t though, the last twenty minutes they have started to become more regular" that was the start of it all. Kristen basically jumped straight to active labor while I was finishing my update. At about 12:15 pm on Tuesday afternoon, the contractioins jumped right to about five minutes apart from nothing much at all. At about 12:40, Katie, our nurse, came back in and began another monitor of Kristen's heart rate and contractions. Kristen felt the best when she knelt on the floor with a mat an
d an exercise ball. As I tried to time the contractions with her Nano's stopwatch, they quickly moved regularly to four minutes apart.We had planned to have the accupuncturist join us at 1:30 to assist in kick starting the labor, but at about 1:20 Kristen and Katie and I decided that we should ask him to hold off for a couple of hours. We told him we would call him in two hours (3:30) to let him know how it was going and to come then. Our friend Patty was planning on joining us once things started to pick up to help with the coaching and support. Patty has such a calming aura about her and has worked as a doula with other births. About that same time, we had our midwife, Merrilynn, join us since things were moving right along. I continued to support Kristen by putting pressure on the outside of her hips during the contractions and attempting to help her visualize and think about relaxing as she alternated between kneeling on the ma
t and leaning over the exercise ball. Still timing with the Nano, the regularity moved to 2-3 minutes when Patty joined us at about 2:15 pm. She allowed me to use the bathroom and grab some bites of food.After about 20 minutes, Kristen decided that she was ready to get in the tub. Katie warmed the water and lit candles and Merrilynn put some scented oil in the tub (Clary Sage, Kristen's request that she had brought along...I am not a fan, but I decided it was not my place to comment...) Kristen had begun some good steady contractions by that point and after only about 15 minutes in the tub, she felt like she was getting those pushing sensations. She got out of the tub and Merrilynn checked her dilation for the first time and decided she was ready!
I barely had enough time, to change out of my wet shorts from the tub and back into my dry clothes as she moved back out to the birthing stool. I have been affectionately calling it the air chair because it was basically a chair with no back or seat. She essentially sits on the bars and supports herself with her hands on an exercise ball in front or by her knees. By this time she was all out pushing with each contraction. Patt
y counted to ten with every push and she would try to get a couple of pushes per contraction. Merrilynn reached down and noticed that she was crowning and had Kristen and me touch the tip of her head! It was still hard to comprehend at that point, but Merrilynn quickly moved the exercise ball out of the way and got ready for the beginning.It felt like with the next couple of contractions her head began to pop out and you could see movement with each push. Kristen tried again and all of a sudden the head was out! Merrilynn paused to move the cord around to the front and turn the shoulders, but then little Banner Veil scooted right out at 3:24 pm and began to cry with joy at seeing the world after 9 months of anticipation. It was absolutely breathtaking! They placed little BV on Kristen's chest right away as she still sat on the air chair. I was so amazed and proud of Kristen at the pace and efficiency and
strength and courage of that natural birth. There was that castor oil cranberry cocktail, but from what I hear that is not very natural tasting. One of my minor fears had been expecting a long birth and then not being able to stay awake and having the energy for the coaching. Not to worry, we were done in time for afternoon tea!They moved Kristen and Banner over to the bed to rest, to check Banner out, and to finish and clean the process up. Patty was kind enough to call the accu guy at let him know that we had the baby and did not need him to
come in...a mere two hours after things started looking serious! It was such an answer to prayer. Praise the Lord for such an extr
aordinary couple of hours.Well, I was going to tell you about the rest of the evening and today, but that took to look for me to think through. Basically, just more tests and
weighing, and nursing, and sleeping and monitoring that occupied the rest of the evening. She slept decent last night, albeit a couple of diaper changes and some feedings.The doctor woke us up this morning at about 8:30 to perform his diagnosis, but the rest of the day was filled with eating, visits from a lactation consultant, Travis and Laura, Becca, Gina, Carol, Patty, and Bryon. It snowed today and Banner als
o took a massive 3 hour nap. I was amazed. Maybe more so because I was holding her that entire time from the bed to a walk down the hall several times to reading in the chair to handing her off to Bryon. We will see 
how tonight goes, but she has already slept again this evening for two hours now. Speaking of which, it is time for me to sleep. We are out of the hospital tomorrow and back to 5580 Penn. for Banner's first time.
All our love and enjoy the day,Banner, Kristen, Jared
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