I woke up at 4 am with a dull backache.  By 5 am, I started spotting red blood and having minor period like cramping but was able to sleep for a few hours.   At 10 I saw my my wife for my 40 week checkup and she told me I was 3 centimeters dilated and to walk a couple hours and if my backache didn’t go away go go into L&D.  By 1:00 pm, I was experiencing mild but consistent contractions spaced around 4 minutes apart.  After getting checked in, things sped up so fast.  

I labored in the tub, on the ball, and on my left and right sides.  Nothing was easing my back labor (which is the absolute worst!).  Finally, at around 7 pm, I got checked and was already at 7 centimeters!  Holy shit, I was shocked that I made it through transition without any meds at that point, except a bit of something in my IV which only filled the pain a tiny bit for maybe 10 minutes at a time.  

At 7:20, my water broke on its own and things suddenly got REAL.  By 7:45 I was 9 centimeters and by 8:00 I was complete and ready to push!   

It took a bit of learning to know how to breathe a couple times and then use that breath and the pain of the contraction to push.  But after only 1 hour, and me crying and feeling like such a rude and dying animal, my baby boy suddenly slipped out and it only took one more tiny push to get his body out.  The most amazing thing was feeling his head in between pushes and thinking, “He’ll here  so soon, you can do this!”

When they put him up on my chest I got hit with such raw emotion...He is my rainbow baby after 3 miscarriages.  And he is perfect with a full head of black hair.  I’m in love.  

Everyone, meet Julian Anthony. ♥️🖤 7 lbs, 11 oz and 20 inches long.  ❤️🖤