Welcome to our "outback" girl

So our newest addition has joined our family, in what will go down as one of the most memorable moments in Pray Creek history. Because my midwife as well as the office OB left town today for a week, meaning I'd be unable to meet with either till nearly a week past my due date, I went in yesterday for my 40-week check-up. The OB stripped my membranes in hopes of getting labor going, and because I was only 1 cm dilate and not effaced at all, I went in twice - at 9 AM and 1:30 pm. Had some mild cramping in the morning and dull backache in the afternoon; I was hopeful that it would turn into labor.

We went to a local park for pizza dinner with some friends; I had a few mild contractions but nothing major. Got home around 7 pm and HF put the kids to bed. By 8 the contractions were coming more frequently; but still irregular and manageable. I took a shower, packed up my toiletries watched some TV with HF, called my doula to update her, and went upstairs to lie on my bed. The contractions continued to be erratic and short - signs of early labor (generally defined as contractions spaced more than 3 minutes apart and less than 60 seconds in duration) - and yet they were becoming pretty intense which was confusing. At 9 PM I called my doula again and asked her to come over; then the maternity ward at the hospital to say we'd be coming in at some point that night; then our babysitter. I started feeling discouraged that the contractions were so hard to get through when, judging by frequency and duration, I couldn't be anywhere near the end.

Then suddenly at 9:35 pm I went into transition. I called for HF, who was in the garage getting the infant carseat. Loudly and repeatedly. When he entered the room and I told him the baby was coming he asked if we should go to the hospital; when I said, "No, she's coming now," he called 911 and grabbed a towel. The dispatcher - who HF said was excellent - guided him through the delivery, which happened in less than 90 seconds - and had him tie off the umbilical cord with a short string. The baby had the cord wrapped twice around her neck when she emerged, but he unwrapped her quickly and she cried immediately. Her coloring was good and, thankfully, she seemed absolutely fine. [The paramedics gave her an APGAR score of 8 when they arrived.] HF was a perfect contender for this job, performed it flawlessly, and afterward said (contrary to my expectation) that this birth was his favorite of the four.

The fire truck and ambulance pulled up, and within five minutes of the birth our bedroom was occupied by about six men, closely followed by our doula and our next-door-neighbor. It was among the most surreal experiences I've ever had. The placenta came out about 15 minutes later, and then they helped me put some clothes on and packed the baby and me onto a stretcher and into the ambulance to head to the hospital. The guys were all extremely friendly, supportive, and polite.

When we arrived at the hospital they took us briefly through the ER and then up to Labor and Delivery where they put the baby on warmer, had the attending OB check me, and the like. The wee girl - whom I'd barely had a chance to look at up till this point - had blackish hair and dimples and weighed 7 lb 13 oz. Our smallest baby by a full pound!

The baby's first name was among the front-running contenders; it's a favorite of HF's, in particular because he thinks of it as an "outback" name (owing, we eventually realized, to the unofficial Australian anthem - a bush ballad - that bears the same name). Given that her birth ended up being such an "outback" experience, as well as his vital role in the delivery, it seemed perfectly suited. Too it means "mighty in battle" which, at least from first associations given her birth experience, she does appear to be.

And our daughter's middle name is the same as that of her great-grandmother (the mother of HF's father).

Welcome, sweet girl! What a whirlwind was your entry into this world! We are so, so glad you're here.