A Baby Story

 I understand that home birth is a bit of an unknown or maybe even weird or scary for a lot of people.  I had my first baby in the hospital and all the rest at home.  It works for me, for us.  I like that I am in control, that nobody is telling me how to do something that God made my body to do.  I like that I can have my children there, if they want to be, and that our family can experience a beautiful thing without fear, without beeps, wires, smells, or people we don't know.  It just works for us.  Every birth is a miracle!  This is how we do it in Banmanland...


9:30AM

Feeling the beginning stages of better contractions and determined to have a March baby, I drink the most disgusting concoction. It involved castor oil and verbena.  Gross.  Seriously yuck.

10:00AM

The whole family takes a vigorous walk through the neighbourhood.  

We ran up the stairs, down the stairs...I was the best P.E. teacher I will ever be.  Caleb told me I was such a fun mom, he was loving the fact that I was doing physical activity!

Them's some serious stairs people!

11:00AM Contractions are getting really strong and about a minute apart.

11:40 I have been pacing around the house, still having contractions, making beds, picking things up, just staying active to keep labor going.  The big girls make lunch. I start to feel like things are progressing and I have a little meltdown.  Yikes, I didn't want to do it.  Exploring my other options, I realize this is the only way to get baby out!!

12:00{ish} Tammy, Terri, Grandma Crick and Linda arrive.  Grams has piles of food.  Linda {who works at Mike's office} starts calling the patients to let them know Dr. Mike will not be in for his afternoon shift.  I go in the backyard and pull some weeds, feeling overwhelmed that this is happening I just want to distract myself.

Not sure why I felt so anxious?  I am a firm believer that your mindset is very important.  Around this time I pulled myself together, Tam prayed for me and we set out on a walk.

Terri is 31 weeks pregnant and she came along.  It was not a slow walk and there were hills involved.  It was awesome that she came.

1:30{ish} Contractions are much stronger now, Tam and I did about 15 laps of the park across the street:)

1:47 I text the midwives to let them know it's probably getting close.

2:00 Midwives arrive and set up camp in my room.

The girls get comfy too.  The lady in brown is Anne-Marie, the midwife.   She was at Caitlyn's birth.  This is the first time I have had the same midwife at two births. Terri is taking photos, Tam and Linda are there.  Grams is kind of in and out with Cait.  Caleb opted to play the Itouch in the other room.

There's me, in the pink.  This is how I like to "embrace" a contraction.

3:00PM Feeling close to "ready to push" I get in the birth tub.

Cait stops by for a little kiss:)

Mike is ready to catch a baby!

3:17 Cambria enters the world.  I watched the video this morning, Mike and I are all over moving that cord and trying to see what "it" is...A girl...another girl...a healthy beautiful baby girl!  Not a brother.  Honestly we had a tiny hope that it *might* be that little brother for Caleb.  But how can you deny God's hand in the miracle of  new life?  How can you question that He doesn't know what "kind" of baby is perfect for our family?  We are so thankful!

Cambria was covered in Vernix.  So waxy!  Maddie was just like this when she was born.  It was cool for her to see something that we have tried to explain to her.

Mike cuts the cord and hands Cambria to Anne-Marie.  I think at this point Anne-Marie just took baby to the bed, wrapped her up and then baby got passed around to all the happy family members.

Here she is with Grandma Crick {Mike's Grandma}.  Cait is calling Cambria "new baby".  You can see Maddie is holding her blankie in the far background.  She felt a little nervous so she needed her blanket to comfort her.

Maddie is completely in love.  Cambria is wrapped in the blanket that Maddie made for her.

Mailee gives her new sister kisses.  She is so sweet with her!

4:00 [ish} Cambria gets her first life-giving adjustment.
So important!
{side note: girlfriend has pooped 7 times already!  All systems are working well!!}

Anne-Marie weighs baby.
7pounds, 1 ounce.  Our second smallest baby!  {Cait was 6.15}

5:00PM The midwives leave.  At this point the entire family is in the living room.  Cambria has met Uncle Brian and Jesse and Ethan, Uncle Jay too.  I think there is an important March Madness game on and I am sure Grandma Crick was feeding the crowds some amazing homemade lasagne.

I am in the bed eating my reward, the Uncle Harry's bagel sandwich, texting/calling my family in California.  Oh, I maybe check facebook once or twice...I had a few messages:)

Cambria pops in to see me and is followed by a few sisters.  Cait is a fan of "new baby".  Maddie is over the moon, she asks like 5,000 times if she can hold the baby.

7:00{ish) Grandpa Don pops in to meet his 9th grandchild.

He is always so cute with a newborn.

So proud, so thankful.

Tammy and Linda offer to have the kids over for sleepovers.  It was optional but they all decided to go.  I requested one family picture before they all left.  I love this shot, taken by Jenaya, of the "setting up".

Before he leaves, Caleb asks sweetly, "Is it my turn to hold her yet?"  Sweet boy had been patient all afternoon for his turn!

He was so cute holding her and I am certain that although she is not that brother to share a bunk bed with, he will love her just fine!

Mikayla gets one last snuggle before she leaves.  Mikayla and Mailee were so curious, interested, and supportive all day long.  They were by my side, they were excited, they came to check on me even when the whole family was hanging out in the living room. They both expressed in grown up ways how happy they were that she was here and how they felt about the birth.  I love how they are growing into sweet, caring, wonderful "little women" before my eyes!

Here she is this morning.

8:00AM

Wide awake.

So sweet!!

What a little blessing to add to an already over-blessed family!  

I can't believe that this little person is ours.  She is perfect and precious and I am so very thankful!