Welcome to the world, Jake Carson!

Minutes after Jake's birth...what just happened??? :)

Daddy, Mommy and Jake

Jake was crying...probably thinking the same thing I was, what just happened to me??!!

Proud Papa

Lucy sees Jake for the first time!

Grammy TuTu and Lucy admire Jake

Siblings!

Happy Family

Jake and GrandPappy Bobby

Jake Carson

Lucy and Jake

Baby Jake Carson Leisenring was born on June 12, 2012 at 8:10 pm, 12 minutes after we got to the hospital. He was 8 lb, 11 oz and 20 3/4 in.  His birth was quite the adventure, as all births are! 

The day before he was born, Lucy and I had a really fun day together. We walked to Starbucks, then to the park, then the library and finally to lunch at a Thai restaurant and then home. We did quite a bit of walking, and had a really nice day together. It has proved to be the last Mommy-and-Lucy day as that night, at 11pm I woke up to the feeling of a release and a gush of fluid...my water broke! What a strange sensation!  After talking with the midwife, I decided to try and get some sleep. This was easier said then done, as the anticipation really takes over...once your water breaks you know the baby is coming sooner rather then later! I got a few winks here and there, in between mild contractions. Once morning arrived, I got Lucy up. I told her we were taking her to her friend Yulana's house, because my body was telling me it was time for Baby Jake to be born. Lucy looked at me, covered her eyes with her hands, and fell back onto her pillow. She stayed that way for a while. Lucy knew there was big change coming, and now it was coming soon!

Marc and I went to the midwives clinic to check on the baby and make sure everything was ok. We were given the option of going to the hospital and starting pitocin as I was not in active labor yet, or I could go home, try to rest and see what happened. We decided to give it more time and headed home. I actually did take a nap, and when I got up my contractions were stronger and more regular, but manageable. Marc's parents arrived from North Idaho at about 4pm, and I was still able to hang out, and chat in between contractions. I talked with the midwife and said I wanted to wait until morning to start pitocin, to see if my labor could really get going on its own overnight. Although I was having contractions, I did not feel they were long enough, and I was able to breathe through them, so I did not want to get to the hospital too early. I really wanted to avoid pitocin, as long as Baby Jake was ok. I was disappointed a bit though, as my co-worker had had her baby earlier in the day, and as we had such similar pregnancies, I had a feeling our babies would be born on the same day. I resigned myself to Jake being born on his due date, June 13th. 

Little did I know that in the space of an hour I would go from coping with labor just fine to totally loosing it internally. All of the sudden things got very intense, and I decided I should try and lay down. I started to think that this was crazy, women were crazy to do this, what was I thinking, why would I not want to be at the hospital with an epidural...I started feeling like I needed to get to where I was going and I was also having the urge to push, which I didn't give too much credit as I had the urge to push way to early with Lucy. Good thing that the instinct to get to the hospital was so strong, and that I didn't delay further. 

The car ride was crazy and I felt like I was barely hanging on. We got to the hospital, found a wheelchair and made it to the maternity floor. Marc was irritated with me as I insisted we bring all of the luggage. He was envisioning hours of labor. It was a relief to be there. I told the staff that I had the urge to push but that it was probably nothing...good thing they did not believe me, and started getting things ready for delivery! The midwife got there right after we did and when she checked me she said I could push...this made me feel both relieved and scared out of my mind. I did not want to face pushing out a baby without an epidural, even though in visualizing the birth I had been hoping to go without. I guess most everyone wants one in the moment, labor is hard!  The nurse teased me later for calmly asking if it was too late for one when my baby was crowning. Once I accepted my fate, I got down to pushing and 12 minutes after we arrived to the floor, Baby Jake was on my chest and screaming! It was like, what just happened??? It took a while to catch up. Hours, really. Jake was perfect and beautiful and screamed for 2 hours. It was great. I apologized for being so out of control, and everyone said I was so calm the whole time. Marc had no idea it would happen so quickly as he said I was so calm on the car ride over. He says, "I wasn't even speeding!" All I can say is that I was nowhere near calm internally and my perception was that I was shouting and screaming. Interesting how what was going on on the inside was not what I was projecting! What a wild ride! Welcome to the world, Jake Carson. May you always take us by surprise, and keep life interesting! We all love him so much.