Birth Story

July 21, 2010

If you want to see what someone looks like 9 months pregnant, hours before giving birth, see above.  This picture was taken right before we headed to the hospital.  

The story of Clara's birth is actually pretty funny--now.  First, a little background.  The room that is Clara's room now was previously a work out room.  We foolishly put a treadmill upstairs in the house, which caused all sorts of damage.  In particular, the floors squeaked in both our bedroom and the nursery.  About a month before Clara was born, Quincy went into nesting mode.  He fixed most of the damage caused by the treadmill, but despite trying every DIY method he could, he could not get the floors to stop squeaking.

On the morning of July 21, Tucker, Quincy's brother, came over and the two of them moved all of the furniture out of our bedroom and the nursery.  Quincy hired someone to pull up the carpets and fix the squeaks and that was the day they were to come.  Due to Tucker's extended paid vacation, he was able to stay while the work was done, but he and Quincy did not coordinate moving the furniture back into place, so we were left with no furniture in our bedroom and no furniture in my carefully decorated nursery.  I begged until Quincy put the bed back in our room--I just didn't see how I could get up and down from a mattress on the floor 9 months pregnant.  Man, I was irritated.  I told Quincy several times that he was going to send me into labor, and that was the last thought that went through my head before falling asleep.  45 minutes later I woke up and my water had broken.  It was 11:53pm.  We got to the hospital at about 1:15 am and there went through the usual rigmarole of labor . . . pain, drugs, pain, more drugs, more pain, pushing and finally, at 7:39 pm, Clara arrived!  Here she is, minutes old:

And here's our first picture as a family of three.  If I look tired in this picture, it's because I was.  You try being in labor for 20 hours and see how you feel!

For those who are wondering, Tucker and Quincy met at the house while Clara and I were still in the hospital and put the nursery and the bedroom back together, so we didn't have to come home to a construction zone!