The Homebirth of Levi

     Almost exactly three years after we found out we were expecting our fifth child we realized we were expecting our sixth child.  Six was our magic number.  We both wanted six children yet none of them were planned.  It was a week before Thanksgiving in 2007and Brian noticed the same glow about me.  We took the pregnancy test and right away the double lines showed the truth.  I was pregnant. 

     We knew right away we wanted to homebirth.  We enjoyed the experience and comfort of having a baby at home.  There is nothing like the pleasures of having our children meet their sibiling under the roof of our home.  We waited until after the Thanksgiving holiday and made our call to Faithful Guardians Midwife Services to set up an appointment.

     We had three boys and two girls and I hoped for a little girl to tie up the score.  Emmaleigh Opal would of been her name.  Emma after my great grandmother on my dad's side, Leigh after the female spelling of Brian's middle name and Opal after my great grandmother on my mom's side.  Brian wanted the traditional spelling of Emily but using the spelling of Emmaleigh used a historical approach to it.  We couldn't agree on a boys name so that made me more hopeful for a girl. 

     My pregnancy went like clockwork.  Heavy morning sickness during the first trimester, feeling great during the second trimester and the normal aches and pains during the final trimester.  August 3rd was our due date.  I had a check-up with Laurie, my midwife.  She was feeling my round hard belly and a look of concern came across her face.  She palpated a bit more around my abdomen.  "I don't mean to alarm you," Laurie says, "but I think the baby may be breech."

     That was not something I wanted to hear on my due date.  I took a deep breath.  I didn't know what to say.  I was scared for the baby and for myself.  I never had a breech baby before.  Laurie continued on.  "There are some exercises you can try to flip the baby over if you are interested."  I nodded.  She went on to explain that by tilting the pelvis above the head the baby can rotate around and position the right way for birth.  She also wanted me to have an ultrasound so we can know for sure what position the baby is in. 

     I cried on the way home.  Brian was there with the other children.  He seen the distress on my face and inquired what happened.  I grabbed a newborn outfit and said, "Our baby is faced this way," and I held the outfit upright, "should be facing this way." and I held the outfit upside down.  I cried some more and Brian held me.  He insisted we have a Cesarean at the hospital.  I told him I insisted we have the baby at home and not at the hospital being hooked up on crazy monitors. 

     We tried doing those exercises which are not easy when a person is 9 months pregnant.  We stacked all the pillows under my hips to elevate them over my head.  I must of looked like a sight but Brian kept encouraging me to keep it up for the best of the baby. 

     A few days later we were on our way to have the ultrasound.  I was more concerned with what position the baby was in over what sex our baby is.  She spreads the cold gel over my abdomen and rubbed her machine around me.  We heard the heartbeat sounding strong and watched it flutter on the screen pumping away doing its job.  We were confirmed that the head was facing down in the correct position.  We were so overjoyed with the great news.  Perhaps those exercises did work.  She looked further around to make sure everythng else was okay.  "Do you want to know if you are having a boy or a girl?" she asked.

     Relief set in knowing that all physically is okay with our little one and we welcomed in knowing if we were going to have a boy or a girl.  She scans the machine around.  "It looks like you are having a boy!"  she says happily.

     A boy?  I wanted my Emmaleigh Opal!  I was a little disappointed but God knows what he is doing and he wanted us to have 4 boys and 2 girls in our family.  Now here we are after our due date and we don't have a boy's name picked out.  The last thing I would need at that moment would be to go into labor.  We stopped by a cemetery on the way home and walked around.  Maybe an interesting name would pop out at us.  A few names we came across we would put it with our last name to see how it sounded.  Nothing was sounding good.  We spent the next few nights looking over the computer and looking in the phonebooks for names that would work.  My biggest fear now was going into labor and not being able to name our son. 

     Going over the genealogy again we came across Opal's father's name.  Levi.  I liked it and it still gave me Opal's connection.  Now we needed a middle name.  We looked over the family tree again.  We seen the name August.  We already were in the month of August and I thought since I knew our baby was going to be born in August and I have a great grandfather named August there would be a funny twist to his name.  So for a few days we were set on it.  It wasn't until a few days before Levi was born that my mom told us about how my grandpa, her dad, got his middle name Edwin from his Uncle Ted who fought in the WWI.  We debated between August and Edwin.  Edwin was our final decision for the middle name.

Halvor's 3rd Birthday and Levi 2 days overdue

     August 5th rolls around and I was 2 days overdue.  It was Halvor's 3rd birthday.  We were wondering all day if Halvor was going to have a brother for his birthday.  The night settled upon the Earth and no baby brother for Halvor.  So we still waited.  We waited and waited. 


     It was the wee morning hours of August 14th.  Brian and I were up late watching Con-Air when Braxton Hicks contractions started hitting real bad.  Perhaps it was the onset of labor but it was too early to know.  Eleven days overdue and any pain could be the one to start labor.  I couldn't get comfortable and it was too sparce to start timing them.  I called my mom to come up so she can be here for the labor.  Something was starting to happen and if not then it would be soon.  I had an appointment with Laurie later on that day so I didn't want to call her unless something was really progressing. 

     If it was labor then it stalled out by the time my appointment with Laurie happened.  I was starting to dialate but nothing to get excited about.  We talked about home remedies we could try.  One treatment that was mentioned was to eat pineapple.  We figured we would give it a try.  We stopped by Foster's Grocery Store on the way home and picked up a fresh pineapple.  This would be our first fresh pineapple we every ate.  We brought it home and the kids were impressed.  My mom sat with us around the table and cut it up.  It was so sweet tasting.  We ate so much that all of our tounges felt fuzzy.  We retired into the livingroom to watch tv and I took a small afternoon nap. 

     I awoke and stood up.  My mom was awake visiting with the kids.  Then a contraction hit.  I knew it was time.  I told my mom I needed to call Laurie.  I woke Brian up to help get ready.  We informed the kids that they would soon have a baby brother and if they needed anything to ask Nonna.  Aunt Bay, my sister, was on her way up from Grand Rapids.  We got everything ready and I was full of adrenaline in anticipation of a new baby.  Laurie comes in happy as can be saying, "This shouldn't take long.  We have a pro-birther here."  I had to agree.  My labors are all quick and easy.  I knew I would be holding our son by dinnertime. 

     I laid back in bed feeling the different stages of labor come across me.  I would lay on one side then rotate to the other side.  My mom would come in and try to pat my head but I had to shoo her away as I don't like to be touched while in labor.  She meant well but at the time it was like nails on a chalk board.  All I could do was hold a hand.  Things were going smoothly and I was calm the whole way through. 

    Looking out my bedroom window I could tell the sun was setting.  I knew something wasn't going right.  I should of had the baby by now.  I asked Laurie to check my dialation.  I was stuck at an 8.  I tried changing positions from one side to the other to help speed up dialation.  That didn't work.  I rolled up on all fours.  It helped with the pain but it my dialation wasn't improving.  I kept trying to keep myself relaxed but I couldn't figure out why I can't get past an 8 dialation.  I had pain like I never felt before and it lasted what seemed like forever.  I was quickly growing tired and felt like I couldn't go on.  I told Laurie that I needed to sleep and we can carry on in the morning.  She laughed and said the baby will be here by then and to keep patient.  Laurie brought in a birthing chair.  I looked at it and it scared me.  It looked like walker and uncomfortable.  Some women who have used it say it is very comfortable but I wasn't willing to give it a try.  I was determined to do whatever it takes not to use it.   Little did I know that my mom, who wasn't too comfortable about my decision on homebirthing, was very close in dialing 911.  My sister was holding her back saying being at home was my decision and to let me be. 

Levi Edwin

     Laurie decided to check the dialation again.  She learned the baby's arm was wedged up by the cheek which is what caused the stall in dialation.  It was as if he was wedged in there.  Laurie tried to pull the arm back so he can be birthed with ease.  Things happened so fast or that I was so out of it that I don't remember what happened.  But I do know at August 15, at 12:35am Levi Edwin entered the world weighing 8 pounds and 14 ounces and 21 inches long.  Right away I looked at his ears.  They were small and tiny.  He was a blue-eyed bald baby boy.   Even now, 4 years later, when Levi is sleeping his arm will lift up by his cheek.  For Levi it is his comfort.

Picture of Levi, Beth and I in Countryside Magazine
March/April 2009 issue pg 96

     Baby cries filled the house.  In a short time Beth and Ashton entered the bedroom to meet their new baby brother.  The rest of the children early in the evening fell asleep while waiting for their brother Levi to arrive.  Beth sat on my bed and watched Levi being weighed and measured.  She seen the placenta and Laurie showed her how the placenta works.  Most of all she seen me okay and knew I wasn't hurting anymore.  I told her all of that pain was forgotten about and it was replaced with love.  Brian comes in and gives me my "victory bar".  It was a nutragous that he bought for me at the onset of labor for me to enjoy afterwards.  My mom and my sister enter the room to meet the new memeber of the family. 

     Thirteen years prior when Brian and I were out for a date we both talked about wanting 6 children.  Our dream of wanting a larger family has been fulfilled with Levi.  Six is our magic number and 6 children is what God has blessed our family with.  I look back at the thought of wanting a girl.  I look at my younger boys and realized that God gave me a boy so his other brothers close to his age had someone to play with.  With the girls age difference it would of been hard for them to be close sibilings.  Perhaps a granddaughter will carry that name of Emmaleigh Opal.  Only time will tell.  In the mean time I am going to enjoy our family blessing.

The Family

The Worst Fourth of the North (Twice)

     The year was 2008.  The nation was celebrating its Independence Day.  Parades and festivals were going on across the country.  We decided to take the kids to Lake City for its "Greatest Fourth Of The North" fireworks that night.  We have seen the advertisments many times over on the TV, radio and newspapers and wanted to check it out. 

     We drove north to Lake City.  The small country town was wake with activity.  People were strolling along the sidewalks nibbling on ice cream.  New couples were holding hands as if they were the only ones on Earth.  Dogs on leashes were sniffing every passer-byer.  A band was playing in the distance.  Families were swimming at the beach.  It was a Norman Rockwell moment.  We parked several blocks north of the festivities.  I was over 8 months pregnant and we had 5 excited kids in tow.  The walk was uncomfortable but I was determined.  It was going to be a great night.

     We strolled by the Dairy Queen and stopped in for a bite.  The line was stretched out past the doors and far into the parking lot.  It was hot but it was fun soaking in the sites of people hurring by and cars trying to make it to its destinations.  Afterwards we took our ice creams and walked along to see the vendors and came upon the band.  Songs from the 60's, 70's and 80's filled the air.  They were good and fun to listen to.

     Next to the band was an open grassy area that led out to Lake Missaukee.  People were dotted along the field on their blankets and chairs awaiting for the fireworks to begin.  We found a spot that looked good and placed our blanket down.  The kids were occupied with some toys I brought from home.  All was going good.  The night was setting and kids were anxiously asking if it was time yet.  "Soon", we would tell them.  Out across the lake homes were letting off smaller fireworks.  It was nice and somewhat entertaining.  Then we heard loud booms.

     We knew the fireworks were starting.  Peoples eyes were on the sky.  We could hear the explosions of fireworks but couldn't see any.  A few boo's echoed in the crowd.  Finally, to the south, the top of fireworks peeked over the buildings.  Again and again we would see just the top sparks for an exploding firework.  We assumed they were going to light them off from the lake and not from the side.  Store buildings towered over the grassy seating area.  More boo's and complaints filled the air.  Some people grabbed their blankets, coolers and kids and quickly headed south to find a spot to see the show.  We thought about it but instead headed back to the car unhappily.  We didn't want to go further away from the car, with me feeling the effects of being 8 months pregnant plus little kids and trying to make it back to our car in the dark.  We didn't want to take the chance of an accident happening.  That was the end of the firworks for that year.

     A whole year went by.  Advertising for the "Greatest Fourth in the North" was sweeping the papers once again.  In one newspaper there was an apology from the city counsel about the location of the fireworks and they had a lot of complaints from the location so they declared to have the fireworks go off from a boat in the middle of Lake Missaukee so all could view them.  We decided to give it another try. 

     We loaded up the van, this time, 6 children in tow off to see the firework show.  We parked in the same area, stood in the same line for ice cream at the Dairy Queen, and heard the same sweet tunes of a band playing.  We even took our place in the same grassy field as the year before.  We were excited this year.  We brought sparklers to keep the kids happy during the dusk hours.  They enjoyed it.  The night started growing darker and darker.  The 10 O'clock hour struck.  The fireworks should be beginning shortly.  Nothing happened.  Other families in the area had fountain fireworks and people near by ooooh'ed and ahhh'ed over them to pass the time.  Thirty minutes pass.  Still nothing.  Young children in the distance started getting tired and cranky.  Even our children were getting annoyed at the darkness in the sky without fireworks exploding to entertain them.  



Ashton(8), Elizabeth (11), Christian (12), James (6), Halvor (almost 4) and Levi (almost 1) 2009.



     Families were starting to pack up and head for home.  Brian and I started laughing at the funny odds of having two bad experiences with fireworks from the same town.  Our children were starting to get restless and tired.  More and more families were leaving.  Rumors were circulating that they couldn't find the pyro-tech guy or they forgot to bring something to light the fireworks out on the boat.  Eleven O'Clock roamed around and we decided that it was our turn to pack up our things and leave.  The crowd was thinned out by the families that already left.  Again, with unhappy children we made our trek back to the van and headed home. 

     As another year passed by the kids were starting to enjoy the hope of fireworks and the failure of them not happening at Lake City.  They wanted to go back and see what kind of disaster would happen that year.  We decided to opt out and keep it local instead.  We haven't been back there since.  My sister even called earlier today as I was starting to write this blog and asked if I ever been there.  I gave her my experience and told her if she wanted to take her family to experience it that I wish her the best of luck.  

     Moments like that cannot be planned but it is moments like that that become memorable.