So really Isaac's labor probably started Monday night May the 3rd. I went to bed that night with Brett's arm around me and his hand on my stomach so he could be feeling the contractions and timing them along with me. I tried to sleep but was too distracted by keeping track of the contractions and trying to decide if they were getting "longer, stronger and closer together." They were consistent but never very strong and when I woke up and got going Tuesday morning they subsided and we went about our day. I only felt a handful of contractions spread out throughout that day. The girls had their spring ballet recital that evening, then we went out for ice cream and home for bed. I had no problem going to sleep being that I had been awake most of the night before. I woke up very abruptly at 12:26 a.m. Wednesday morning with a good strong contraction and waited to see if I had more before waking up Brett. I had two more that came about 9 minutes apart and they were significantly stronger than the night before so I figured I should wake up Brett and have him call his mom (to stay with the girls) and our friend Tricia who was acting as our doula (someone who just acts as a supportive 3rd party during a natural labor - which we were planning on and prepared for, note I said a natural birth - NOT a home birth). Our friend Tricia, who by trade is a Labor and Delivery Nurse, arrived around 1:40 a.m. and checked me to see how far along I was so she could help determine when we should head to the hospital - I was 5 maybe 6 cms which wasn't too far from the 4 I was at my doctor's appointment 2 days before. We all felt that we were okay to stay at home for a while longer. We didn't want to get to the hospital too early and end up having to labor there all night, we wanted to be at home where we were comfortable for as long as possible. I decided to get in the shower to help with the discomfort of the contractions which even at this point weren't unbearable except for 2 (one before Tricia got there and one shortly after she arrived) that made me question if I could really do this (had I been in labor longer this would have triggered us all to know that I was in transition but it didn't occur to any of us to think that being that I had only been awake for an hour and a half at most and didn't think I could possibly be in the final stage of labor!) After getting out of the shower, I got back in bed (our brand new bed that had just been delivered one week earlier) and had two more mild contractions through which I chatted with Tricia and Brett. Then like a freight train I had a contraction that caused my water to break and me to sit up, scream and yell, "I HAVE TO PUSH!" to which Tricia responded, "No you don't!" but oh yes I did! So I pushed and there was Isaac at 2:17, less than 2 hours after I woke up from my first contraction! Brett called 9-1-1 and they were there within about 10 minutes to help Tricia get us cleaned up and to the hospital. Brett's mom was there to help keep the girls calm being as that they were right across the hall and woke up when they heard mommy scream. Luckily, I only did once and they were easily persuaded that mommy was okay, plus they got to see mommy and their new baby brother as we were leaving to ride in the ambulance and to the hospital.
We were on such a high from this miraculous delivery, that is until we got to the hospital and began to see that the nurses and resident doctor didn't trust that this was not the way we had planned to welcome Isaac into the world. They felt as though we had planned to have a home delivery and then come to the hospital for the "clean up," which was not at all the way we had planned for things to go. We had fully intended on having him at the hospital. The whole time we were there we felt as though we had to justify ourselves and make sure that everyone heard how things happened. The good thing about having to do that though is that it caused Brett and I to really think about how that really was the best case scenario and to think of all the things God had provided for it to happen that way! What if we hadn't planned on having a natural birth? What if it had happened in the middle of the day and I was home alone with the girls? What if Tricia wasn't there? What if we had tried to make it to the hospital? All of this scenarios would have led to a much more stressful and possible dangerous situation.
Four years ago, after Ella's birth I would have said I had absolutely no desire to have a natural birth - I loved my epidurals! However, Ella's labor and delivery were relatively quick and it got us to thinking that whether we would want a natural labor or not we should probably be prepared for it. So when I got pregnant with Isaac we looked for a good natural birthing class and did all we could to be prepared for a natural birth.
Then at the end of the year we went to a birthday party for a good friend of ours where I got to talking to Tricia about "trying" to have a natural birth to which she replied, "you have to stop saying you're going to 'try' and starting saying 'you're going to.'" As she was talking about how labor/delivery nurses don't particularly like natural births unless they have a doula (because the mother tends to be more needy and the doula cares for those needs rather than the nurses) I told her I was going to be getting a doula. She quickly said she would do it and I wouldn't even have to pay her - I was all over that! How great to not only have a doula I know but one who is a labor/delivery nurse! Our original plan though was for her to just come to the hospital when we were in labor. However, towards the end of my pregnancy I asked my nurse midwife when she would want me to go to the hospital once labor started. She said that if Tricia was willing she could just come to my house and help us labor there as long as we wanted to and since she was a L/D nurse she could check me along the way and help determine when we needed to go. So thinking on what would have happened that night if Tricia hadn't been there the results could have been very different. If Tricia hadn't been there it would have been just Brett and I delivering that baby on our own. I can't tell you how at peace and at ease I was having Tricia there caring for Isaac and I in the aftermath, especially once the EMTS arrived. They were so nervous and were even verbal about how they didn't like answering these types of calls. One EMT in particular continued to tell Tricia how glad he was that she was there. At no point during the process was I thinking, "this shouldn't be happening here," or was I worried about our well-being. Tricia was so great and I couldn't be more thankful for God arranging that meeting 5 months prior, for Him leading Tricia to play that role for us and for putting things in place for her to be at the house with us.
We have thought about every other "timing" scenario that could have happened wondering if there would have been any way for us to have made it to the hospital but they all involve me up and moving around a lot more which would have sped things up even more and delivering the baby in the car.
So as you can see, there were so many things that God put into motion for Isaac's birth to happen safely and without any major emergencies!
As most of you know, it took us a while to name Isaac. We'd had a girl's name picked out very early but had a whole list of boy names that we liked but not one that we really loved. That night as I was sitting there in my bed with everyone else rushing around tending to all of my and Isaac's needs, Isaac was the first name that popped into my head and I couldn't wait to get to the hospital and be able to talk with Brett to see if he felt the same. I was a little disappointed that he did not and really the more I looked at him (Isaac) the more I felt he didn't really "look" like an Isaac. And so the quest for the perfect name began. With a story and an entrance into the would like his, he had to have a perfect name. We talked about names, poured over the name book, talked with friends, even Tricia and her family had a brainstorming session with us but all to no avail, we could not settle on a name. Wednesday night though after all was quiet and we were facing leaving the hospital in the morning we had a serious naming session and had finally decided on Matthew Lee, a strong, biblical, classic name. But as I rested that night and even called him Matthew a few times it just didn't feel right and after sharing the name with my mom and hearing her say, "Really? I like it, but I really thought you'd come back around to Isaac." Sure enough, when I mentioned it to Brett we both agreed that Isaac was our favorite and that we were sticking with it - no turning back! The coolest part is that when Tricia and her family were there helping us with names, I had said that I wished we could find a name with a meaning that had something to do with God's provision, and as I sat there holding my son and thinking about Isaac from the Bible wondering what characteristics would come to my son along with that name I began to recall the story of Abraham taking Isaac to be sacrificed and I got the Bible out to read the story. Abraham walked in obedience to God's calling him to sacrifice his only son and as they arrived at the mount where he was to be sacrificed Abraham had his son tied down there, fully surrendered to God and His perfect will even though he couldn't understand how God was going to fulfill the promise He had made to him. And when God saw that Abraham fully trusted Him, He stopped Abraham and provided a ram to be sacrificed instead. After Abraham and Isaac sacrificed the ram and they were leaving that place, Abraham named that place, "The Lord Provides." As I read that story, I knew without a shadow of a doubt that Isaac (which means "son of laughter") was the perfect name for this sweet boy for whom God had provided so many things in order for him to have life and whose story would bring us a lifetime of laughter.
So there's Isaac's story. And while I truly believe that every person's birth story is miraculous when you look at all that has to happen for baby to be born healthy I am humbled and awed by the story God gave to us and to Isaac - His indescribable grace and innumerable mercies are mind-blowing to say the least! May all praise and glory be given to Him, our Great and Glorious God!
