We were teaching Justin how to draw on the computer. When I asked him what he was doing he said, "I'm checking my e-mail." Just like his dad already. :)

Anna's extensive birth story.

Hooray!
Anna Leigh Morris is here!
She arrived on Sunday, September 17, 2006 at 9:45am.
She weighed 7lbs.1oz.

It's been 16 days and oh how the time flies...or you just don't realize where it all went. She's been such a joy! She's bound to be, considering how her birth went. I couldn't have planned it better myself. I did plan some of it but the part I wasn't in control of went wonderfully. I had a great pregnancy and it ended with a wonderful birth experience. To my delight it all started at 3 a.m. that morning. When you are 39 weeks pregnant and you wake to the thought... "Why am I peeing?" you can only assume one thing. You bag of waters is broken. That's how it began. I always hoped I would know when it was "time," and I did.
First off, I woke up Patrick and told him my water had broken. I immediately called my doula, Arla Leins and my midwife Kaye Bullock and told them that my bag of waters had broken but that I wasn't sure if I was in labor. I was so excited and out of it since I was just sleeping that I could barely formulate a complete sentence. I was just so excited for something to start. At that time I thought was having contractions but I wasn't quite sure. For the next 2.5 hours I proceeded to clean and finish tying up the loose ends around the house I had stopped doing that morning before going to bed at 12:30 a.m. Shortly after I decided that I was actually in labor....there just wasn't much to it.
Things I did during early labor: Got dressed up with make-up and all so I could have my picture taken since I hadn't gotten one of my pregnant belly in 2 weeks. I got all of the supplies set up for the midwife and finished gathering the final supplies we needed. I got out the cameras. I ate an avacado and a tomato for some energy. I tossed out the rotting flowers in the vases around the house. Patrick got the pool blown up and helped get things ready. Since Patrick was ready to get some sleep I had him take some pictures of me at 4:10 to show my pregnant belly. He went back to sleep at 4:30. As a final preparation I lit every candle I could find....I realized after that the sun was just coming up but enjoyed them anyways. I called Arla, my Doula at 5:15.

By the time 5:30 a.m. came I finally felt prepared enough and decided to follow the doula's advice and get some rest. That was impossible. I was still too excited and my contractions wouldn't allow me to fall asleep. The next best thing to sleep was the hypnobirthing CD I had listened to the last month of my pregnancy. I never took hypnobirthing classes but I read the entire book and agreed with their philosophy that birth is normal, natural, and doesn't have to be a traumatic painful experience. The CD also had birthing affirmations on it that you repeat to teach your mind and body to have a good birth. When the 45 minute cd ended, it was time to find a different position other than side lying. Up until about 6:30 the contractions were mild and very manageable. About the same time Justin then Patrick woke up to help get him some breakfast. I packed Justin's bag and got church clothes for him so my mom could watch him and bring him to church.

When I went into the kitchen at 7:00 Patrick announced that he was going to make pancakes. Pancakes?!? It was at that time that I told Patrick that I needed him and that we could make pancakes another day. There were no pancakes made that morning! He was a bit disappointed to not get pancakes but from that point on he was at my side. We called my mom and she picked up Justin and took him to her house. For the next hour I sat in the bath tub while Patrick used the shower head to pound my body and back with the warm, soothing water. I loved that so much but for some reason I decided to get out! It felt so good that I wanted to save it for later when I really needed it! What a weird idea of mine! I called Arla again to tell her I had stronger contractions which Arla helped me count. They were 4 minutes apart. I sat on the toilet a lot and also began wandering around the house to find the perfect position. I just couldn't decide what to do next...I mostly sat on the toilet.


At 8:30 I felt I ran out of options so I decided to call Arla and have her come over to help me out. She got to my house at 9:00, got settled in and got right to work...fulfilling my request for a bowl of strawberries. Arla gave me the idea to hang over the birth ball on my bed, which was especially comfortable.


I did that from 9:05-9:20 when I felt that I needed to go poo. I crouched over the toilet and tried to go....but I couldn't poo, since that feeling was really Anna, ready to come! I was in the bathroom until 9:25 when my body started heaving, which reminds me of the heaving my body does when I'm throwing up. My body heaving was the only clue for Arla that it was time for Anna to be born. With urgency she recommended that we move to the bed!

Within a few minutes I was laying on the bed on my side thanks to Arla, especially since giving birth over the toilet wasn't the plan! Arla called Kaye at 9:28, but couldn't get ahold of her since she was in the middle of Sacrament Meeting at church. When I had called Kaye at 3 a.m. I had only mentioned that my bag of waters had broken...not that I was in labor, since I didn't know I was! Arla then called another doula, Margie Dacko for a bit of coaching on what to do since she had never delivered a baby before! I remember listening to their conversation about the eminent birth but and was so shocked that it was time for Anna to come out. Right before it was time to give birth I remember Arla speaking frankly to me that it was time for me to have a baby because it still hadn't registered to me. I had no clue that it would be so easy compared to Justin's birth. I had waited too long to call Kaye because I expected so much more pain and a much longer labor. There was no screaming, I just kept saying, uh oh, uh oh! It still hadn't registered to me yet, even minutes before she was born but the show still went on!


At 9:45 am...just after 3.5 hours of active labor I delivered Anna laying on my side, one leg over the birth ball. The pushing was uncontrollable and powerful. I wouldn't even say that I pushed her out. I didn't have a choice in the matter. Anna was really just expelled from my body like a little baby rocket. Luckily, Arla was kneeling with her left leg out to the side. That's what stopped Anna from flying off the bed! It was so amazingly fast that once Anna was in my arms, I was still shocked! After it was over I said, "I did not expect it to happen like that at all." It went way better than I had ever expected!

Arla Leins, my doula...a.k.a. "baby catcher"



Shortly after, my mom brought Justin back to meet Anna. Boy, was he excited!

Kaye Bulloch, my midwife

Kay did come around 11:00 after getting out of sacrament meeting and getting the message. She did all of the post birth work and stitched me up. We spent a while relaying the wonderful events of the morning that she had missed! Note to self...keep those attending my births better informed so I can actually use the services I've paid for! And one more thing.....get it all on video! My only big regret is that everything went so fast that we didn't get pictures of the actual birth and had no video footage taken until after Anna was born. The experience was so amazing to me...I just wish I had it all on tape! What a wonderful little miracle and fantastic birth experience!

Sleeping the day away

Anna doing what she does best (except for early in the morning).