Ava Elizabeth Wren is here!
Ava was born March 6th, 2014. She was 8 lbs 15 oz., 21 1/2 inches long. I love telling my birth story and love hearing them, so here you go. When she decided to come it all happened very quickly. I woke David up at 430 am, having mild contractions and vague labor symptoms. We got up and got ourselves ready. By 630am I called my midwife to get her opinion which she left up to me. I assumed I would go quickly because Charlie came quickly for the first baby. By 700 am we left the house because I decided I would rather drive there and turn around than have to drive an hour in the car in active labor. Well, we drove an hour in the car in active labor. Everything picked up the moment we got going. My water broke en route to the birth center around 730. We arrived at 800 am and they had the tub ready for me. I spent the rest of the time in there. Ava was born at 859 am; I almost caught her myself but once her head was out I needed help with the rest of her body. She had a double nuchal cord and body cord. The midwife Nicole untangled her in the water and then brought her up to me. She came around quickly. I wasn't scared with her delivery (I was with Charlie) I just wanted it to be over and was wondering why in the h, e, double L I choose an unmedicated delivery. Of course once I was holding her it was all worth it.
Her birth was different than Charlie's but in some ways similar, I am thankful that it was fast. After her birth, we relaxed for a few hours together at the birth center. They came in and handed us a few pieces of paper and told us to take our time, around noon. David looked at me and said I think we just received our discharge instructions. We were headed back home by 1pm, stopped at Panera Bread to get lunch (to go) and were home a little after 2. We were riding home laughing that we couldn't believe we had a baby today. I got to go in and get Charlie when he woke up from his nap. Mom and Charlie were at home, my Dad arrived that afternoon. Erin and Cora came in on the weekend. Since, we have been hanging out having fun together and I have been relaxing with Ava.
Its amazing to have another newborn again. There isn't anything better than laying on the couch with her on my chest sleeping. The first baby is such a huge life changer. With the second, a toddler makes a newborn seem easy.
I don't want everyone to go, they have been so helpful. I am thankful for getting some one-on-one time with Ava. Cousin Cora has been great entertainment for Charlie, he is going to miss Erin and Cora and his Nana and Pop.
We feel so fortunate to have 2 beautiful, amazing kids and such wonderful family support. Really enjoying the moment with little Ava, the days already seem to be going quickly.
Ava is 1 week old today!
Notes from Dad:
As Amy said, many things were different and the same for Ava's birth. I worried that I came in to her delivery with too much confidence, where for Charlie I had been studying birthing books up to his delivery. However, I was so busy teaching 2 courses (both new preps) and trying to get everything ready for when Ava arrived. As it turned out, Amy did an amazing job staying in complete control, and we both had expectations of how things would progress. I was hesitant going to a birth center an hour away, as I knew that Amy would likely be in some form of labor on the drive. We were very lucky that we just missed rush-hour traffic, and an ice storm that came the next day. However, having Amy in labor while trying to drive on an interstate is an experience I am happy to do once.
Amy and I also had the added challenge of being away from our close Denver "family" who were so supportive for Charlie's birth. For Charlie, we knew every midwife and nurse who took care of us. This time, we had to trust providers who we knew very little about in a new birthing environment (birth center instead of a hospital). We were very fortunate that there were no complications and Amy did all the work, and left very little for I or the midwife to do. Having an hour after the birth to spend alone with Amy and Ava was invaluable, and something I will remember for a long time. Yet, going back to the "real world" so soon after her birth was quite surreal. It felt like we went to a midwife appointment and came back with a baby. I feel very lucky that Amy has had two amazing births, and we now have two amazing little kids. The last 12 months have been full of changes and challenges, but Ava's arrival has been the highlight for me.
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