Disclaimer - While intended to be the "non-graphic" account, keep in mind that I am a nurse and a midwifery student. Things that may strike some people as TMI don't always cross my radar. Just so you're warned.
Friday started with a trip to the midwife which indicated that little Eva might take yet another week to arrive... not much was happening. She was -2 (high up in the tummy) and my cervix was just starting to soften.
Around 1:30 in the afternoon, as I was enjoying the quiet of naptime, I started to notice some tight, non-painful contractions. They were inconsistant and I didn't think much of them. At 3 I took the girls over to play with cousin James while I did some grocery shopping at Walmart. The contractions spaced out and did not get stronger while fighting the normal unruly crowds at Walmart. The girls and I returned home in time for them to join Daddy for some fun at the gym. Momma was in a bad mood and as soon as they left I downed 1 mango, 1 mineola, 1 banana and several strawberries (remind you of the Very Hungry Catapillar?). It was 5:30 and I sat down to finish and submit my final paper for the History of Midwifery. Feeling very relieved, I started dinner still having those non-painful, inconsistant, annoying contractions. The girls came home, ate dinner (I wasn't hungry) and I gave them baths and put them to bed. I decided around 9 to relax in a bath myself and read a book. Somewhere around chapter 5 I felt and heard a loud "pop". It felt like a release of pressure in my very heavy tummy, but nothing happened... so I continued to read. A page later, another "pop" and it was rather obvious my water had broken in the tub. My first thought was "Thundercats, HOOOO!" (Have you seen "Juno"??) Not sure if Joe would get the reference, I called him into the bathroom and asked him to call my mom to come sit with the girls. Then we called our wonderful midwife who agreed to meet us at the birthing center. Joe ran around in a panic gathering all our half-packed belongings while I finished getting ready.
We arrived at the birth center at 10:30 - I was 3 cm dilated, ruptured and Eva was still -2. Our midwife expected we had a long night ahead and suggested we go for a walk. This idea sounded like a new form of torture to me, but I agreed to it anyway. A sideways glance at my little sister (who met us at the center) said it all... we both go from barely dilated to baby-coming-out-regardless-of-the-situation in very short amounts of time. 30 minutes of walking and squatting during contractions got the job done. Leslie's backrubs were amazing while I "sang" through contractions and Joe whispered encouragingly and let me squeeze the heck out of his arms. I arrived back at the birth center at 11:30. Our midwife began filling the birthing tub and I slowly made my way to the bed between contractions to be checked. I was 7cm and then... pushing! Never even had time to get in the tub!! Eva's not-so-little head was delivered while I laid on my side, but her wide shoulders were momentarily delayed.. a little repositioning and she was laid across my belly at 12:17!
We were all in awe of our precious little moose! Our midwife commented on her umbilical cord - it looked like a firehose. Her placenta weighed 3 pounds... I assure you my glucose tolerance test was completely normal and I did NOT eat cookies and milkshakes all 9 months!
(I know you're going to ask..) I suffered a 1st degree tear that did not require stitches.
Our midwife left us to be discharged by the birth assistant after about an hour. Eva was nursing like you'd expect a nearly 10 lb baby to, and I was already up and about (more or less). Her LGA size required some blood glucose checking, but she was fine after a couple hours and we were on our way home. It was a little weird going through the Jack in the Box drive-thru (Daddy needed nourishment) with a 3 hour old infant in the backseat...
And here we are. The girls have spent the weekend with Grandma and playing at Auntie's. They have come for several "visits" to ooh and awww over their little sister and argue over who gets to hold her first. Their excitement is precious but a little overwhelming to Daddy and I (who are forever greatful for Grandma and Auntie's help!)
Eva and I will be heading back to the birth center on Tuesday for our first "check up".
Joe and I are both still in absolute amazement over our experience at the birth center. It was so personal and intimate. We are lucky to live in a state where this option is available to us - and I feel lucky at the timing of the birth of little Eva. She completes our family and reaffirms for me why I am staying up late at night studying for exams and writing papers. I want to bring miracles to other families in the way our third little miracle was brought to us. I know I will think of that every time I look at her sweet face.
The big sisters see baby Eva when they wake up in the morning. They are in utter disbelief! 
This is my attempt at a wall collage of framed stuff and other stuff. 
We have a couple black and white photos I took of the big sisters, a poem my Grandma wrote for Ali when she was baptised and a baptismal hankie/bonnet, a lady bug I found on clearance and a lady bug drawing entitled, "When I grow up, I want to be a lady like you." that I proudly found on Etsy. 
We finally found a crib! The bumper, quilt and window valance all came from a consignment shop and the dust ruffle and lady bug sheet I happened to stumble across at different times. It came together nicely!! Above the crib, my wonderful mother-in-law wrote a line from my Grandma's poem - "May you always walk with God". It's hard to read in the photo. 
I still need to figure out what will go above the changing table.
