the story

I wish I were a writer. Fact is, I'm not. And, regretfully, I fear that I'm not going to do Desmond's birth story justice... please keep that in mind as you read on. It was truly amazing + spectacular + awesome + wonderful. It was perfect, as she is.

Desmond's "due" date was somewhere around the 23rd of April. She arrived on the 1st of May, just as my mother, whom we call "HoneY", suspected she would. Much faster than I anticipated, too. At 9:45 the surges began. Ten minutes apart and super mild. I bathed + continued to finish a movie with Alasdair and Ben. I was even able to sleep through the 'breaks' and breath through the surges until nausea set in around 11:45. Around that time I did a lot of pacing, and attempted to sleep for short periods during breaks, which were now about 8 minutes apart. Sometime around 1:45 everything shifted gears. Surges became 2-3 minutes apart, and they came on strong. I told Ben to pack it up and call Vanessa to stay with Alasdair. Vanessa lives about 20 minutes away, via snowmobile. Fortunately we had great weather, so we didn't have that to worry about. Snow was in flurries outside. Just right. When Vanessa arrived, Ben gathered some last minute 'stuff' recommended by the doula: two towels, which were key.

The snowmobile ride to the car, which is only a little over a mile, was actually quite heavenly. The continuous bumps eased the surges. I recommend riding a snowmobile while in labor---late stages of labor, as it were, in fact.

We reached the truck at 2:55 am. I remember asking Ben to tell me I could "do this." I was certain that labor was really just gearing up and that we had a good three-four hours to go. Not so.

About 3 miles into our ride down to Salt Lake, which is 35 miles from home, the surges began to dissipate and they were replaced by a familiar pressure. Down low. Uh-oh. Any mother knows that pressure, followed by "the urge... to push." While relieved that the surges were over, I knew that pressure meant pushing and that meant baby... soon. I attempted to get my sorrels off. I got the left sorrel off. Only two layers of pants to go if I didn't want to birth my baby into my pants. Gross.

I told Ben. He told the doula. Doula said call the midwife back and report. We did. And he drove fast. fast. Not long after, my water exploded. I was stoked to have felt that---I wanted to feel it with Alasdair, no go. I longed to experience it with Desmond, rewarded! Crazy gush so it was.

Ben was on the phone with the midwife when my water broke. She told him to "put on your hazards and drive like hell." I reached down, expecting to feel a bulge. To feel her head. Nothing, yet.

I scrambled to kick my left leg out of two layers. Success.

"She's coming, babe. I think her head's coming out."

"Do we need to pull over?"

"I don't know."

I felt again. That time I felt Desmond. Her head. Before asking again, Ben pulled off into the Jeremy Ranch exit. Side of the road. Into the dirt.

By the time he put that bad boy Chevy in park, jumped out and reached my door, he saw that Desmond's head was out.

And my door was locked. Whip.
I knew it, and unlocked it just as Ben reached in to deliver our little lady before she hit the floor.

It was 3:24 am. A short 30 minutes after we had reached the truck. An even shorter two hours of true, active labor.

Holy.

Immediately, I got turned around, watching for the umbillical cord, and pulled her to my chest, wrapping her in the two towels. She cried. Ben jumped back in the driver seat and picked up the phone to greet the midwife who'd remained on the phone the whole time.

"I heard her cry. Wonderful. Now hang up, call 911, and I'll see you at the hospital."

We sat in silence for a few seconds.

"Holy shit. HOLY SHIT. Did we really just have our baby? Right here? In the truck?"

Ben called 911. Drove to the gas station. Ambulance arrived, took Desmond and I on the gurny... all was good. All was perfect, actually. So perfect that it only took Ben three baby wipes to clean up the mess in the truck.

Desmond was perfectly healthy. Just a bit cold, which was easily remedied.

7lbs 10oz. 19.5 inches. Bits of dark hair. Lovely almond eyes. Sweet olive skin.
Sleepy, sleepy lady so she is.

We spent a night in the hospital, arriving back home Saturday afternoon.

That is her story. Born in a Chevy 2500 on the side of the highway.

desmond jane mclenna

... her story is coming soon. 'tis a good one, too.

cozy she must be

i think i'm what they call a "42 weeker." or less, with her, i hope.
soon. soOn. very soon. maybe tomorrow to coincide with my date of birth, the 29th. i would love that. 4.29.09. yes. i like.
a few photos:
alasdair + papa playing their 'heE-tars'

alasdair sporting little lady's lovely new hat, made by our good friend jamie.

ben + i enjoyed a lovely, and much needed, date night last friday while rye rye and birdy (sariah + dana) were in town. thank you, sisters. we were able to enjoy TWO AND A HALF hours of sushi dinner. so nice.

an update, of sorts

no lady, yet... and to be honest, I think we're in for another week :)


staying positive.

trying. to. stay. positive.

keep the goodness + baby vibes coming! hope to post photos of our sweet lady soon. soon.
soon enough, it will be.

ode, to be a lady

In the first months of pregnancy I claimed a late April, early May due date. As more and more time passed, it became the 29th of April... the 24th... now, the 21st. The "official" "due" date. Why, why do I do that to myself, knowing well that the likelihood of her kicking it for an extra 10 days past the "due" date is probable. Well, I did do it. I am doing it. The whole "I'm due in 5 days" bit has got me thinking and hoping she could choose to come any day now.
I guess I don't quite recall the 15 days of waiting for Alasdair. Past his "due" date.
I write this to say to all of you lovely people reading this: please send energies and goodness to the wee lady, will her decent + welcome her smile on the 22nd, if she would so comply. Earth Day. Would be dreamy.
Whenever she chooses will be grand, of course.
It's amazing how much I feel like I've forgotten, or chosen to stash away in piles of memories, regarding the world of having a new baby. The late, nay--early---nights. The all-nighters. The helplessness of a teeny human being. The beauty of that helplessness. The painful nipples and aching back. The minutes turned to hours spent staring at your new babe when you should be sleeping. Identifying every finger and nail and hair and inch of your babe's body. Counting toes. Fingers. Almost watching as their eyelashes grow.
I am so eager to meet this sweet being of a lady. So eager to watch her and Alasdair interact.
And, to realize how Alasdair's world is about to change so dramatically is wild. Never again will he be the only baby. Just as special and lovely, yes, but never again the only one. He is feeling change. He is acting out---waking up at all hours of the night, for hours in the night. Sweet as pie during the day. Channeling sister's wakeful nights, I think---prepping us. I love to think of their communication, he and the lady. I imagine their eyes locking upon first meet outside--in this world. Eager for that.
Saw the midwife today, and the chiropracter---whom I've been seeing weekly for about a month now, a few times prior to that, too. I imagine I will see them both again in a week....
but.
We're still under snow. In a lot more since Tuesday/Wednesday's craziness of a snow storm. Three+ feet of heavy snow made for 8 feet of drifts over the road, which made for road closures. Literally snowed in yesterday. No work, sorry---it's late April and I can't get to town. Nice to be forced to don the comfy pants and do some screening instead. Made for a lovely day at home with the boys.
Well, I hope next time I post.... no, I'll say this: I know that next time I post I'll be closer to meeting this sweetness--and possibly posting photos. The sun is due---ah, the "due" word again---to shine come Saturday. and to shine shine shine. Along with my babe. A welcoming.

'tis true

TWENTY-ONE days!!!! what?!

funny man..

alasdair cracks me up. not daily. not hourly. i'm talking minute to minute. his words are turning into flows of gibberish, which often produce strings of 'normal' sounding phrases. so wild to watch as his language develops, so interesting to hear which words he chooses to incorporate in his explanations + observations of the world.
we recently purchased him a bed. a twin, which is sweet because ben +/or myself can climb in bed with him during the transition. (way to wait until the last minute...) see photos below. when he's old enough to rock the top bunk, we'll flip the frame upside down to create a bed up top, fort below. imagine it. good times for little people. and me.
we've also---no, my ridiculously generous + lovely pc friends + mama---purchased a much desired baby hammock for the little lady. those photos will be posted later today when we hang that bad boy. you can check it out at: www.kanoe.us
the bed.

we call this one 'sitting horse.' he's into riding his animals :)

the styled 'cicle-cyle' ride around the house.

smiley self, per usual.

mama + the babes.

alasdair + brynn rock, rockin' it.