Post-deployment Keiki #3...

The back story..
Ever since Andrew and I started dating, once the topic of kids was brought into the equation, we always agreed on 2 kiddos. It seemed like a good number for our little family to be. 16 months of writing letters back and forth while he was deployed to Iraq and I lived in Tampa, I'm pretty sure that was mentioned quite a few times in letters to each other in the mail. Yes, I said letter! Good ole' hand written letters. Nothing seems better than hand writing on paper. Fast forward to December 2007, after an amazing virtual proposal, I get my fiancé back on US soil! Fast forward to 01January2008, MARRIAGE! Awe yes, marriage.

First comes love... Then comes marriage... Then comes a baby!

March 2008, that big fat positive! Our first baby! Run out and grab ALL the pregnancy books, everything out there that's known to man for babies, lots of clothes! Boy did we have enough clothes for peanut! I saw an OBGYN with my first pregnancy, isn't that the same as a midwife? Well, my thinking then anyway.
My beautiful baby girl, Allaina Marie, came earth side on 07Nov2008 after a very interesting but thankfully not long 8 hour induction. She was perfect. My strong willed little girl that's now 5!

{Photo copyright MRC Photography}

December 2008, Merry Christmas to the Army! They get my husband. Duty calls for new daddy- deployed to Iraq for a year. Ugh, I hate you deployment! We made the best of that early Christmas! Thankfully to technology; daddy got to see a lot of pictures and videos! Poor kid had a camera in her face nonstop. A year came and went, and we got daddy back just in time for Christmas 2009! Christmas, readjusting and moves, what fun!
July 2010, ANOTHER big fat positive! Another baby, NUMBER 2! Oh what fun!
My second beautiful baby girl, Ashlynn Jean, came earthside early in the morning on 30March2011! Talk about a doozy, we barely made it to the hospital! Minus the bruising on her beautiful little face from coming so fast, she was so little and perfect! Ahhh, my heart was so full. My second strong willed girl who is now 3!

{Photo copyright Lucky Girl Photography}

My 2 amazing girls and a wonderful husband, what more could I ask for? Our family was complete... Or was it?

Number 3...

I think I have a love/hate with the month of December. December 2011 and duty calls again... Ugh! That dreadful D-word! Daddy's off to Afghanistan for another year. Thank god for technology. About half way through, we started entertaining the idea of 3... THREE!? Yes, THREE kids. We would talk about it more after deployment. December 2012, MELE KELIKIMAKA!!! Santa brought daddy home, wrapped in a big ole' box under the Christmas tree! Boy was that fun! hehe. Life was great, life in Hawaii with my little ohana, what more could I ask for?

{Photo copyright Nadia Hurtt Photography}

SURPRISE!!!!

March 23rd, 2013.. Camping with good friends, I had that feeling; maybe another peanut?? She and I walk to the shopette (gas station) and I bought a cheapo test. I wasn't expecting the response from this test, because I imagine my face was ghost white when I came out of the stall with my hands shaking. BIG FAT POSITIVE! Oh.my.GOD! THREE! I remember walking back to the campsite, and put my arm around my husband. He looked at me and said "I think your youngest has a poopy diaper", so my quick seize the moment response..."well I guess you better go change it to practice for the third!" The face he made. I'm not sure if it was pure terror or joy, maybe a mixture of both, but it was priceless! We were going to be a family of 5!

{Official announcement}

I've seen a few friends have beautiful home births, and those really inspired me to have one myself when we were expecting again. Here's my chance! By this time, we'd started on the more natural living route. I contacted a midwife and the sticker shock got my husband. "That's too much! It's free at the hospital!" So I set out to see how I could make it work with midwives in the hospital and put my new dream of home birth aside. Fast forward to around 26 weeks, after seeing the midwives at the hospital since the beginning, it just didn't feel right. More and more reading of birth stories, researching, and the horrible treatment I was receiving from the midwives at the hospital, I had to change this. So I thought, maybe I'll do this unassisted and just have a doula to help! Yes! My husband quickly shot that idea down. What would we do if something went wrong? The closest hospital was almost an hour away WITHOUT the traffic. I kept telling him that I wanted this home birth, We NEEDED it. The biggest concern was money at first, we didn't have much wiggle room, but I told myself we'd make it work. I emailed the midwife I initially contacted at the beginning of the pregnancy. This wonderful doula, Jaymie, that works with the midwife called me after I emailed the midwives practice, and we spoke on the phone for almost 2 hours. She was great with telling me different things, she was down to earth and so sweet, I was sold. Now to get my husband on board! I'm not exactly sure what I did to finally get him ok with the idea, but I think what sealed the deal was him coming to an appointment and meeting my midwife. My midwives office was on the North Shore, in this cute studio that as soon as you walked in, you just couldn't feel stress. It was like it just washed over your troubles or walking into a different country when you walked in. Dr. Lori explained things to him, to me, and said he could do what he wanted while I was laboring and we would call him in for the delivery. I know a lot of husbands are a big support during labor- I like to labor alone, doing my own thing- and this I was okay with! Finally, we re on the road to home birth! Only took 30 weeks to get to this point, but we got there! 35 weeks and I picked up my birthing tub, oh yes; it's going to be soon! We thought for sure this peanut was going to come by 39 weeks, as my girls came at 39 weeks then 38 weeks, and we knew it would happen quick when it would happen, seeing as my youngest at the time came in 3 hours!

{Ashlynn helping my doula measure the baby}

38 weeks comes and goes, and peanut is still nice and cozy, which was perfect. I was HAPPY to still be pregnant at 38 weeks. Some people thought I was nuts. I wasn't comfortable to say the least as my belly was ALL baby; she hung out all in the front. After all, she did rip my top two left abs- boy was that some pain. 40 weeks comes, my "due date." "Isn't the baby supposed to be here by now?" "When are you going to be induced?" "Is she here yet?" Wait, what? No no, I was very firm against induction, due to a lot of complications with my oldest' birth. Induction was out of the question unless I was being dragged kicking and screaming to do it. Lori did some acupuncture to help relax me, I got a nice belly rub from my wonderful doula Piper, and some quiet time while they both played with my rambunctious 2 year old. It was rejuvenating, just what I needed. Seriously, my birth team is just awesome! 

{Almost there!!!}

41 weeks come and go. Lots of random contractions, I had a visit with Lori and  Piper. After a quick first cervical check, although my body seemed ready for labor, baby wasn't. She made herself quite cozy inside and had her head resting perfectly to the side of my cervix. So I was told to go on a hike. Hike!? WHAT!? 41 weeks pregnant and you want me to hike!? She even offered to go hiking with me! Man my midwife rocks! So I planned a hike. Now this should be quite the adventure! I rallied up a friend for support, put on my husbands tennis shoes (you know those lovely pregnant feet, I didn't stand a chance fitting into pre-pregnant shoes.. and we thought only clothes were affected haha.) My wonderful friend hiked a mile uphill and a mile downhill at 7 o'clock at night on a Friday. After all, it is Hawaii, anytime is good hiking weather! I planned to hustle up my midwife for a hike on Sunday if this one proved to only wear out my poor cankles. All through the night and the next day, contractions would come on and I got excited, then they would just stop. What a tease! I was so anxious, ever so ready to have my beautiful water birth and my squishy baby in my arms. It was such a tease to walk into my room and see the birth tub just calling my name!


8 December, 2013...
That Sunday, I wake up and do my morning thing, went potty and discovered my mucus plug. Oh man, that's a good sign! Ohhh baby! At first I thought contractions would just start coming, and I'd be in labor right then. A few hours later and nothing, so I settled with the idea I was just going to be pregnant forever. I knew this wasn't true but I was a little frustrated for getting myself worked up for nothing. So the hubby pulled out the Christmas stuff and we would start putting up the Christmas tree after nap time. During nap time, I escaped to the store to do some grocery shopping, Costco and Target here I come! Once I got home, the older girls were awake and were overly ecstatic to start with the Christmas decor. 4:26- among the chaos of getting the tree up and putting decorations on it, as you can imagine the fun with a 5 year old and 2 year old helping in the festivities, I felt the weirdest but hardest kick in the middle of my stomach and paused for a moment and said "Ouuuch!" That caught my husbands attention. Quickly following this feeling, I felt a little dribble. My husband asked if I was ok, and I told him I thought my water broke! I waddled to the bathroom and sat down on the potty, thinking that if it was my water then more would come out if I moved my belly around, right? So there I sit, moving my belly around trying to figure out if it was my water or not, nothing else came out. Maybe it wasn't my water? Oh well, back to the Christmas tree joy!

About 5 minutes later I sat down for a few and felt a small contraction, but it wasn't any stronger than the random others I got so I didn't think much of it. Few minutes later I'm standing at the kitchen sink.. whoa... Contraction. That was strong, and different. Maybe this is it, I should call my midwife. Retreating to the bedroom for some silence, I ring my midwife... No answer. Contraction... Ohhhhh man. Mini panic, then I call my doula. That amazing women, she asks if I'm okay, told her yea, I think my water might have broken and I'm having some contractions, 6-8 minutes apart... Oh boy, can't talk, hold on... She says she's going to pack up what she's doing and head over and try and ring the midwife. A minute later I text my photographer that it's time, and my midwife calls me, asks how I'm doing, ummm... Hold on.. Man these contractions are getting stronger, and closer.. Whoa. She's about an hour away, but will be on her way in a few. Help is on the way, this is really happening!? Holy crap! Funny bit, I ask my photographer in text if she wants me to let her know when the midwife was on her way, my photographer asked if she could call, of course! Wait, after this contraction... Owwwwie. She said she's going to head here now, knowing this is my 3rd, she didn't think it would be long. Boy was she right! 5:05pm, Walking back into the kitchen, my 4 year old Allaina walks up asking if I was ok with Ashlynn following her, right as I was having a contraction. Ugh, this hurts! I'm sorry girls, Mommy is in pain, she needs to get into her zone, ahhhh retreat to shower! Amidst running to my shower, clothes getting ripped off, awwweee yes, hot water, relief. Oh if I could marry the water at this moment I would. I remember yelling for my husband for some water to drink, and he sent Allaina with it to me, but I yelled no, you bring it! I know I sounded like a crazy women at this point. Contractions were 3-4 minutes apart and lasting a minute long at least. Husband comes with water, I beg him to call my midwife and doula to see where they are. Why did we choose to live so far away!? Getting out of the shower for a moment, I realize it's 5:30, where is everyone!? I sent a text to one of my best friends that lives down the street- asking if she was busy. She knew and said she'd be right there! She says when she got here, my poor husband was ghost white. So much for his plan of staying out of the way! Full force hubby! I glance over at the birthing tub; oh crap, the liner! Putting the liner in while contracting was quite the experience. I don't think I ever did anything so fast before. Begging my husband to fill the tub as I'm running back to the shower for relief, contractions were 2-3 minutes apart. I started losing it. It hurt, this was the peek of them. Oh.my.god- I could have crawled out of my skin. In the shower still contracting, I put my head on the shower wall, letting the water hit my back. I started second guessing myself. Maybe I can't do this, maybe I should be in the hospital? What was I thinking doing this at home!? I just wanted to cry! I lost focus and those contractions were on top of each other. I stopped my thoughts. I had no choice now. I WILL do this! My body was made for this! I had to embrace the pain, the pressure. The baby is coming and we're having her at home, where it will be just fine! After my mini pep talk to myself, my husband asked me to come check the temperature on the birthing tub while filling it, it was perfect, but at that moment of feeling it, contraction. Ouuuuchie back to my shower! 5:50, still no show yet from my birth team. Why did we live so far again!?

Enjoying the warmth of the shower, my body did something I never experienced before. Puuuuussssshhhh. Holy crap, it's time, my body's pushing her out!!! I couldn't stop it! "Andrew, call the midwife and doula, where are they?! The baby's coming!!!" I come out of the  shower and practically jumped into the birthing tub. Oh the bliss. Fully engulfed in hot water, it was perfect. Why didn't I fill it sooner!? Puuuusssshhhh. Oh man that feels weird. "Call my mom, the baby's coming out! Skype her!!", "Give Danielle the camera!!" He's tells me the midwife will be here soon, and gets my doula on speaker phone. Man do I wish I had a voice recorder of that phone call! He tells her I'm in the tub, and the baby's coming. He tells me to stop pushing, say what!? I can't stop! I remember my doula saying no don't tell her that, she's ok, just tell her to candle blow breathe, she'll be there in a few, just breathe. I'm pretty sure I sounded like a dog howling at the moon. I wasn't quiet.

Puuuuuussssssshhhh. Oh she's close. I put my hand down to see if I could feel anything down there yet, and to much surprise, her head crowning. Holy crap! She's right there!!!! My body pushed again, and I remember rubbing all around her head to help the perineum stretch. I was so terrified of tearing. Puuuuussssshhhhhh, oh my god her head! Her head is out! I panicked for a moment, because the cord was wrapped around her neck. I'm pretty sure my husband panicked too. The doula calmly said its ok, if you can't get it from around her head, just lean her head toward your right thigh ( I think I remembered that right.) It was too tight to undo without delivering her the rest of the way, so leaning to the right it is! Puuuuussssssh, what relief! She's out!!!! 

At this moment, I'm leaning on my knees and reach down to fully grab her, her little body is still under water, eyes are closed, she still thinks she's inside of me, slightly kicking and wiggling. This moment I wish I could have just froze time. It was amazing to see the transition of this baby coming earth side. 

Bringing her up out of the water, of course I expected her to cry immediately. She didn't. "Why isn't she crying!? She's limp!?" "It's ok, just rub her back and make sure her mouth is clear" that sweet voice of my doula, like she knew I needed her cool and calm during this moment. I yell for Andrew to get the bulb syringe and start rubbing her back, my little peanut, she's here! I suction out her mouth and nose, rub her back, her skins starting to pink and she's not so limp, oh my baby. She starts screaming, oh yes, she has some lungs! I just wanted to cry, my squishy little baby is here, in my arms, in this warm tub of water. I DID IT! Oh my god I did it. Abygale Norlene was earth side! I cuddled her sweet chunky body to my chest, ahh skin to skin. 

About 2 minutes after birth, my photographer comes running in with the biggest smile, big sisters are in investigating their new baby sister and Andrews fighting with Skype to cooperate for my mom and my dad to see their new granddaughter. What a moment. They got to meet their newest granddaughter at birth via Skype. My mom was there for my other two deliveries, but being in Hawaii, we knew she wouldn't make it. Skype made up for this. Andrew brought a towel over and covered the baby with it, and I snuggled her in. A few minutes after that my doula walks in smiling so big, "you did it!" And she gave me the biggest hug. My poor husband looked so relieved once she got there and took over. I remember just sinking into the back of the tub rubbing my baby, so soft and so sweet, forgetting my surroundings at this moment with my doula over my shoulder rubbing on the baby, taking it all in. About 5 minutes later, my midwife comes running in with a big smile, I had a baby! She checked us over, checked the cord, said everything is great! What a birth!

{Photo copyright Serendipity Photography}

Sitting in the tub, rubbing my soft little baby just waiting for the placenta to deliver, breastfeeding my new little baby, it was bliss. Pure, raw life. I have 3 kids now! I just delivered my own baby, holy crap!! I can't believe I did it. The gleaming smiles from everyone in the room, everything was euphoric. I don't think any drug out there could match the feeling I felt that day. High on life, high on BIRTH! I'll never forget that moment.

The placenta delivered about 10 minutes after the midwife arrived. That was quite the feeling. My doula told Andrew to get a bowl and he gave her this inquiring look and she told him something that won't make you queasy when you see it again- lol yea right. He then realized what it'd be used for. He still has problems with this bowl to this day lol. I had to push to get it to come out, but there it was, the beautiful life link that my body created to breathe for my baby while inside of me. My midwife clamped off the cord and instructed Andrew where to cut. After handing the scissors back to my midwife, he leaned over and gave me a kiss. My sweet husband. The doula took my placenta into the bathroom while the midwife helped me out of the tub. I had to hand over the baby to my topless hubby and the sight was just beautiful. Andrew skin to skin with his fresh new baby. He cuddled her in and just soothed her, ever so sweet. There is no shame in childbirth, because getting out of the tub was quite the thing, definitely not as messy though. Thankfully, the water helped clean up the blood mostly and my midwife helped wipe off the water and move me to my bed. MY bed. It was so comforting

to be able to lay in my OWN bed immediately after birth.

  I remember with my older two in the hospital, all I wanted was to be in my own bed again, and here I was, home, already. I got situated in the bed and hubby handed me the new squishy back, boy did she like exercising her lungs! That newborn cry was so sweet. The midwife and doula checked over the placenta and brought it to me to do the "placenta journey." That was the neatest thing. They showed me the different veins and sides, the "tree of life" on it, my doula even stretched out the pouch where the baby was in! She also stretched out the umbilical cord, and that was over 30" long!! That was so incredibly cool. Our bodies, MY BODY, made this, and this sweet soft baby. After that, my midwife checked me over, NO TEARS! Thank god!

She checked over squishy, she was perfect. Now to see how big this squishy is! My midwife laid her in the harness and hoisted her up in the air, "8 lbs 14 oz" SAY WHAAAAT!? 9 lbs of baby!?! My older two were 7 pounds! She really is squishy!! I was so shocked how chunky she was, I loved it. Big sisters came back in and got on the bed with me and loved on their new little sister. Ashlynn first leaned in to give her a kiss followed by Allaina, my heart was exploding with love. This was the sweetest moment in the world- My daughters, all embracing each other. My heart was so full!

{Photo copyright Serendipity Photography}

I remember glancing over and seeing my midwife, doula and husband cleaning up the tub, and I remember telling them I felt like I needed to help! The looks they gave me pretty much told me don't you dare move a muscle- ok, ok, I'll stay put! The clean up seemed like a breeze. Hubby already had dinner started and my midwife and doula stayed until they knew I ate, and they took turns helping me eat, rocking the baby or giving me water. The care they gave to us, my little Ohana, was so sweet. I'm so thankful for the way my birth went. Sweet baby Abygale was born safely and semi peacefully at home. No added doctors or nurses to poke and prod around, or harass us randomly. We were in our own home; our own territory.  I was over the moon. This day will forever be engraved in my soul.

{Photo copyright Serendipity Photography}

Slideshow/ Video to come!!!