Happy Birthday, Deacon Park!

On Sunday we celebrated Deacon's first birthday.  (His actual birthday is April 8.)  I have written a birth story after all my kids were born, so I can remember later all the tiny details, and it always makes me smile to go back and read about the moment each of our children were introduced into the world.  Deacon has quite an interesting birth story, and I will share a bit of it for you.

Me, milking the goats at nine months pregnant

On Sunday, April 7, I went into labor with Deacon.  It was the first time we knew that our baby would be a boy before he was born.  The midwife had sent us in for an ultrasound because we suspected a possibility of twins, and even though we had asked the ultrasound tech not to tell us the baby's gender, she very clearly showed us that he was, in fact, a boy.  My labor was not very intense right at first, unlike with my first two, which were unbearable from the get-go, but we sent the other boys to their grandparents, because usually my babies come quickly, and I can relax more in labor when I know the kids are taken care of.  My contractions were on and off all day, and Greg and I spent a nice day relaxing, talking, and spending time together.  I remember it was very warm and sunny--a wonderful day to have a baby.  Except, that was not the day I would have a baby.

Deacon, within an hour of his birth

We finally called our midwife, Lynda, who lives in Indianapolis (about an hour away), and she arrived about 9:30 pm.  I had not progressed much, but I knew after having my other babies, that things could change and go very quickly, and so I wasn't very worried.  We all slept some, and around 3:00 am, Lynda checked on me.  I had not progressed at all, and she began to think that these light contractions were my body trying to get Deacon in the right position, instead of actual labor contractions.  Canaan had been backwards and in a bad position, and his birth was much more difficult and painful than the others, so I knew that I wanted Deacon in the right position to make this labor as easy as possible.  But I was also discouraged, because I wanted so badly to meet this new little one.  Lynda decided to go home because she thought it would take a while for my labor to really get going.  She suggested I lay on my hands and knees to encourage the baby to flip over.  So, I laid like that while she packed up her things.  As soon as I heard the door shut behind her, I had my first really strong contraction.  At first I thought it was my imagination, but the longer I laid there, the faster and harder they came.  I got up and walked around a little.  Greg could immediately tell the change in me.  I remember him asking me multiple times, "Should I call her back now?  Now?  How about now?"  This was our third baby to be born at home, and Greg has learned one thing: he does not want to deliver my babies alone.  After 4 babies, I have learned one thing: labor NEVER follows a pattern.  It can seem that your body will never progress and you can be holding your baby within the next 15 minutes.  You can feel like the baby is coming out right now, and it will take another 2 hours.  Or, you can wake up in labor from a dead sleep and be holding your baby in less than three hours (This was Lincoln.)  So, I kept answering, "I don't know.  I don't know."  Finally, Greg went ahead and called her.

Lincoln was such a proud big brother!

This is where I must stress that I have the best midwife in the world.  It was now around 4:30 am.  Lynda had been sleeping on my couch for the past 5 hours, then driving for an hour, and had just stepped foot in her house when Greg called her back.  I could hear her laughing on the phone.  She just gathered all her stuff again and drove right back!  She knows how fast my labors go, so she reminded Greg that she could call another midwife who lives closer to us in case we thought things were going to escalate even further.  My contractions were getting stronger, and Greg was getting really antsy, so he went ahead and called Lynda, asking her to call the other midwife.  She arrived about 5:00 am, Lynda returned around 5:30 am, and Deacon was born a little before 7:00 am, surrounded by two midwives, two assistants, his dad, and of course me.  It was quite a roomful! He was my biggest baby at 9 pounds, 2 ounces.  I remember that his shoulders were a lot harder to push out than the rest of my other boys!

Don't you love it when they are squishy and new?

I asked Lynda if she thought when she headed home the first time that she would be delivering my baby at 7:00 am, and she said, "No way!"  There is one thing predictable about labor: it is unpredictable!

Four! boys

We have had three wonderful home birth experiences, after Gideon's so-so hospital experience.  Deacon's birth was eventful, but it was peaceful and happy.  We were so excited to be a family of six, and houseful of boys.  And of course, about ten minutes after he was born, Daddy had to go out and milk the goats.  I even walked to the barn that evening, and sat in a chair, snuggling Deacon in the barn while Greg did the evening chores!

Deacon and his Mickey Mouse cake (minus the ears!)

Now he is a year old already, and the happiest, most content baby we've ever had (and they all have been really, really good babies!)  Happy Birthday, Deacon Park.  We love you so much, and we're so thankful God blessed us with a fourth baby boy!