So he's finally here . . . a short birth story

Well everyone, I won't take too too much time as I don't know how long I have with two sleeping kiddos (wow!!), but as you can see from the pictures we're doing well. So here's an abbreviated version of the birth for those interested--if you're not then feel free to skip blog entry and read the ones to come. The Dutch midwives had told me that I would have a very short labor--they predicted 4 hours tops--and that I would do it naturally. I hoped they were right, but was skeptical nonetheless especially given all the changes we've had in our lives the past few months. But it seems the Dutch midwives are also prophets, as things progressed exactly as they'd assured me. Owen came really quickly on Monday--at 4 pm I was wondering if perhaps I was finally in labor and by the time I had called Ryan and he arrived home around 5pm the contractions were only 2 minutes apart and very intense, and Owen took his first breath at 8:01. Backing up--after a long day of running errands (nesting) at 4:30 I was still at Costco, hiding out in the women's bathroom, deciding I was definitely in labor and a little afraid to get to the car in case my water broke between the bathroom and the parking lot when my sister Emily called and I whispered "I'm in labor, I'm in the Costco bathroom". She instructed me rightly to hang up, call Ryan and have Gloria (Ryan's mom) get me home immediately. We checked out our gigantic bottle of maple syrup and organic animal crackers and we were on our way. Once Ryan and I met at home around 5 I jumped in the shower to make sure that this was really labor--afraid if we hopped in the car to head to the hospital it would stall. Needless to say, there was no stalling and it was difficult to breathe through them alone. So we squeezed big sister Ellie and left her in the capable hands of her Grandma and Grandpa Willemsen (thank goodness they decided to come down early!) and headed to the hospital where the maternity receptionist asked in a slightly bored voice without looking at me what time my induction was scheduled for--she certainly got down to business when she heard me trying to breathe through a contraction and soon they hustled me back to a room. We had a great birthing experience. I couldn't have done it without Ryan and the doula Melissa (who said that Ryan "rocked"--he did) keeping me at least a little bit sane and focused and calm through the hardest contractions/transition and a hands-off nurse who let us do what we needed to get him here without interfering too much with monitors, needles and the like. I was able to shower through transition which provided a lot of relief. I didn't think I could go on much more (i.e. feeling like it was going too fast and too intensely, I was begging for drugs) when I felt like I was ready to push and, hobbling out of the shower, my water broke and I was ready to have the baby. The doctor barely made it (despite the nurses' requests, I started pushing after my water broke while the doctor was still racing there), but it was a good thing she arrived when she did as Owen had inhaled some meconium and his lungs needed suctioning before he could be fully born. I think we were all a little surprised at how quickly things moved, but very soon things calmed down and Owen was able to nurse and cuddle up, the two things he hasn't stopped doing since his birth, and we we/still are awash in gratitude. More to come soon about how Ellie is doing, how our first week has been, etc. but in the meantime here's a picture of Ellie reading to Owen. We love/miss y'all!