the day which room i wanted and i wanted the front one...except the tub wasn't full-- the other room THANKFULLY was already set-up for that night- an orientation at the birth center and a tour of the labor rooms, so Leslie filled the tub up (these tubs are huge- bigger than hot tubs, so it takes time to get them filled up-- so Leslie apologizes, but says ash, you need to get in now, so its goign to be the other room-- at this point- i didn't car about the room, water birth anything-- all i knew is that he was coming out and i needed someone to catch him!! haha

so i go into the room- walk into the water and have another contraction-- leslie says...you're a great pusher- he'll be out int he next push... push again and never felt anything sting so bad in my life-- so i decided he was coming on the next one so i didn't have to feel that pain any longer than i had to... pushed again and out he came- she pushed him up to me and i pulled our son out and into the world!!! Dave was sitting right behind me and helped me hold him...what an amazing experience!!! i am so glad we chose a drug-free birth experience and soo glad it was at the birth center- what an amazing group of women to help take care of Noah and i --thank you Judy and Leslie!!

It was overwhelming. Not even 10 minutes before I got behind her to help her, he was out. He kind of flew out too. It was breath taking. I was in awe at this point. He came out looking good and hearing him cry was awesome.

so 3 hours of hard labor, 4 pushes arrived at the birth center at 430- and Noah Dale Hodge arrived at 455pm weighing in at 7 lbs even, 19 inches and 1000lbs of cutness!

**side note...soo meanwhile i walked into the tub, Leslie, the secretary, the photographer are running around getting the room ready for a delivery! and somehow in this fast and furious labor we got a doula, photographer and 2 midwives haha... and

HUGE thanks to Tamara for the beautiful photos...check them out: www.bumpmeetbaby.com

HUGE thanks to Louise for coming to the house and telling us to get in the car and GO- or else Dave and i would've still been at home thinking we had hours to go- thanks for saving us and being fabulous help throughout

Good think Lousie told us to go or else we would of had him at home. We had a full force though when we got there. 2 midviews, a doula and a photographer.

HUGE thanks to Leslie for making our delivery fabulous...street clothes and all :) and JUDY for the same and making our entire experience a dream!

4 hours later we left the birth center and headed home with our new bundle of joy!!

MEGA HUGE THANKS to my wonderful and supportive husband...who was with me every step of the way...from rubbing my back, to bringing me things to drink, to driving me like a mad man, to communicating with the outside world about everything going on...to becoming the best father any child or mother could ask for. he has been up with me every night taking care of Noah and being 100% involved- i now understand why people say you have a new found love for your spouse after childbirth- and that i def. have...more love and respect than i ever thought i could have for one person- i love you hunny and can't wait to raise our little guy together and make tons and tons of memories together...thank you

thanks everyone for everything :)

Love,

Dave, Ashley, Noah and Bella