35 weeks had come and gone…so had 36 & 37.  At 38 weeks, my parents had come in town from California and were ready to see some action.  As you can imagine, overwhelming feelings of anxiety & pressure now added to my excruciating discomfort & pain of carrying so much within.

Meanwhile, our little family waited.  We knew it was close.

All 3 of our older children have been posterior (sunny-side -up…the explorer did turn at the end). Maybe it’s the shape of my pelvis, but for whatever reason it accompanies back labor each time, which is always intense. Contractions are always close together from the get-go.

During the builder’s almost-9-hour birth I was simply in survival mode. Trying to breathe through each contraction seemed all I could do.

With the the dancer’s arrival, we used a tub for a water birth and I avoided the pain in that warm water: just over 9 hours.

I decided to not endure or avoid during the explorer’s birth, moving, dancing, and working with him to help him out. 6 hours, hooray! I felt like I’d finally figured out how to labor& birth a baby!

But with the twins I was so afraid I’d run out of energy and not be able to move (having been on bedrest so long) to help things along. After worrying for weeks, I finally decided to stop. Turning to the Lord, I gave Him my burden, resulting in a very fast, less-than-2-hour-labor from the very 1st contraction. Truly…He knows just what we can handle & makes up the difference!

Wednesday morning (38 weeks and 6 days), Carl and the kiddos headed out the door for school and work. Excitedly, I read a text that my girlfriend, Camille, was in labor at our local hospital. She encouraged me that it was a good day for the twins to arrive. What a comfort it had been to wait together for our 3 boys arrival!

{Baby A arrived 50 minutes after Camille’s darling boy}

It was then, I noticed I was leaking amniotic fluid – almost as if our boys had received the message from their friend that it was time. This had not happened in my previous deliveries. In fact, my water didn’t usually break until right before the older kids emerged.

8:24 a.m. – I texted Richelle (our midwife) who called me right away. She suggested what to look for and do if it continued. After a few minutes, I hung up and felt the 1st contraction.

4 minutes apart, lasting 1 minute each, and coming on strong. Lots of pressure and of course back labor – oh the back labor! (How I empathize with all the ladies out there who endure back labor during birth!)

Not wanting them to stop or slow, I thought I’d time them a while to be sure. But it required a lot of concentration – keeping time while working through each contraction. After 30 minutes I figured I better let Carl know.

As I called him I thought I’d give him an hour to wrap things up at work before coming home (fortunately he works a couple blocks from our home). While we talked (a whole minute maybe), I changed my mind and told him to come home in 30 minutes.

After I hung up the phone (9:03), I decided it was too long and texted him, “you might just want to come.”

And he did.

Now, we’ve done this before. I’ve decided we make a good team with this birthing thing. It’s been some of the greatest moments we’ve shared in this joint quest of marriage.

9:15 – We texted Richelle an update. She was in an appointment an hour away. “Ok. I will send my assistants right away and then i will come soon.”

(She must have also changed her mind as she arrived first, much quicker than we thought possible, to our happy relief).

While she was on her way I labored mostly by walking (and using the walker around the upstairs), and pulling & leaning into the looped sheets tied and hanging from the ceiling (they really helped with the extra weight, and I have wanted to do aerial stuff for a while now…it’s good to have big dreams to think about during labor haha!)

Carl also gave me a blessing while it was just the two of us. The room was filled with love for our boys and family, and I felt the strength & courage I needed to accomplish this difficult task.

I knew there was not energy within me to labor all day or night as I’d done with the other kiddos, so I stayed on my feet, hoping to use the extra weight to speed up dialation.

I quietly spoke to Baby A: reminding him that he was the leader. That his brother and I would be here to help and support him, but that it was his job to push and come out first. And that we would work together to help him out.

Richelle had a plan for this birth. One in which we all found comfort: 5 midwives/assistants would attend our boys’ birth. Nat’s responsibility was to care for Baby A, Roxanna would be responsible for Baby B, Katie would be there to meet my comfort needs, while Richelle was there for me medically & to oversee everything in general. Finally, Sophia would be the gopher, assisting everyone with anything they needed.

It was a good plan.

Time just went too quickly.

When Richelle arrived she first checked to see how things were coming along: 100 % effaced & dialated to 6. I was relieved and kept working. I asked Carl to start filling the tub (pool). The plan was to labor in the warm water to ease the back labor, but deliver the boys outside.

I climbed in the pool half filled, I’d already felt a strong contraction and my body wanting to push. Soon the pool was full and I’d had another similar feeling contraction. Desperately trying to relax, I admitted to Richelle and Katie that I wasn’t sure how to relax anymore. A third contraction of this caliber hit, I felt the ring of fire…and Baby A crowned.

Richelle asked if I’d like to catch him. (I caught the dancer when she was born). But my arms were hanging over the side of the tub & I felt stuck, not sure how I could flip over in time.

10:49 – Carl caught him, I breathed a great sigh of relief, and relaxed a minute.

There he was: long, blond, and peaceful…no crying for this sweet boy.

I was exhausted and we were overcome with joy.

As I floated a minute, I could feel Baby B leap within me.

But there was no time to rest. I needed to deliver another baby!

Carefully, Richelle and Katie helped me out of the tub while Carl held Baby A, keeping him warm in a towel. It was a group effort, Baby A still connected to me by his cord & placenta within.

Richelle suggested I climb up on the bed. On my hands & knees, they could see one of Baby B’s feet. He not only lept when his brother emerged…after being head-down for 4 months, he flipped!

Not only had he flipped, but one leg was bent and up against his belly. Richelle broke my water and told me to push. It took me a couple minutes as I was so tired that I couldn’t remember where those muscles were.

By this time Roxanna had arrived was encouraging me to push also. Carl layed Baby A under me. Big eyes filled with wonder &, he quietly watched patiently for his brother.

11:02 – I decided to use Carl as leverage, pushing as hard as I could and out came Baby B! A full head of dark hair, they couldn’t look more different. 😉

13 minutes apart, these sweet boys!

We’re just thankful to our Heavenly Father for their safe arrival, for an amazing midwife, Richelle, and her team.

A fast and furious birth…now we are simply trying to soak up the peace and get some rest at night lol! xo ~katrina

{Big thanks for the beautiful photos by Jessica Ashurst at Yesika Photography…and beyond-darling batman and robin props made by my super-talented sister-in-law Katherine!}