The Lewis'

 For the past 7 days, my sister in law did something saintly.  She took my two crazy little rascals while Doug went to San Fransisco to a conference for the week.  While I felt bad for her and even embarrassed that she was doing my job... I realized what a gift I was given.  Time to bond with this little guy. 

The much anticipated day of March 16 finally came!!  The day we open up our envelope and find out where we are headed for residency.  (aka: how our lives and our children's will be forever changed and influenced for years to come!!!) 

Mother, oh Mother, come shake out your cloth,
Empty the dustpan, poison the moth,
Hang out the washing and butter the bread,
Sew on a button and make up a bed.

Where is the mother whose house is so shocking?
She’s up in the nursery, blissfully rocking.
Oh, I’ve grown shiftless as Little Boy Blue
Lullaby, rockaby, lullaby loo.

Dishes are waiting and bills are past due
Pat-a-cake, darling, and peek, peekaboo.
The shopping’s not done and there’s nothing for stew
And out in the yard there’s a hullabaloo.

But I’m playing Kanga and this is my Roo.
Look! Aren’t his eyes the most wonderful hue?
Lullaby, rockaby, lullaby loo.

The cleaning and scrubbing will wait till tomorrow,
For children grow up, as I’ve learned to my sorrow.
So quiet down, cobwebs.  Dust go to sleep.
I’m rocking my baby and babies don’t keep.

-Ruth Hulburt Hamilton

There are lots of tears all around.  Mostly by me.  Rhett is in second place. 

You would have thought this woman has gone to "Postpartum Help Prep School" with how incredible she was.  I guess in a way she has.  That is just one of the benefits of being the sixth child and Oliver being the twenty-sixth grandchild.

She did the big things: drop everything and jump on the next available flight, wash up the mess of "birth" from our car, take complete care of the 4 and 2 year old from 5am- 8pm everyday, stock my freezer with meals for the next month

the fun things: strawberry picking at Froberg's, visits to the library, daily walks and visits to the park, Jump N Jungle,  made not one...but two birthday cakes for Oliver (long live the Texas sheet cake fiascos!), sent me out for a massage!, dazzled my boys with new games, treasures, and clothes

the not fun things: laundry, cleaning, washing walls, empty the bloody garbage can (not swearing...), Cal's ear doctor appointment   

the little things:  brought me breakfast in bed, made my bed when I finally roll out of it, told me how good I am looking each day, loved to snuggle and smell Ollie as much as I do, left me special babysitting money, fudge, and a beautiful book about children
   
Thank you so, so much for every thing Mom!
xoxo  

The very first contraction I had when I got in the car was different. I could tell it was getting close.  I started to feel the pressure.  It is a feeling that is amazing easily to forget, but also so easily to remember when it comes back.  This old friend.  Oh, hello. I remember I really don't like you very much.  I told Doug we really needed to hurry.  I think my panicked loss of control started to convince him.  He still thought we had about an hour though.  He picked it up a little. After that contraction ended I told him to crank up my hypnobirthing music louder.  Even louder!  She was the only one offering me any sort of help and I desperately needed someone. I am a social birther. I need lots of eye contact.  I am very obedient, but I need SOMEONE telling me what to do.  My mind goes blank and I think of nothing.  So instead I had, "Hello, this is Jessica Porter and on behalf of Marie Mongan, welcome to hypnobirthing institute."   After 3 babies, Jessica and I are dear friends.

We were on the freeway by now.  I felt the next one coming....it turned out to be a doosey.  I knew this was the end.  My labor was over, this was now transition.  Which is something I really, really don't like to do even when I am in a warm tub surrounded my all my sisters, and my mom, with a husband paying attention to me.  The next one came what felt like seconds later, and my water broke.  This was the point that Doug really shifted from a "nervous husband on the way to the hospital" to "a Nascar race driver."  He seriously stepped on the gas, hazard lights went on, he flashed every car who dared get in this way with brights repeatedly, and he laid on the horn the entire duration of the drive. 

Things got a bit heated up inside the car.  I took my seat belt off and he started "very directly" (he says he wasn't yelling)... telling me to put it back on, that we were going way too fast.  I ignored that advice and started yelling (yes, I can admit that I was yelling) that I had to push right now.  To which Doug would always reply, "Don't push, just breath.  Keep breathing."   I ignored that advice too. 

It wasn't until I felt his head actually coming out that I realized I should probably try and pull down my pants just a little bit to give the poor little guy some room.  By this point we were off the freeway and in between running a red light right next to a cop, and flashing and honking still, Doug looked over and saw his head poking out.  And for the sake of the blog, we'll try and keep the rest of this story clean... but about a minute later and one more contraction later, we pull up to valet parking and it was all over.  He was here, albeit a little stuck in my pants still.  Doug ran around to my side and picked him up, unwrapped the double loop of cord from around his neck and I wrapped him up in my blanket. He was crying a very health little cry and had really good color.  I do not ever remember feeling worried for him.  All the while I am sobbing out of shock.  I just birthed a baby by myself, in my date night spot, while clawing my husband's one arm, while death gripping my seat belt, while periodically biting my seat belt, while trying to pull my pants down (which is a feat in and of itself for any 9 months pregnant women who is sitting in the car), while yelling prayers to heaven, "Dear God, Bless Me!," while trying not to sit on his head...  

I imagine we made quite a scene.  There were about 15 or so people waiting around at the curb when we pull up.  They all clued in really fast about what was happening.  We had lots of observers, people walking by to get a peek inside out two open doors, several phones capturing what was going on (too bad we didn't get their contact information).  There was a resident standing right where we pulled up and after notifying the Valet to call up to Labor and Delivery, she stayed with us as we tried to process what had just happened.  Kim pulled up behind us and was more than just a little bit shocked to see a baby sitting in my lap.  She would have been a perfect dula and perfect videographer I am confident.  And we are grateful for the minute curbside scene she did have the presence of mind to capture.  The L & D team showed up.  They cut the cord right there in the front seat.   Somehow I made it out of the car (don't try to hard to imagine what I was or wasn't wearing... and what was or wasn't still attached to me) and onto a bed.  I could honestly have cared less who saw me in that glory moment.  I will never forget the proud feeling of holding my sweet little trophy baby as they wheeled me past all of the onlookers.  They made sort of a procession for me as I went past.  The waved and congratulated me.  Some were still holding up their phones.  It is not every day one gets their very own mini parade/float after just having a baby.   And that is about it.  We were out of the hospital 24 hours later and are enjoying lots of peace and snuggling time thanks to Grammie who did finally make it about 11pm that night.   

Enjoying some skin to skin with Ollie and breaking the news to my mom on the phone during her layover... she missed the birth, and we missed the hospital.

Kim was such a champ and we were so happy to have her help for the big day....and wow, I am looking great.

Had to get a quick photo at the Valet parking site before we departed from hospital.

We decided to take this kid home the safe way.... it was kind of a miracle we all made it so safely to the hospital so we didn't want to take our chances going home!

ps:  A really big thanks to all of our behind the scene helpers Laura, Christian, Tricia, & Kate who cleaned and chauffeured and babysat!  Bless you!