The McMillen Family

This was taken within 10 minutes after he was born.

I had my first real contraction around 3:15 on Thursday afternoon on my way to pick up the afternoon carpool. I thought, "Was that a contraction? I sure hope not!" Then on my home from picking them up I had another. They were both very mild, but just the fact that labor might be beginning kind of scared me because Adam was still at work and I had to go pick him up and I had a baby shower for a friend that I really wanted to go to that night. Anyway, I went home cooked dinner and hurried and cleaned up so we could go get Adam. I don't remember having any more contractions while at home, but I am sure I had a few and was just too busy to notice them. I left home around 5:00 and as soon as I got in the car to leave to go get Adam I had one, still mild, but nonetheless it was a contraction. I kept paying attention to the clock and had another seven minutes later. I stopped at the dry cleaner to pick up Ammon's suit, but the top wasn't ready because it had a stain. I still haven't been back to get it. Oh well, I still have several more days until Sunday! So, back in the car and on to the bank to make a deposit. All the way to Adam's work, which is about 30 minutes away, I had contractions about seven to ten minutes apart and lasting around 30 seconds. It was so strange because I had Anna so quickly. I kept thinking that any minute it was going to change and I wasn't going to be at home and oh how uncomfortable that would be to have to have hard labor in the van with all the kids in rush hour traffic...so glad he waited! So I get to Adam's work and I am feeling fine, but a little uncomfortable during contractions. Well, Adam was using my key chain last week because we sold the truck and he was using the van so his work keys weren't on my key chain. He couldn't lock the doors and he was the last one to leave that day. He decided to try to set the alarm and run out the back door, but that set off the alarm! We couldn't just leave... He called the HR lady from work and explained what had happened and thankfully she said she could call the alarm company and have them reset it over the phone. Phew! I still hadn't told Adam I was having contractions. I was glad we didn't have to stick around. It was hot and I wanted to go home! When he got in the car I told him I was having contractions and he asked if I had called Diane, my midwife. I told him that I had not because it was so slow. We started home and I decided to call Diane just to give her a heads-up that I was in labor and would need her later on. I left her a voicemail and Adam was concerned that she hadn't answered her phone. I told him that I had already called her twice that week with different questions and she called me back both times before I could finish my voicemail. Each time I started our conversation with, "Hi Diane, I'm not in labor, I just have a question." I told Adam that she probably just listened to my voicemail and would call back. I think he was very excited that I was in labor because he picked up his blackberry and made a post on facebook that I was having contractions. He continued to make posts all night as labor went on. He is such a sweet husband!

On the way home they started getting a little closer, up to five minutes apart, but still only lasting around 30 seconds, sometimes up to 45. My friend Heather called to ask me a question about the baby shower we were going to and I told her I wasn't going to go because I was having contractions. She was going to pick me up and take me with her because Adam needed the van to go clean the church that night. She was so excited for me.

We were out of milk and bananas and I wanted some grapes to eat after having the baby so we stopped at Raley's on the way home. I waited in the car while Adam went in with Ammon and Anna. Lily had fallen asleep in the car. Adam checked out the movie, "Space Buds" for the kids to watch in case we needed them to be occupied while I was in labor. Ammon was so excited when he came out because he said they had a surprise for me. When we got home he couldn't wait any longer and asked Adam if he could give it to me. They had bought me some candy peachy rings. That is one of my favorite candies! I loved how excited Ammon was about it!

While we were leaving the store Diane called to see how I was doing. It was around 6:45 at this point. I told her they were around five to ten minutes apart and lasting around 45 seconds, but that I was still doing okay. She said to touch bases in an hour or if anything changed. After we got home we got the kids a snack and got them all bathed and ready for bed. We had them all down and happy by 8:30. I was still having contractions, but was only uncomfortable while they were lasting. Adam kept asking me if I was going to have the baby today or not. I said I had no idea because he was taking his precious time. I told him we would just have to wait and see. As the evening had gone on, they had gotten more consistent at being five minutes apart. I sent Adam out to water the plants in the backyard around 8:45 and I went in to get ready for bed. I knew I was too uncomfortable to sleep at that point, but knew that I could at least lie down and rest. I think we got in bed around 9:30 and poor Adam fell right to sleep. He had been sick with a cold for over two weeks and was so run down and tired. I on the other hand didn't get any sleep.

My contractions were coming every five minutes and lasting almost a minute and were getting stronger. I kept timing them and kept getting up to use the bathroom. Adam woke up once or twice to see how I was doing and kept asking if I had called Diane. I didn't end up calling her until 10:30. I had gone in to use the bathroom again and had started bleeding a little. I felt like things were picking up so I decided to call. She said she would call Liz, her assistant, and they would both be over shortly. Adam and I got out the birth kit and I made sure he knew where I had put everything so Liz and Diane could get what they would need. I was really starting to get uncomfortable and having to concentrate and relax during my contractions. I felt fine in between them though. Adam and I just kept talking, trying to decide on a name and wondering if our little guy was going to be born on the 27th or the 28th. Adam was hoping for the 27th, but I didn't think it would go that fast. Liz showed up around 11:00 and started getting the towels and baby things out so it would all be ready. Every time I would have a contraction I would hang on to the edge of the counter or tub and squat and breath through it. After a little bit of this I think Liz could tell I was getting uncomfortable and suggested that we start filling the tub. I went and laid on the bed while it filled and that contraction was way uncomfortable. I liked standing and walking around like I had been much better. If felt nice to get into the tub. It was warm and relaxing. The contractions were getting harder and stronger, but it felt so much better in the tub. Diane arrived shortly after I got into the tub. She turned the lights down and just made everything so calm. She encouraged me through each of my contractions and kept telling me I was doing a great job. My arms started falling asleep and were all tingly and I just couldn't get into a comfortable position. I remember looking up at the clock after one contraction and saying to Adam, "Well babe, I don't think he is going to be born today." It was 11:49P.M. Diane, Liz and Adam all laughed that I would even be thinking about that when I was feeling the way I was. I was really starting to feel a lot of pain and began to kind of half moan half groan through my contractions. There was no break in between them. Almost as soon as one would end another would start and I started crying. It hurt so bad, but I knew from my past labors that I was getting close. I never had Diane check me because first I didn't want to get out of the tub, second I didn't want to lie down and third I really didn't want to know how far dilated I was. It was sort of a mental thing for me. It didn't really matter to me though because I knew it would happen when it happened and that my emotional sign posts were really all I needed to know how far along I was. Up until 11:49 I had been leaning back against the back of the tub, but after that I switched and kept trying to rest my head on a towel at the front of the tub. I continued squatting during my contractions with my arms supporting me on the sides of the tub. All of a sudden I started pushing and really groaning and crying and Adam tells me I was the loudest I have ever been during labor (I think I was entitled to be loud though, right?!) It all happened so fast, but seriously felt much longer than it truly lasted. My water broke right at the start of my next contraction which was when I knew I was pushing his head out. I pushed for at least twice as long as I thought I was physically able to do. I didn't want to back off and have him slide back up and have to work that hard all over again. I knew that as soon as his head came out I would feel great, and I did! It felt so awesome to have him part way out! Diane said, "Do you want to feel your baby's head?" I reached down and felt his soft head and could tell he had a bunch of hair. It was so neat. Then I had to push one more time to get his shoulders out. I know I made a lot of noise for that push too. Boy did that hurt! The wonderful thing was that it stopped the second he came out. I think Liz grabbed him as he came out and then brought him up out of the water so he could take his first breathe. What an absolute miracle. I sat back up against the back of the tub and got to hold him. He was beautiful! Kind of purple, but so calm and so perfect. He was covered in vernex. When Diane said it was 12:05A.M. when he was born I couldn't believe it and looked at the clock. The sixteen minutes that passed between 11:49 and 12:05 felt much longer than that!

Sometime in all the craziness Adam ran and woke Ammon up so he could come and see his little brother be born. Ammon had wanted to see Anna be born but it all happened so fast he missed it. He asked over and over again that we please wake him up this time. I think he came in right before I started my last contraction. Poor kid. I think I scared him. He stuck around to watch Daddy cut the cord and watched me hold the baby for a few minutes and then he went back to bed. He didn't really get to see the baby be born because I was in the tub and he was in the doorway of the bathroom, but I was glad about that. He got to see him come out of the water and I think that was good enough. I feel bad that Adam didn't get to see though. He was able to hold him and spend some good time with him while Diane and Liz cleaned me and the bathroom up though. I think it all turned out nicely. I only had a tiny little tear and only needed one stitch. Liz said the funniest thing while they were stitching me up. I hardly even flinched during the whole thing and she said, "Oh, you so need to have more kids!" I guess most if the time women are pretty jumpy and she thought it was pretty strange that I handled it all so well. It made me laugh.

After I was all taken care of I got to hold my little angel from heaven and nurse him and admire his perfect little body and the miracle that God allowed me to be a part of. Thank you Adam for being the most amazing daddy and husband and for supporting me and helping me to bring our little Scottorn into this world. I love you both!