Introducing Charles (Charlie) Hudson Taylor! Born Nov 28, 2011

I think that...the feeling of having just given birth and lying there with your brand new baby on your chest, is one of the best in the world. Can you believe, I actually looked up at DH and told him that I could totally do this again?!!! It is such a sweet thing to finally see the little one you've been nurturing inside for almost a year, you know? But to be able to say that was truly wonderous for me, since I have struggled with the fact that I was pregnant again and having another baby when it wasn't in "our" plan. A victory I think!

We did not have this baby in the car or at home, thankfully! Contractions started around 5pm to be regular on Sunday the 27th, although to be honest, they had stopped and started "regularly" soooo many times before that, I can't even count! So I definitely did not think anything different was going on.

Bret needed to be at a fundraiser meeting for church at 6pm and then went grocery shopping for me after, but he had me text him with a "c" every time I had a contraction so he could time them. I thought that was so sweet of him, being so involved...I think partly though he is aware of my nonchalant attitude when it comes to these things and I don't realize it IS the real thing until it's too late.

By 3am I had lost part of my mucus plug and we had both packed our bags - I could tell they were more "pinched" than normal and knew this was different. Off to the birthing center, and Elmina came to be there with the kids for the night -- thanks, Mina!!

With Jack, my first ever natural birth, I somehow thought being almost all raw + having him in the water would make it rather pain-free and easy. Um...yeah. No. His birth was hard because I had high expectations that were not met, it was a very painful time that seemed to be endless and I dreaded that with my next baby EVEN THOUGH I loved the aftereffect of a natural birth so I was determined to have a water birth anyway.

As we know, Harmony was born very fast and without issue, on the freeway -- and it was in fact my very best birth ever. Painful, yes, but VERY short so I knew that Charlie's birth could potentially be the same!!

This time I worked in my mind concentrating on two things: Relaxing every part of my body completely during the contractions and focusing on a place in my mind to go to so I wouldn't be thinking about the pain or most of all, HOW MUCH LONGER IS THIS GOING TO LAST sort of thing.

It worked AMAZINGLY well up until transition, for which I was very thankful! In my room, I have this antique dresser with a matching mirror that I sanded down and painted white, then distressed it and added crystal knobs. It is beautiful, and I have a few silver things on it with an electronic candle and a pretty diaper holder. The back wall of the milky white board & batten + the soft blue/gray wall color just make for a serene atmosphere and that is the picture I focused on. I'll have to take a picture and put it on here to remember it by. I kept thinking about my beautiful, beautiful room that is waiting for me and my baby - and it was really a neat way to relax. All my other babies I have had a really UGLY room to go home to, bleh, lots of hours and days and nights spent in there postpartum. Kind of depressing, lol!

I got in the tub and that felt so good and relaxing...it is hard for your body to stay tense while in the water, so I was enjoying that for a while. The room was dark, candles lit, just DH and I.

I also worked on making a low "mooooo" sound deep in my throat, which vibrates to the cervix and opens it up, as well as picturing a flower opening as my cervix. I felt kind of weird doing that ridiculous, primal noise with DH in the room (we asked the midwives to stay out as much as possible until transition; I am a totally private person and knew more people in here would tense me up) so I went in the bathroom. I felt good to sit on the toilet anyway, kind of something my body is already used to (obviously ha ha) and the noises were more camouflaged that I was making.

As I was sitting there alone with my thoughts, knowing the birth was near and trying to stay calm and in rest instead of fearing what was to come, it came to me: God is never closer than when a baby is born -- He is there to breath the first breath of life into that child. He is here now, ready, to do this with my baby! I pictured Him there with me in the bathroom, an invisible but strong presence and it gave me such peace. Especially knowing that this child came straight from Him, it was not planned by us in any way, but planned by HIM. So I knew He would also be there with me to help bring Charlie into this world.

After a while I decided to try the shower, really hot and that felt wonderful, but after about 5 minutes the contractions were too painful just to stand there. I had to hit the floor and rock back and forth during each one, so as soon as one was over, I grabbed my towel and got back into the tub.

That's when it started in earnest - that was the hardest part. The frustrating thing is that you hear stories about people who push for an hour, or are dilated to 9-10 for a long time...blah. You can't have that in mind or it'll drive you INSANE...so I focused on Harmony's birth and how my body naturally just delivered her EASILY and quickly. I felt this POP and that hurt, yikes! It must've been the water breaking cuz it kind of hurled the poor guy right down the tunnel.

Three hard contractions/pushes and I felt his head -- TOTAL deja vu with Harmony, I remember feeling her head and being shocked; she wasn't supposed to come out yet! So it was awesome knowing he was almost here - I pushed him out and DH caught him in the water...it was neat birthing him completely on my own with DH's help at the end (and he was being awesome during too, rubbing my back, etc). The midwife helped me calm down a bit at the end when I was practically hysterical saying I can't do this, that is highly needful too!! The cord was wrapped around his neck once which she quickly unwound, and then he was here! Just 2 hours after arriving at the birthing center.

Such a feeling of relief and JOY to meet him!! He just kind of sat there, not breathing or doing ANYTHING. Bret and I were concerned but the midwife wasn't, she just kind of rubbed him and turns out, he did exactly what Harmony did. Just really mellow by nature so there was no need to cry - just kind of a general realization that the surroundings were new and opened his eyes to see us right away. Little squawk was all the noise he made to clear his throat and then it was like he was in wonder over this strange, new world.

We love the name Charlie, but I didn't want to saddle a grown man with that name just in case. My uncle's parents named him "Ricky" and he went by Rick in his later adult years. BUT he went into the army, and they are required to call everyone by their birth name. Thus, he was called Ricky...not such a good name to have in the service! So just in case this baby wants the name "Charles" - very doctor sounding in my opinion, we're putting that on his birth certificate but for all intents and purposes, his name will be Charlie to everyone.

Charles Hudson Taylor (Charlie)
November 28, 2011 6:03am
7lb 15oz
21" long

Welcome to our family, sweet little Charlie! You are going to experience love that only an 8th child can attest to. =) =) I can't wait to introduce you to your 7 brothers and sisters!!