On the way back home, I started feeling my contractions but they weren’t painful at all. They just felt like I was flexing my abs…  Rebecca told me to get home, eat some cucumbers to keep my blood pressure low and to take a bath to help slow down my contractions. I got in the bath and laid on my side so I could rest and prepare to meet our daughter.  There I was with my giant belly, my cucumbers, and a nice hot bath☺️ I maybe ate some chicken strips too😂 Very romantic 🥰

When our midwife arrived, I was fully dilated!!! Like a 10!!! Like, a 10, 10! What?! How?! I thought I would at least feel some pain by this point?! I was even feeling any discomfort! Since I was fully dilated, we were sure we would be meeting Ada any moment.  Long story, short… We did not. We would fill the tub, drain the tub, repeat…I am pretty sure we tried every midwife trick there is as well.

We tried everything we could think of my favorite was playing an intense game of tag with Norah and Charlie around the house. But nothing seemed to get my contractions strong enough. Like, I’m running around my house, in a robe, dilated to a 10, playing tag with the girls, but like labor just wasn’t happening.  Most labor inducing techniques involve ripening the cervix but I was fully dilated so it was like…what the heck is happening?!  We decided the next step would be breaking my water… Welp, guess what?  This didn’t work either!… Like, that bag was so thick we couldn’t pop it. My midwife encouraged me to eat lots of oranges with as much pericarp during my pregnancy as I could to strengthen everything. We joked that I shouldn’t have eaten that many since apparently it definitely worked!

So, after a day full of trying to induce labor, laughter, good conversation, amazing lattes made by Chris, delicious pizza’s sent from a sweet friend in Colorado (Thanks Lacee!) we decided to call it a night.  I remember Rebecca asking me what I felt like I wanted to do and just started crying because I was so tired and so confused…Chris held me…Reminded me of how strong I was and that I had this…Rebecca held me and whispered encouraging words to me and then everyone came over, laid hands on me and prayed.  It was amazing.  I felt such peace and security and the presence of the Lord in such a special way🧡

Rebecca, her team, our photographer, and one of my dearest friends all set up camp in the living room and said they weren’t leaving until Ada arrived.  A slumber party it was! Having that many people choose to stay with me and support me was such an incredible feeling.  I felt so loved!

One of my favorite things about home birth is the wonderful atmosphere and comfort that comes with just being in your home.  There was no rush, no other women needing tended to and no agenda besides my comfort & Ada and I’s health. At one point in the day we all got starbucks and just hung out visiting by the birthpool:D Everyone involved had a wonderful sense of humor so the atmosphere just felt fun and relaxed the entire time. Rebecca’s team was made up of her two oldest daughters, (she has 11 children! #Goals) and her apprentice.  Her girls played with our girls and braided their hair, and watching the incredible relationship that these teenage girls shared with their mother makes me so excited for the relationship that my girls and I will share one day!😭🥰

I mentioned above how badly Norah wanted to help or at least witness the birth of Ada and I wanted this so badly too, but it just didn’t happen. After such a long day, we decided that maybe it would be best for Norah and Charlie to go to Grandma and Grandpa’s for the evening so Chris and I could get some rest and wake up ready to go!  I was super bummed, but also felt like we needed to do it this way.  The next morning I woke up, still dilated to a 10 and was beyond ready to meet our little lady!

Just like the day before, we tried all kinds of things until I was just so ready!  Rebecca asked what might be stalling labor and I told her it might be that the painters tape on my windows in my room😭 We had just painted and there was still painters tape up… So my friend, our midwife and I took down all of the tape. I think that really helped 😂

We were determined to get my water to break so we decided to go to the bedroom and make it happen!  Everybody huddled around my bed, I think at this point there were 8 of us, and we finally got my water to break! What I should say, is my water BURST! Like, sprayed me and everyone around me kind of burst.😂 Sorry about spraying you with birth fluids, friends😂😭  I remember laughing, and then getting a contraction that was like the mother of all contractions!  Up until this point, my contractions were painless. I would have a few minutes of some soft contractions followed by hours of nothing… It was emotionally so strange and draining because they would start to get a little more intense and I would think, “This is it!  Here we go!” and then nothing. But this contraction, I knew she was coming and FAST!

I asked Rebecca and Chris to get me downstairs and back into the tub.  I got in and there was another huge contraction!  I was on my hands and knees and reached down and could feel Ada’s head.  I remember Rebecca asking me to roll over and I was like, “Nope! Not happening!” She rolled me over herself and told me to push!  Now, this was my third labor and I feel like after all this work and being dilated to a 10 for so long pushing would be so easy, but I’ve never had to push like this.  Norah was 6 pushes, Charlie was 2 painless pushes, but this was like, no matter how hard I pushed, I felt like I needed to push harder!  It wasn’t that I was in pain, or that it even hurt… I just couldn’t seem to push like I felt I needed to. Then, with every fiber in my being and an maybe a hint of some serious scrunting (you know the grunt/scream I’m talking about) 😂, I pushed and then… Rebecca told me to slow down!  Slow down?! Ada was finally right there and I had to slow my pushing down?!

This is another area where I am so incredibly thankful for the extra time, care, consideration, and attention that you receive with a well-seasoned, very attentive midwife.  Rebecca had a hunch and thought maybe Ada might be trying to exit with a Nuchal hand.  It’s not what it sounds like. She was crowing with her hand on her head with her elbow bent out wanting to exit at the same time as her head!  Think Burt Reynolds 1972 centerfold style.  She was just wanting to arrive with extra class, but this class is not so great for your lady biz, and we realized this was the reason my pushing felt so weird.

Rebecca used her sweet skills and gently pushed Ada’s hand and arm back while having me slowly push and I am happy to say that no vagines were hurt or torn in any way during this delivery!!! Or in any of our home births! THANK YOU, Rebecca!!! After that, I reached down and with one more push, pulled my sweet little Ada out and onto my chest!

I then remember something really special. My mom was there with me when I delivered Norah and Charlie but timing was a little off on this one and it didn’t work for my mom to be there this time. Sorry Mom! However, my best friend was there with me.  I remember looking down at Ada and looking up and meeting eyes with Olivia, both us with large tears streaming down our faces.  I remember looking at her as she birthed her son and held him for the first time and just feeling so proud of her and so amazed with her strength and the beauty of birth.  In that moment, I knew what she was feeling and there’s just something so special about it 😭 It was just a special moment I’ll never forget😭

I will never forget the sensation or that moment when each one of my ladies first laid on my chest!  Reaching down and pulling your own baby up and out of yourself and onto your chest yourself is a sensation that is truly incredible! I exclaimed, “You’re here! You’re here!”  I remember kissing her, looking at her hands which were so small in comparison to her sisters, and looking into her face and just being in awe of how perfect she was.  Her pouty lips, her dimpled chin, her soft brown hair.  I remember looking  at Chris and smiling and having this funny sense of relief and while he didn’t say anything, in my head he was laughing and saying, “FINALLY!” 🥰 2 days of being dilated to a 10 is a serious tease!😳

After cuddling with Ada for awhile, we got out of the tub and got settled in our bedroom. Our room was set up with all the necessities you might find in a hospital except way cozier! And no painters tape! 🥰🥰 By this time Norah and Charlie were back home with us. I was so bummed they weren’t there when I delivered but it all worked out beautifully. I was on the bed nursing Ada as the girls rushed in screaming, “She’s here! She’s here!”Norah jumped up onto the bed, put her hand on my cheek and said in the sweetest little voice, “I really wanted to pull her out… BUT YOU DID IT!” She gave me the biggest hug was just so proud! Her and Charlie got in bed with us and were so excited! I’ll never forget them smiling, and laughing, and cooing about how much they loved their new little sister and how cute they thought she was! Special doesn’t even begin to describe these moments😭

Then we just got to cuddle up and love on one another while we watched and participated in taking Ada’s vitals. She was here, we were all together, all felt perfect. Home birth is seriously magical😭 I hope to experience it again and again!

Ada Lynn. 21 inches. 7 lbs 4oz. Born in our dining room on February 5th, 2016 at 5:53pm.
Oh man, I am so thankful for this incredible family and for all if the incredible people who took part in loving and caring for us while we welcomed our sweet little Ada Lynn! Thank you so much toTruly You Midwifery Services and to everyone who prayed for us, encouraged us, supported and loved us throughout our pregnancy and welcoming Ada! This was one of the most incredible days of our lives.  I can hardly believe that Ada is almost one.  It doesn’t seem possible that this much time could have passed already.