The cross-country journey began on Sunday, February 25th and ended on Wednesday, March 7th. YES, I was gone from my family for that long!!! It was torture for me....I missed them all so very much. I got to where I did not want to talk to them on the phone because I would just cry from homesickness. However, this trip was a highlight in my little life....and I am so glad that I was able to go.
The original plan was to fly to Ga when Courtney began having contractions. And since her cervix (yes, I said cervix....this IS a birth story!) was ripe 3 weeks prior to her due date, we were all thinking the baby would come early.
Enter: the due date. Feb. 17th.
Nothing.
Enter: 1 week late.
Nothing.
-poor Courtney!!!!!
At a week and a day overdue, I hoped on the red-eye flight to Georgia. I could not stand it any longer...and I was having trouble booking a seat on a flight. (I was using sky miles so I had to jump through all kinds of hoops) Josiah....seeing my duress and fear that I would miss the birth....put his manly foot down and said GO!!! :) I love this man! So on Sunday night at midnight I departed Paradise. At 5 a.m. I landed in Ga. I slept from 6 am till 1 p.m.....aaaahhhhhh! It was Monday the 26th. My mom and I met Court for lunch and went back to her place to do some nesting....we moved furniture and decorated...was fun!!!
Tuesday, Feb 27th.... 10 days overdue. I went with Nate and Court to the midwife visit. Now Nate and Court are smart people....they hired my midwife Claudia (who was at all 4 of my births) to attend their birth....so we had a great visit with her and Nichole!!! We were there about 1 1/2 hours and left feeling lighthearted. I LOVE Claudia! Courtney asked to be checked so the midwife checked her....still 1 cm, 100% effaced and +1 station. It is rare for a 1st time mom to have all that going for her....we were excited!!!
Court and I left and went to Target for some last minute shopping....and decided to re-decorate her guest bathroom :) We HAD to make a Brusters stop (best ice-cream ever!) and then we went to her house for more decorating. I left her house around 5 p.m.
Tuesday night....10:00 p.m.
Courtney calls. She has been having contractions 10 minutes apart and about 30 seconds long. YEAH!!!!!!!!!
Wednesday morning, Feb 28th. Court has contracted all night with no sleep. Contractions are the same, she is tired. She tries a hot bath and some wine and it slows them down for a little while. Her and Nate go run some errands and go out to eat. Later that night she calls and the contractions are still 10 minutes apart....but are now 55 seconds long. YEAH!!!!!!!!
Thursday morning, March 1st. Court contracted that way allll night. Again. No sleep. She is SO tired. Tries the wine and tub again to no avail. She contracts all day Thursday. Around 3:30 p.m. she calls me...at the end of her rope. I am trying to give suggestions and encouragement when......"Uhhhhh....my water just broke!!!" YEAH!!!!!!!!
Thursday evening. I go to Nate and Courtney’s home to be with them. We eat and time contractions...they are the same. The midwives come over to check on the baby and Courtney around 9 p.m. The baby sounds fantastic but Courtney is just SO tired. They stay a little while and observe, then go home to get some sleep so they will be rested for the birth (which we all thought would be that night). Nate put on a cute movie to watch and Court sat on the birth ball, dosing between contractions. 
She contracts all night. The contractions are about 6-7 minutes apart now and 60 seconds long. She cannot sleep. Nate stays with her constantly....reading scriptures to her from Psalms....praying with her and being an encouragement to her. It was such a blessing to me to see my brother be this rock for his wife. I cried several times in thankfulness to the Lord for Nathan.
5 a.m. on Friday morning, March 2nd. Courtney is done. She has worked so hard and is just so tired!!! We all sit in the baby's room, discussing the options. We decided to call over Claudia and see what she says.
5:45 a.m. Claudia and Nichole arrive. They bring a breath of fresh air to the house with their warmness and excitement about the birth. We all needed that!!!! Claudia observes Court for a little while and asks if she can do a cervix check. (typically you do not check the cervix once the water breaks to prevent infection....however, there was a need here to reassure Court that the contractions were working). Court and Nate agree. Claudia is encouraged! Courtney is 4 cm and the baby is quite low. Claudia suggests filling the birth pool and doing things to stimulate the labor naturally. (usually the mom will not get in the pool until late labor so she can take advantage of the warmth in relaxing...however, Court needed the warmth to relax and get some rest). The pool was nice for Courtney....helping with the intense contractions and allowing her to fully relax. We also began to give her TONS of water and some honey for energy. A mom needs to eat in labor for her body to work well, but Court was nauseous and had not eaten in about 24 hours...that alone can hinder labor. The honey helped a lot in restoring her energy and blood sugar.
The contractions got closer and longer!!! 3-5 minutes apart and well over a minute long. YEAH!!!!!
We needed the contractions to be 2-3 minutes apart and 90 seconds long. We had Court get out of the pool every few hours and walk around to help things. She would walk around the living room and lean on Nate....they took a walk around the backyard (it was a beautiful sunny day) with their little dog Faith following close behind!
4:15 p.m. Courtney is DONE. It is not the pain but the exhaustion that has gotten to her. She has given it her all....more than she thought she had. Claudia asked to check her cervix to see what was happening and Nate and Court agree.
6 cm during contractions and stretchy to 8 cm between!!!!! YEAH!!!!!!
Claudia says the baby's head is not applied well to the cervix....hence the contractions not being right on top of each other. We all agree that a transport to the hospital is looming in the distance. No emergency. No issues with the baby. Just poor little Courtney being totally spent.
Claudia is very experienced. She knows what she is doing. She suggests a last-resort effort before transporting. (Court did NOT want a c-section and we all knew that would happen if we went to the hospital). Claudia would have Courtney get on the birthstool (a U-shaped stool for giving birth) and do some directed pushing to get the baby to apply better to the cervix and help the contractions get stronger.
What to do???????
Courtney says she just cannot do it. She is just so tired.
Nate looks at Courtney then at Claudia. He says, "We will try it." WE?! Poor Court could not even show emotion at this point...so she says "okay, let's do it."
4:30 p.m. Directed pushing begins. Claudia skillfully helps Courtney's cervix over the baby's head during contractions while Court pushes. Courtney likes pushing MUCH better (don't we all?!) and is doing a great job.
5 p.m. Courtney is fully dilated and having her own strong urge to push!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! Yeah!!!!!!!!!!!!!
Courtney is an expert pusher!!! I was so very impressed. She pushed standing up, sitting on the birthstool, on the toilet and on the bed. She is SO strong. I am speechless at her strength and determination. Nate is still with her every second...speaking words of love and encouragement in her ear. He wiped her with a cold cloth constantly (she loved that) and was giving her water and juice to up her energy. They were a great team!
As we began to see the baby's head, Nate realizes that his baby is going to be born...at home...with no c-section! He is enthralled. He watches his child descend and is amazed. Nate begins to REALLY encourage Courtney with every breath on every push. He tells her a play by play on the baby moving down and the baby's head and hair! Courtney looks in the mirror and sees her baby for the first time...she touches her little head. "Come on baby!!!" As the baby was crowing, Courtney was trying not to push so hard so she would not tear. She asked if she should push in between contractions so she could easily control the birth of the baby's head...and she did just that! She birthed like a 5th time mom....so expertly. I am severely impressed.
7:37 p.m. Hannah Grace is born into the world!!!!! Nate caught his daughter with Courtney reaching down to help catch her baby girl. Claudia's hands were guiding Nate's....seeing all 3 of them reaching for this little baby was so moving! Nate just kept saying, "OH MY GOSH. OH MY GOSH." I think he was in shock! He did say, as the baby is almost crowning, "Oh Courtney. The baby's head is so tiny!!!" Well. He did not realize that what he saw was the top of the baby's head...not the whole head. So when the whole head was born and those little cheeks came out he was REALLY in shock! He was crying as he was trying to catch Hannah...as was the midwives and I....it was such a moving, beautiful moment.
He set Hannah on Courtney tummy and they were welcoming her into the world, laughing, talking, crying....bonding with the daughter they both worked so hard for. Court was wide-awake now! :)
Court held Hannah for several hours after the birth. She nursed her right away and got to get to know her little girl without anyone hindering them. Nate was right with her the whole time, touching and talking to his wife and new little girl. It was SO SWEET!!! 
Courtney did bleed a bit much after the birth. Her poor uterus was so exhausted from the birth that it just stopped contracting. Claudia handled it like an expert, or course! So Courtney is just fine.
A few hours after the birth the midwives did the baby exam. Hannah is, as we all could see, total perfection!!!!!! She was 8.2 lbs...a bit bigger than Court's limit of a 6 lb baby :) AND....to top it all off, Claudia said (as we were all talking about the birth) that the baby was born presenting military style instead of vertex with a tucked chin. WOW! So Court pushed out the largest part of that baby through her pelvis! I find this quite cool since everyone was "so worried" that Courtney was just "too small" to have a baby...especially an 8 lb malpositioned baby!!! And the best part....no stitches for Courtney! She was SUCH an expert pusher. Go Courtney! Nate dressed little hannah for the first time! It was adorable!
After the baby exam and the first few nursings, Nate and Courtney asked the family to all come in and meet Hannah. (ALL the family had been waiting in the driveway for a loooong time!!!!) It was like the Paparazzi with so many cameras flashing! Hannah is already a princess :)
So, that is the birth in a nutshell. ("help! I'm in a nutshell!") It was a momentous time in my life to see my brother and his wife work so hard to do what is best for their child. I am in awe. The Lord's mercies were ALL OVER this birth....from the first contraction. His goodness to us all is mind-boggling and we are so thankful for His faithfulness towards us. This would not have happened without His guidance.
"Children are a blessing from the Lord, and the fruit of the womb is His REWARD."
Courtney and baby are doing excellent. Hannah is nursing like a pro!!!! Thank you all for your thoughts and prayers.
Monday, March 5th. My mom and I pack the car and leave at 4 a.m. for Texas. We drive straight through....13 hours to Dallas and stay with my Grandparents.
Tuesday is spent hanging out with family and friends (hey Noelle!).
Wednesday, March 7th. Mom and I leave Dallas at 4 a.m. for Colorado. We drive straight through.....13 hours to Denver. I got to see my hubby and children!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! My house is clean and my kids are intact....I love my husband :)
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