Mar. 1st is the new Feb. 29th

It's so hard to believe it has already been seven years since becoming a mom to this most wonderful little girl. I was looking through her baby things the other day and came across her birth stories one written by our doula Angie and the other from my perspective, thought it would be fun to share marking this special occasion.

(As I read through Charly's birth story I felt myself on the verge of getting discouraged at the intervention that took place at her birth but then I remembered how wonderful her birth has always been in my mind, probably not because of what did or didn't happen at the hospital but because it was her birth that transformed me into a mother. We may not have known what we know now about birth but we did know that we would love her unconditionally and eternally and for that I am so thankful. I can't believe it has been seven years since that amazing day. )

Check out this flashback from when we first moved into our house nearly two years ago.

Happy unofficial 7th birthday to Charly Ava!

From our lovely Doula Angie's perspective(Below)

Renee labored in the bathtub on all fours while Nathan hovered over her protectively. As I walked in at 8pm on February 28th, I was pleased to see than she had instinctively gotten into this classic laboring position. Getting through the contractions took all of her concentration and self-control.

We places a hot water bottle on Renee's back and gently caressed and soothed her with warm water. Nathan remained in the bathtub as well, reluctant to leave Renee's side for even one second.  Soon Laura arrived and Renee relaxed with her presence, visibly giving into labor she had still tried to deny. She labored this way quite awhile, eventually feeling what she described as a "pop" during one of the contractions. So, Nathan and Renee decided to venture to the hospital, ten minutes away.

He helped her shower while Laura and I found clothes for Renee to wear. As we dressed her, we paused frequently to help her through the contractions. At this point, we determined that her membranes had indeed ruptured. Eventually, we made it to the car. I drove while Nathan and Renee huddled in the back.

I stopped as close to the ER entrance as possible and ran inside to get a wheelchair. Nathan helped Renee form the car and into the chair. Then, I rushed her inside while he hurried to park. He entered the hospital, laden down with bags, ready to continue his amazing support.

Renee settled into the labor room around 9:50 pm and the nurse determined that she was dilated to four or five centimeters.Renee labored for awhile and then Dr. Moore entered with some disheartening news: The baby's heart rate decelerated with every contraction and didn't return to normal quickly enough. He inserted an internal monitor and also did an amnio-infusion. It appeared that Renee was a little dehydrated from her long day, so the nurse started an IV. Soon, Charly's heartbeat steadied and Renee continued with her labor. Nathan, Laura and I surrounded her bed, encouraging and massaging her through the intense pains. At 11:02, Renee achieved eight centimeters and was allowed out of the bed to go to the bathroom. In the process, she requested a shower and the nurse agreed. For the next 45 minutes, Renee sat on the birthing ball in the shower while Nathan sprayed her with the water and we encouraged and supported her through transition. By 11:45, she felt the intense urge to push and returned to bed to complete the final stage of labor.

Nathan sat behind Renee on the bed, holding her. They were a beautiful sight, working together to bring their child into the world. Renee pushed beautifully, especially for a first time mom. Her fear of pushing for three hours proved to be unfounded as she delivered Charly Ava at 12:04 am on February 29th, after only fourteen minutes! Shortly after the delivery, Renee said "That's it? I did it? That's all there is? It's over?"

Renee and Nathan~ The love and affection that exists between you touched everyone present. Your incredible joy and delight in your precious daughter was evident from the moment Charly entered your world. Thank you for inviting me to be a part of this beautiful event!

{And from mine}

Nathan and I planned on taking a walk when we arrived back from his work. He had been working on something dealing with the equipment while I was walking the stairs outside his office trying to get labor started. When we got home it was around 7pm and we were getting the leash ready for Shelby. Throughout the day I was having contractions, which I thought nothing of because they were only tolerable but sort of all over the place as far as the time was concerned, ranging from three minutes apart to eight minutes apart. Before we left for our walk I decided to call Angie to give her an update on how I was feeling. She wasn't home when I called so I left a cheery message on her machine and went on my way, not before calling my mom though. 

As we headed on down the street about 25 yards I felt a slightly more painful contraction and continued to walk. As we continued to walk I said to Nathan that I was going to keep breathing through this and keep walking, still thinking nothing of it. We must not have gotten a full blocks length away from the house when it hit me that I was having actual labor pains. We quickly walked back to the house, and from one minute to the next it seemed to come on more intensely. I had no time to process this and in a way I was short of shocked that it happened so fast. I immediately called Angie, at which point I could barely talk through a contraction. She was in Portales and said it would be 30-45 minutes before she could arrive. My mom, who was alsoa very short distance away received a phone call, during which I started crying. I had not yet figured out how to breathe and control the pain. While I was making calls Nate started a hot bath at my request. I leaned on him through the hallway and made it to the bathtub between 7:30 and 8pm. Nate helped me slip into my swim suit and led me to the bath. Immediately I got on my hands and knees and leaned forward as each contraction came on.

At this point Nathan was in the bath with me, my mom and Angie were only minutes away. While I labored at home, and after my other support arrived I kept saying to Nathan and my mom "Call your mom, call, your dad, my dad and Sally, let them know we're in labor." I was still in denial because I was asking them if they were sure I was in labor. I thought maybe I was just not handling the Braxton Hicks well. Of course they insisted that indeed I was.Through my contractions all three of them were rubbing me and putting warm bottles on my back.  As the contractions got more intense my mind seemed to be focusing more on the bath water than what was happening around me. Nathan was really concerned  about getting me to the hospital very soon, trying to avoid an unpleasant ride for me. Angie and my mom agreed, he was right. By this point I had lost my inhibition.  I stripped off my suit as my mom and Angie got me some clothes. Nathan, I think, was calling the L&D to let them know I was coming. He was rushing around the house getting things together. I began to feel the urge to throw up so I threw the toilet seat open and made a sloppy mess all over it . As my mom was putting my socks on I sat on the toilet and another strong contraction came on, only this time I felt a warm rush of water run down my legs. All I could say and think about was how gross I felt and how everyone at the hospital was going to see my wet pants and think I peed myself. Angie and my mom insisted I not change and that no one would notice. This leaking sensation occurred through the next five or so contractions.

As Nate predicted the car ride was very unpleasant for me. A towel was placed in the back seat before we sat down. Angie was driving and I remember Nathan asking her if she knew how to drive standard. She replied "This is what I learned on." Nathan began breathing very close to my ears. It was pouring rain and it seemed like Angie was driving very fast, I felt as though my mom, who was behind us, was going to loose us. I kept asking if my mom was still there.

Earlier that day Nathan and I had eaten at The Cotton Patch, where he had catfish and I had chicken fried steak. All I could smell was fish on his breath, which is my least favorite food. 

We arrived at the hospital and I was placed in a wheel chair and taken to the admitting desk. I could have been signing my life away for all I knew, I just wanted to sign the papers and get to the L&D. It seemed like there were so many people in the waiting room, I can only imagine what they saw. Before we got through the first set of doors a contraction came on at which point I put my hand up, signaling a stop.  That didn't work so I started to drag my foot on the floor and concentrated my hardest to get through this one. Making our way through the L&D to the labor room was a blur to me. Vaguely I remember a nurse running into the the room asking if I wanted anything for the pain, simultaneously my mom and Angie replied sternly that I didn't want anything. At this point I was a bit discouraged finding out that after this work I was only five centimeters dilated. I was convinced I should be at least and 8. The next thing I remember was laying on my right side with Angie in my face. Three hours into my active labor and I wanted an epidural. I will never forget her look when I said that. She replied with the idea of waiting 20 minutes and then see how I felt (it's a wonderful thing she said that). Pain medicine was never brought up again on mine or anyone else' part, for the exception of Dr. Moore asking if I needed an epidural. He got the same stern reply the nurse got earlier, a head shake from me and a "no" from my mom and Angie. 

All of the sudden a rush of people burst into the room saying the baby's heartbeat wasn't stabilizing with the contractions like it should be and that I was dehydrated. Dr. Moore had an IFM and some other weird thing that was supposed to keep fluid around the baby. It was very vague to me. I was saying how I didn't want that in me and I didn't need an IV. After ten seconds of me fighting it Dr. Moore was placing the Internal Fetal Monitor in me and the other gadget as well . I felt none of that. The pain of my contractions were much more mind involving. I was then on my left side looking into the space of the room when I noticed a nurse getting the IV on my hands, I closed my eyes as it went in. To my surprise it wasn't noticeable due to the back/thigh pains I was having.

At this point I was unaware of my surroundings completely. All the movement going on beside my bed was like a blurred vision. I have snap shots of memories. After being at the hospital for an hour and a half I made my way to the shower where I got on the birthing ball and was completely naked without caring. I do however remember seeing my mom taking pictures and wondering if she knew I was naked. Nathan was so calm throughout this as he stepped into the shower still wearing his shoes and jeans. The shower head was in his hands and he was moving it from my chest to my back as I gestured with my head where to go. Mom and Angie were standing by the shower as well. The next thing I know, Nathan is in shorts, I don't remember  him leaving to make the change. My contractions were now intense back pains that spread down my hips into my thighs and were coming one on top of the other. As  the peak was creeping on I would lean back into the shower and roll my hips forward on the ball as they held it in place. Thirty minutes into the shower I felt the urge to push, it felt just as they described it in the class we took at the hospital. In my mind I thought I had to make a bowel movement really bad. I kept saying I need to push really bad and that I was pushing. There was more rushing around me as I got out of the shower as they prepared for the delivery. As I was in the shower a nurse came and checked my cervix, I was at 10. I kept insisting that I was still probably going to push for three hours, when everyone kept assuring me I was almost there. Another contraction came on and I leaned on the person nearest me, which happened to be a nurse, to help ease the pressure. I just wanted them to let me get on the bed so I could push. I even shooed someone off me who was trying to get my robe on. Quickly someone asked Nathan if he wanted to sit behind me, I shook my head yes as he got behind me to hold me. I was very much comforted by this. Through the next moments I was getting directions on how to push and when to push. Every other push I gave, I yelped and lost control of my concentration, I was probably heard throughout the halls. At one point I have a mental snap shot of my mom, nurse, Dr. and Angie telling me to gain control and not to push because I was doing really good and was almost there. Just minutes before midnight I looked at the clock and heard someone say this was going to be a leap year baby. I was excited after that, and as I felt her head falling through me I came to a realization that I was really almost done. This gave me a slight burst of energy to push harder next time. I was very much in uncontrollable pain through this as well.

Through my pushed it seemed as though her head should be out, at least it felt like it needed to be. A feeling of happiness came to my mind and I smiled when Dr. Moore said that our baby had a head of hair on her head. I couldn't hold my thighs, my hands were on them, but Nathan was holding them back for me. A burning sensation came in between my legs and I realized that the head was almost out. Having the urge to push I was halted by the nurse and Dr. so I wouldn't tear. I could not believe they were telling me not to push. It took me a couple of seconds to stop screaming and start panting so I wouldn't tear and avoid an episiotomy . I could feel her head move slightly in and out of me as I panted. Finally, her head along with her right arm slipped out and within a millisecond so did the rest of her body.  From my point of view it looked like she was pulled out.  Mom cried out, "It's a girl" and I cried and saw Nathan's  face clearly, finally. The contractions and all the pains were completely gone. I got a rush of happiness. I was in awe that that was it, and I was done. "I did it", I recall saying "Is that it?, I'm done? That wasn't bad" . From that moment on everything in my mind is clear. I had pushed for only fourteen minutes, because I knew exactly where to push. All of that talk of pushing like your pooping really paid off. (LOL)

Nathan and I had the most  glorious birth experience I could have wished for. I could have never experienced this natural childbirth had it not been for my wonderful, supportive coaches, but most of all, the love and nurturing from my husband. Becoming a parent with him is the most rewarding experience I have ever had  and as I watch him with Charly all I can think about is how lucky I am to have married him and how lucky Charly is to have him as a dad. But most of all I think of how lucky we are to have such a blessing in our lives as beautiful and rewarding as Charly Ava.