3:50am- Tracy wakes me after feeling first real contraction. This time, compared to Isaiah and Jane, I pay attention this time "Jordan I think its time!..
3:51am- I'm up, dress in some jeans and a tee-shirt, and throw my new work jacket on. Things are a bit panicky and rushed. We DO not want to wait a second longer.
3:55am- I load the car with baby seat. Tracy is moaning, and breathing pretty loadly, and pacing. She has EVERYTHING ready to go. Thankgoodness Tracy's Dad and step-mom were visiting and sleeping outside- I quickly rap on their motorhome door and ask them to go sleep with isaiah who is in our bed sleeping. Tracy is saying "Hurry, hurry!"
3:58am- We drive away from the home, the front door wide-open, waiting for Mae (Tracy's step mom) to join the kids inside. As we're getting into the vehicle, Tracy is standing on the driverside of the van: and we Laugh about Evan's joke about Tracy driving herself in and giving birth to the baby while she's driving, one hand on the steering wheel,and one and one catching the baby and pulling it up as she drives (Good 'ol Ev).
4:01am (4:01 exact time according to my phone)- we page Tracy's midwife and then call the hospital. Tracy handles the phone call letting the nurses know she is going to have the baby "...I have my babies quickly so I'm coming in...be ready..."
4:10am- We arrive and Tracy's midwife, Rosemary, is already there. There is no rooms available (busy night at the hospital) so Tracy is ushered into a stall behind the nurses desk, but it is behind closed doors and private enough. Tracy paces and moans as the contractions are less than a minute apart.
4:20- Tracy sits on the bed saying she needs to sit down. Rosemary checks her dialtion- 6cm or so. Tracy sends me back down to get her bag (I learn later that I only grabbed one of her bags).
4:22am- Tracy wants to push... And Tracy does what she wants she doesn't care is people are ready or believe her, which in times past they haven't. But Rosemary is excellent. She has Tracy do some short staccato breaths inbetween pushes so that she sustains the push without pushing too hard and tearing any tissue.
4:23am- The water breaks, initially just a little fluid comes. But a minute or two later a bigger gush comes.
4:26am- The head starts to show.
4:29am- The baby (currently unnamed) is born! They try to hand the baby to me, like to "catch" the baby, but I was a bit slow, so I did hold him for a second on the way up to Tracy. He didn't cry at first, he just later there blinking under the lights. But we prodded him a bit to make sure everything was working, and he let a cute little wail. Tracy had him trying to breastfeed right away, and latched on pretty good, and had his first meal :)
4:29 to 5:00am- They do the weighing (8lbs 0 oz), and the other tests and measurements. Once they put him on the examination table he cried more, he liked being nice and warm with mommy. The worst part is when they give him the vitamin k shot, and he looks absolutely hurt and shocked when the needle goes in, followed by a big cry session. Once he was back with Tracy he calms down, eats some more, and falls asleep. (I did cut the chord, and Tracy passed the placenta (yuck).)
5:00 to 7:20am- its pretty boring. He has been awake for an hour. No crying. Just looking around and wiggling, which is nice. Nurses come in and out, check vitals, pat Tracy. Everyone likes how "low maintenance" Tracy is and as usual they're amazed at how fast and seemingly (emphasis on seemingly) easy it is for Tracy.
So how do I feel? What's going through my mind? I feel tired and happy. The euphoria hasn't hit me yet, usually that comes when I'm driving, getting things ready for the baby and Tracy. Like I go and get food for Tracy, maybe an outfit for the baby, etc.
I do not know what we're naming him. That part is challenging. Isaiah's name , although Dad, the official name critic in the family thinks it is old fashioned sounding, is actually a religiously significant name-- Isaiah being one of the great early witnesses of Christ. And so we can't bring ourselves to just call this new son something insignificant... But what? I got the impression that this son would be a missionary son and sent to help teach our family. Maybe some name that means messenger? "How beautiful upon the mountain..." that quote ties in somehow, after all it was a quote from the prophet Isaiah.
7:45am- I call Tracy's Dad and he and Mae, and Jane and Isaiah are coming in when I leave and take Maria to her performance (Suessical) in 30 minutes or so. Tracy's Dad and Mae are really great. Its good to have them around. The baby now nestles in for a good feed...
I cant believe Maria is almost 8. The time goes so quickly. We're so busy. I never thought it would go by so quickly...
Our family is at 6 now- that's a new dynamic. We almost fill out our mini-van. I don't know how everything will work out, but I know everything will work out. We really need our business to grow to two or three times what it is right now. I have a lot to work for. Tracy would to continue to home-school our children. But being a Bishop, serving in the primary, being involved in Maria's and Jane's activities, and chasing Isaiah around keep us very busy. Sometimes you get a chance to stop and reflect and then you realize "oh 3 years have passed since ____."
