Photo update!

Little M. is now a month old (TIME flies!!!!) and we have been very busy!

My husband took 7 weeks parental leave, which is just awesome. It's been great having him around to adjust to our new family situation :) He's made sure Monkey and Roo had enough play time with daddy & mommy and it's been wonderful to see he was able to spend so much time with little M. and get to know her.

We've made quite a few trips already, and it was great fun. Two weeks are left now before he gets back to work. It will be weird not having him around, but I also look forward to having some time just with me and the kids. Some time alone with them, to adjust myself without to many trips & visitors.

Here's a photo update of the last month:

Birth story

Because we had such a good experience with giving birth at home to Monkey, we decided to try it again with little M. And I'm glad we did!

The birthstory is a little boring as everything went smoothly (and fast: just under 2 hours!) : no Hugh Grant look a like gyno who came to my rescue, no hours and hours of labor, no C-sections, no screaming, no crying. It's more like a "I thought I had to pee, but then I had a baby" kind of story. Here it goes:

Tuesday 25th of May just after dinner I felt a tiny little hardly even there cramp in my lower tummy. I felt the same cramp just 4 hours before Roo was born and I recognized it immediately. It's like a little key turned and indicated I wasn't far from giving birth.

But nothing happened YET! We brought the children to bed. Asked them when they thought M. would be born. Monkey joked "Maybe tonight? Or.. tomorrow.. Or in a lot of WEEKS!" We watched the Eurovision songfestival semifinals and now joke that that horrible off key singing triggered birth.

At 1.30ish I woke up. A bit cranky because I kept waking up at night with a baby on my blather. I jumped up wiggled my way to the bathroom.. did my thing, came back and was still uncomfortable in my tummy. A little later I decided I apparently needed to go again, but this time I felt a little crampy. Not: not contractions, just a few cramps.

I hesitate when I enter the bedroom again. Because my births are known to be FAST (Monkey was born in 3.5 hrs and Roo in 1.5 hrs) and the midwife told us to call AT THE VERY FIRST CONTRACTION.... but you know... it was cramps. But deep down I knew, it would soon be contractions...

So I woke up my husband.. I explained.. you know "not happening NOW..." "no panic"... But he decided due to my habit of DENIAL I'm in labor to call his mom and ask her to come over.. just in case.

And then HE decided to call the midwife. Though I did explain I just had ONE miniature contraction which didn't even hurt and you know, don't want anyone here for NOTHING.

The midwife came anyway. They also know of my habit of total denial when in labor ;))

At 2.30is they (an intern and a midwife) arrived and I was already 5 cm dilated. Which was great since I still only had 1 or 2 contractions, but really miniature contractions, not painfull. More like,you feel one coming, and then you THINK it's there.. and then it's gone.

Very much like the tsunami warnings.. leading to no tsunami. The whole world is watching live CNN... watching the shores... you feel the tension... water retracting... and then... nothing.

Anyway. They ask if it's OK if they break my water ("to speed things up"). For a moment I think about saying "No, I'm fine thanks" but I nod. OK. Let's get this over with.

They get out their stuff. And for what feels like ages - but can't have been more than 45 minutes - nothing happens. Just 1 or 2 mini contractions. I'm feeling the need to perform, and nothing happens. I'm known for my stage fright, but this is crazy... I wait and wait. Crack a few jokes (I am really funny without underwear).

In the mean time the walking around and talking by the midwifes is getting on my nerves. And I honestly think for one second: I wish I was alone in some beautiful quiet forest (!?! of all places) because I can totally do this birth by myself.

Nuts, right? Anyway.

And it wasn't until the midwifes joined my MIL for tea in the living room, it happened.

First a few contractions I could easily handle. With a few minutes in between them (which I am not used to; with both Monkey and Roo I had "contraction storms": a LOT of VERY painful contractions without so much as a second between them). And I thought of nice blue skies when imagining the contractions going away. Not bad at all. Then 3 or 4 holy mother of everything REALLY painful ones. The midwifes came back, after I told my husband I felt the urge to push.

When they checked, I was 9 CM dilated.. and after just one more contraction I could push. That part hurted way more than with the births of M & R. But maybe that's because M. was 1 KG heavier than M&R.

ANYWAY.

A minute later I had my beautiful daughter in my arms. She looked straight into my eyes and I lost another piece of my heart in them.

I am extremely grateful for the fast delivery. I would never say a delivery is easy. Because even though mine went relatively smoothely, most of it hurt like hell. But I am grateful. Also for the non-stitch part (hooray) and my speedy recovery.

Most grateful I am for my husband for his love and because he who knows exactly what I need during a birth. And grateful for my 3 healthy, beautiful children. Monkey, Roo and little M.