A first

...in what will, I hope, become a busy habit. First Atlanta area birth, I mean.

I've been telling the grandkids that with Nana living in Atlanta now, I finally won't have to miss birthday parties and will get to spend more time with them. So Saturday night we went up to Luke and Kayla's house for Noah's 4th birthday party. Kayla had put it off until I moved here, just so I could attend. We got there early so we could take Noah shopping and let him choose his own gift. He wound his way back and forth in the toy aisles but kept coming back to a talking "Woody" figure from Toy Story 3. That boy loves him some Toy Story and especially Woody. In the middle of our shopping trip I get a phone call from a mom that is due the following day. She is in labor.

Big sigh.

It's a 2nd baby and her contraction pattern sounds like labor is well established and I should probably get going, but her voice says different. She still sounds too chipper.

So we make our Woody purchase and take a smiling Noah back to his house in time for his party/cookout. Erin/Wesley/Lucy and Wesley's parents arrive and I get to see them for a few minutes. But I know it is an hour drive from where I am to the laboring couple so I called my assistant and tell her I think we should probably go. Kisses all around. Fortunately I have my equipment and her chart with me. Erin and Wesley agree to take Tom home.

I get there and am greeted by a laboring mom who is still smiling. Listen to the baby (it is happy) and check mom's progress. She is 2 cms. and cervix is still posterior. Baby is in a good position though. Assistant is there, so we go ahead and set up for the birth and decide to head to a fast food place for some chili. It is raining and cold and this sounded good. Encouraged mom to just rest and let labor proceed.

My midwife friend, Debi, from Tennessee had volunteered to come help so she drove down. After chili, we went to find a Starbucks. Debi found us there. She needs new windshield wipers and gets them and puts them on her car. We drink coffee until they chase us out and close up the Starbucks then decide to head back to laboring mom.

Just as I'm turning on their street, dad calls and said mom's water broke. We hurried into the house to find a mom not smiling anymore. Labor was in high gear. Baby still doing very well and a check reveals mom is now 7.5 cms. Yay! Within the hour she births her baby in the birth pool.

I always enjoy it when the parents choose not to find out the sex of the baby ahead of time. And I really like for them to discover the sex first. Mom tearfully brought her baby up to her chest and held him there for a few minutes while I checked out his vital signs. Covered him with a towel and said, "Well, what do you have there?" Moms answers she didn't look yet. I encourage her to take a look so she pulls him away from herself to reveal little boy parts. Their first child is a little girl so that was a nice surprise.

I love the look of relief on her face in this picture! Baby Solomon was healthy and beautiful.

Sorry, Noah! Nana hopes to be very busy catching babies, but I got some making up to do to you!