Hello and welcome! My name is Katie, the owner of Woodlane Creations! I will tell you right off the bat that I am not a ‘blogger’, and for the longest time I didn’t even know what ‘blogging’ meant (am I really 28 years old?) However, not long ago my husband and I were telling a crazy story to our friend, and afterwards she said, “Wow, you should write a blog about this!” So here I am, to tell you of our amazing, crazy birth story that happened just 3 months ago.

 

I am the mother of two precious kiddos. Being a mom is one of my favorite things! Children truly are one of God’s greatest gifts. For the longest time my husband and I had our little girl, Kendra. She brings such joy and light to our life! When she was four years old we sensed to try for another little one. We prayed for another child and for God’s perfect timing. He quickly answered our prayers. Just two months later, we were pregnant! Throughout the next 9 months my belly grew and my daughter waited anxiously for her new baby to come. I’m probably one crazy lady to say this, but being pregnant is something that isn’t too exhausting for me. While pregnant with our daughter, I went 3 days overdue, so I thought with my second I would likely go on my due date, or maybe even before. Those nurses, about 99.9% of me believes them and the due date they give me (wishful thinking, huh?) Within the first couple months we had decided that we were going to keep the gender a secret and be surprised at the end! (I think we will do this again if we have any other future babes).

 

Over the winter when I was 7 months pregnant we remodeled (almost) our entire house. We went to live with my sister and brother-in-law that are four miles from us. Everyday I’d come back to our home and make clocks with Kendra. Sometimes those days were hard and long. Our home was finished just one week before my due date- cutting it close 😉 We were very blessed to be in our home in time for the baby.

 

My due date approached and I didn’t show many signs of going into labor. A few days passed and I started to get a little impatient. I began to do all things overdue women do- went to the chiropractor, did some excersies, ate spicey foods- you name it! Still no progress. By 6 days past my due date my midwife suggested the old wives’ tale- castor oil. Hmmm, I heard many people talk about this before, does it really work? That night we both prayed and decided to go forth with the oil! Woohoo I was a nervous, yet excited gal! We head to the closest CVS and find the oil. I think it was like $3. When we got back home, Norm used a recipe that consisted of scrambled eggs, cheese, and hash browns all mixed together with one teaspoon of the oil. Right before I started eating I remember looking at the time, 6:00. You could hardly taste anything different, so I kind of figured that this might not work for us. We all went to bed at about 9:30-10:00 and I still didn’t feel anything. I remember texting my dad at 10:00 telling him ‘good night and I love you’.

 

It was 10:30 by the time I started feeling funky. I had weird cramps that came on, they were different than the ones I had with Kendra, so I didn’t think much of it. I got a heating pad from my night stand and went to lay on the couch in the living room. I was out there for about 45 minutes before I stood up thinking I had to use the restroom. I sat down and was unable to go. Hmmm. I lay back down and the pain starts to get a little worse. I went back to our bathroom and decided to lay in the bathtub thinking that’d take some of the pain away, it did ease up a little. About 20 minutes passed by and I decided to wake Norm up because I was in quite a bit of pain (our daughter was sleeping in bed with us that night, thank God she is a heavy sleeper). He quickly shoots out of bed and we both head back to the bathroom. For the next hour, I hop back and forth from the toilet to the tub. I had the biggest urge ever to push and push. There was so much pressure. As I sit back on the toilet Norm noticed that I was bleeding. I remember him asking me, “Is that normal, I think we should call someone?” I told him I was fine (I know). After this point, a little more time passes and I wasn’t sure I could keep going. I was in pain and wondered how on earth I was going to make it. I remember walking around like crazy, bouncing back and forth and hopping around. Side to side I hopped shaking my hands. I decide to get back into the tub. In doing so Norm looks at me, pointing, and says, “Katie, the head is coming out!” Wow. No wonder I’m in so much pain- I’m in labor! Lol. After he told me he seen the head I remember feeling very relieved. The baby was going to be here soon.

 

From this point on peace came over me. A kind of peace that only God himself can give. I knew, obviously, that leaving to go somewhere to deliver was out of the question. I lay down in the tub and I decided to push. For the next few minutes Norm is running in and out of the bathroom. He ran to get his phone, call a nurse, and put warm towels in the dryer. I just remember him running in and out. I still had an urge to push, so I pushed. Within one or two pushes Norm told me that the head was out. I was so happy to hear that the head was out. Norm got a little nervous and decided to let the tub water down thinking the baby wouldn’t be able to breathe. (If you know anything about water birth you don’t actually have to let the water down, the babies are just fine under water- so cool!) Norm was at the end of the bath and we pushed a few more times. Out came the baby. At last, our little one was here. Norm took warm towels and padded the baby firmly on the back. The nurse told him not to be afraid to be a little firm. Afterwards, he put our beautiful, little baby on my chest. I was still tense, but also felt relieved. Nothing can compare to having carried a baby inside you for nine months, then finally getting the chance to hold him on your chest and look at their face. Everything happened so quickly. A few minutes passed by and Norm asked me, “Have you looked to see what it is?” NO!! That sounds crazy, don’t it? I never did look because I had an instinct way from the beginning, I knew this baby was a little boy. I looked down, and seen that my instinct was all true. We had a beautiful baby boy. I was in the tub for another 20 minutes before our midwife showed up. After arriving she checked the baby, and his breathing, then helped me out of the tub.

Never in my life did I think I would have a baby at home. I hear stories of women doing this and I was certain I’d never be one of those women. I never thought God would have planned this for us, but we are still in awe of the strength He gave Norm and I to deliver His child. Cooper Allen was born at 2:00 Monday morning, and we are so grateful for the miracle He performed for us.