The Day Before a Birth Day

Audrey and Jan came over to hang out as usual, keeping me distracted, doing projects, who knows of all things I don't remember. Clearly at the very least Audrey and I sat on our yoga balls for comfort. 

Dre and I went to Starbucks for a mini date and time together. It was the day after my due date and for a week there hadn't been any signs of imminent labor. (Up until the weekend of my due date I had several days and nights with consistent contractions.) We'd walked miles worth of Tysons the day before and thought we'd go out and then buy food to make dinner at home and have a quiet night. Maybe try some suggested "labor food" like pineapple and eggplant. We sat at Starbucks for a while. We went to Giant. Andree left me outside the store while he pulled up the car and then...my water broke.

We rushed home so I could change and call the midwife. Having you water break out of no where and with no contractions is one of the strangest things. Always an adventure. I texted Janet but no one else until we got home because I still wasn't convinced. It was always possible I'd just peed my pants. ;-) Once we talked to the midwife we told our parents and Dre called Kristen at basketball practice. 

Kristen used the groceries to make chili (I think?) since that was the plan for the night--but I don't think Dre or I ate a bite. I know while I was laying down trying to relax Dre ran out to KFC; I have a vivid mental memory of him sitting in the corner in the prepositioned rocking chair-waiting for a baby to rock to sleep-chowing down on fried chicken.

The last picture of "us."

Since contractions still hadn't set in and we were sure if we didn't get a tree now we wouldn't have a tree for a while with the distraction of a newborn we went to Home Depot. Where else can you walk around a large uncrowded area for a few hours and buy the last item you need in your house to welcome home baby? My sister met us there and helped bring the tree home and did laps with us. I can't say it was the funnest time I've ever had at Home Depot but it was memorable considering my water had broken a few hours earlier (basically it doesn't stop...). We saw at least three people from church and just walked and walked.

We brought our tree home and the Christmas Angel helped Dre hang the lights...and more lights and more lights and more lights. Around 9:30pm at a shift change the midwife called to check in on me; I still wasn't having any contractions. The second I hung up with her they hit. Immediately I hated my birthing ball and started timing them within half an hour 540 Christmas lights were on the tree and Dre suggested I go try to sleep--which was when I finally got his attention that I need his help now and the rest is history. 

Ten hours later a little boy was in our arms. A boy who hadn't had a name for months and months was named. A face we'd never met was imprinted forever on our hearts.