home birth

i am rarely this personal through words on this blog, but it is such a joy to share how we welcomed little peregrin jude into this world.  it was the most perfect birth experience imaginable.  we know this kind of labor/delivery is not always possible, so we feel very grateful and fortunate that the Lord gave us such an idyllic scenario.  though the build-up to active labor was slower than i'd experienced with heron and shepherd (i only experienced 4-5 hours of labor with each of them), it allowed for so many meaningful moments along the path to per's birth.  

labor stared the afternoon before, on the 18th, just after an apple pie + elderflower spritzer date with my friend andee, then a sweet and tearful time of conversation and prayer with josh.  when the kids woke up from naps josh took them to the park while i used my last nesting burst to sweep floors, scrub toilets, wash dishes, & prepare our home for imminent birth.  contractions progressed slowly, easily, intermittently.  we ate a hearty meal around the farm table with josh's sister teal (providentially in town for a job interview) then had a family backyard fire before the kids went down for the night.  contractions tapered off, so josh and i went to bed at 9:30 to rest up for what seemed would be a long night of labor.  i was up every hour or two with a little pain here and there, but contractions didn't really start again until 5 a.m.  josh and i enjoyed a full two hours of peace, candles, conversation, and prayer before the kids and teal woke up to join us in the excitement of the nearness of birth.  we began filling the birthing tub, heron drew a picture for her new baby brother, we breakfasted, then teal and the kids went down to the basement for movie time, then over to our friend jocelyn's.  

the midwife didn't arrive until 10:30 or so, when contractions were 3-5 minutes apart, so josh and i had another hour or so, just the two of us, of fairly easy labor (i was able to stitch peregrin's guestbook in between contractions).  it is hard to explain just how sacred and perfect per's birth was.  but this time of laboring, in our own home, just josh and i, was so beautiful and holy--full of worship, tears, praise, prayer.   we sang old hymns and cried and laughed, and the Lord was near to us.  when the midwife and her assistants arrived our hearts and spirits were prepared for the birth, as was my body, and after two hours of active labor + six minutes of pushing, we were holding little peregrin jude.  praise be to God!