The Tale of Number Two

My renewed and revised path in motherhood was stirred on a Thursday, December 22, 2011. After 41 weeks and two days of brewing and blooming in my belly, I was moved to embrace a suggested induction tip from a fellow sadhaka and trusted member of the Nashville allopathic community. Funny I was 41 weeks with my first babe and did not feel the need to try a single suggested induction tip....i felt so differently with my first babe blooming,  alas that is another tale to blog about...skip back to Thursday ;) full of inspiration, hope, and deceiving Braxton Hicks,  I gracefully waddled my way to the market gathering items for the suggested "induction salad", etc. Building the salad around staples such as gorgonzola cheese and balsamic vinegar, I tossed red raspberry leaf tea into the cart to accompany my motives of induction.

I unknowingly enjoyed what was my last supper with a family of three and two doting dogs; and went to sleep early thinking we might be stretching this deal out to the induction date....my eyes open at around 11pm waking my brain up to think that maybe the braxton hicks deception had come to an end...

• 11pm... oh hello old friends...the familiar feel of "eyes front and at attention" contractions
• boom. 12am a little stronger surge....make no mistake...these contractions are in the business of transitioning
• 2am... approaching high alert at 7 -10 minutes apart stopping me in my tracks of final packing.
• 3am...they begin every 5 minutes...affirmative response to the hubs on his inquiry to consume a hefty helping of coffee and man the car....
• 3:30am call the doc...4am in the floor "oming" on all fours....yes  honey, we should go to the hospital....
• 4:30am arrive to hospital,  a couple of clutched knee pauses in the parking lot,  checked in with sign language, grunting, and humming while the husband translated...

I hunch walked to the washroom to "empty my bladder" and  slip into my hospital gown, and well, i emptied a bit more than my bladder...on the way to the Loo..my water broke.......a loud rendition of the Rocky theme ensued in my head....and the rest was active labor, which was a blur of connected moments with my husband (meaning i squeezed his right hand only to bits and made him kiss me ALOT note: kissing really does help relax ;) and with my beautiful "midwife in disguise", a.k.a. my OB, who held both mine and my husband's hands at many moments, and the ebbs and flows of natural childbirth, the most raw essence of true self liberation i have ever felt, twice ;)

so...by 7:34am Friday, December 23, 2011 Heston Gus was finally here at 9lbs 12ozs 22inches, and  i became a very blessed mother of two within a fantastic family of four :)   Jai!!