This post is a little bit long, but when you have a few minutes, it's a pretty good story.
5:40 pm Sunday night-Laura has her first contraction. Contractions continue somewhat sporadically between 20 and 30 minutes apart. Laura is handling her contractions very well.
8:30 pm-Laura's contractions go between 10 and 15 minutes apart. The intensity of contractions picks up some.
9:14 pm-We call Laura's parents to see if they can come and watch Graham so we can go to the hospital.
9:44 pm-After a couple of contractions that seemed relatively weak, and remembering that we had three nights of contractions like this before Graham was born, we call Laura's parents again to let them know that it would probably be okay if they came the next morning.
11:59 pm- Laura's contractions continue between 10 and 15 minutes apart. Laura lays down to try and relax.
12:34 am-Laura's contractions get to about 10 minutes apart. We call Laura's parents to see if they can come now.
1:20 am-Laura's contractions drop down to about 5 minutes apart. We get ready to call Laura's parents to see how close they are.
1:40 am-Laura's "water breaks." We try and clean her up between contractions.
1:45 am-Call Laura's parents. They are far away still.
1:48 am-I knock on our neighbors door, Tyson and Jenny, to hang out in our apartment with Graham--he was asleep--until Laura's parents get there.
1:54 am-We get in the car to drive to the hospital.
1:55 am-About two blocks from home Laura has a contraction and says, 'Alex, I am feeling the urge to push. I think she's coming.'
1:56 am-A few blocks later, another contraction, a scream 'Alex, I don't think I can hold her in.'
1:57 am-Pulling into the hospital, another contraction, 'Alex, this really hurts, I don't think I can wait any longer.'
1:57 am-Still pulling into the hospital. Alex 'Let's say a prayer.'
1:57 am-Still pulling into the hospital. Laura 'Heavenly Father, please help her stay in five more minutes, please help her stay, ohhhh.'
1:58 am-Park the car in front of the door. Alex runs to the door to grab a wheelchair and comes back.
1:58 am-Alex opens Laura's car door. 'Alex, can you see her coming?'
1:58 am-Alex sees her head crowning. He tries to decide how he can get Laura into the wheelchair without squeezing Emma out.
1:59 am-Alex watches as her head comes out. With no one else around, Alex decides to finish the delivery. With a twist of her head and a small tug, she comes out and is caught safely. She starts crying and she is given to Laura. She wraps her in her coat.
2:00 am-Alex calls 911, tells 911 that we were in the parking lot in front of the birthing center and had just had a baby. She asks if we have anything to clamp off the umbilical cord. Alex starts to take off his shoelaces as hospital staff comes through the door.
2:05 am-Laura was placed in a wheelchair with baby still attached and brought up to a room. After a few somewhat tense minutes the umbilical cord was cut and Emma placed under a warmer. Laura delivers the placenta at some point and Mom and baby are determined to be healthy and okay.
Laura made labor look so easy, and it progressed so quickly at the very end, that it contributed somewhat to our less than ideal delivery. As she was born she stayed remarkably calm. The staff was very impressed that she was so relaxed. She had prepared a lot to have a baby without an epidural and she handled the situation so well. I was so glad that she was healthy and that Emma was in a good position for delivery. As we prayed in the months and weeks prior to her birth, I feel that, although the situation was different than anyone would really hope for, God blessed us tremendously to be able to act reasonably under pressure, and for Laura's body to respond so well to delivery, and that Emma breathed well and her umbilical cord was okay. I feel that we were watched overy by God and angels.
My wonderful wife.
Dr. Hatch-My clothes got some womb juice on them. After putting on scrubs a nurse said, well done Dr. Hatch. I said that I was pre-med and a little later a nurse said, I am so impressed that the two of you are so put together right now. You have a promising future ahead of you.
6:00 pm Tuesday-Alex starts cleaning off the birth chair in the car.
7:30 pm-After a lot of Oxi-Clean, Shout, Laundry Detergent and scrubbing and vacuuming, the car looks okay.
