Bradley sure made an entrance!  All of his siblings were between 15-9 days early and I had sooooo many Braxton Hicks contractions with him that we considered naming him Braxton.  We were expecting him earlier!    But, he had his own timing.  And,when he decided it was time- it was time right then!

The night before he was born Larry told me that he was going to go running but was undecided about whether he would run around the neighborhood or drive to work and run there.  When I woke up to a contraction he was gone.  I woke up every morning to a contraction.  But when I had a second one I sent Larry a text at 6:15 to find out where he was.  I had contractions ALL the time so 2 contractions was not labor in my mind, but I was hoping.  I had 3 more hard ones that were right after each other so I called Larry at 6:26.  The contractions were not regular but they hurt and I wanted it to be labor.  Larry was running around the neighborhood.  He runs 8 minute miles and was two miles from home.  I told him to hurry!  I called the midwife but then I knew I had at least 16 minutes till he would be home.  I heard that a bath can sometimes ease pain and since I was in a LOT of pain I thought it was worth a try.  I was already packed.  Larry got home just before 6:45.  He ran a total of 10 miles and since I was in the bath tub he jumped in the shower for a quick rinse.  Then he saw me have a contraction.  At this point I am moaning in pain.  All of a sudden he goes into hyper mode.  He didn’t even finish his shower and starts talking about going to the closer hospital since the hospital we were supposed to deliever at is like an hour + away during rush hour traffic.  I think I was still in denial.  I have fast labors but I had just woken up.  I hadn’t even had a chance to time more than a few contractions.  Larry starts throwing things in the car and situating kids. He told Megan she had to stay home from school to take care of Bryce.  We didn’t have time to drop him off.  Then he sends her upstairs to see if I needed anything.  I tell her to throw some old towels into the car.  I was thinking my water might break in the car and was worried about the mess.  Larry told the other kids they could go to school or not- he didn’t care, we had to leave!  We got out the door just after 7.  I think it was 7:09 when we were pulling out of the driveway and Caden and Ella start leaving for school.   They are not allowed to be at school that early so I told Larry to stop them and make them wait for another 20 minutes.

                We live about 5 miles from the closer hospital and you have to drive right by it to get to the hospital that my midwives deliver at.  So, when we pull out of the driveway we weren’t even sure which hospital we were going to.  My contractions always hurt very bad when I am 5 cm dialated.  That is usually when I get my epidural.  I could just picture myself going to the closer emergency room all dramatic, acting like there is no way we could make it to the hospital that is only 13 more miles up the road, only to not deliver for another 2 hours.  But, I think Larry didn’t care and had already decided that he wasn’t driving any further then the closest medical help!  Well, about 3 miles into our drive my water breaks.   I know that means the baby is coming soon, so I turn to Larry and tell him that it is decided- we are going to Westover hospital- the closer hospital, which, is at this point in only like 2 miles away- if that. I have another contraction where I feel like I need to push but I try not to.  The very next contraction I can’t help it, my body took over and his head came out.  I’m still wearing my PJ’s.  At this point we are on a side road that is about to cross a busy road and then goes onto the start of a freeway.  Hard to explain, but there is NOWHERE to pull over until we get through the light.  Luckily we get right through at the end of the next green.  Larry pulls over and runs around the car.  There was a little lull between the last contraction and the next- the first lull since 6:15.  So we have a second to get our wits together.  During the next contraction the rest of the baby slides out into Larry’s awaiting hands.  I reach over and grab the towels that are conveniently (miraculously) right there and Larry placed Bradley on my chest.  I start rubbing him down with a towel.  Usually, when our babies are born there is a second after they are born, but before their first breath, that I am always holding my breath waiting for them to scream.  Not with Bradley.  He starts crying right away.  He pinked right up.  He is beautiful and perfect.  There is one point that I reach back and try to grab a bulb syringe.  Everything, so far, that we needed was right there, so I assumed it would be miraculously provided- then I realized we didn’t pack that, and that we didn’t need it. He was breathing fine. It was a really sweet experience, like angels were right there.  Well, everything is fine.  There is nothing else that Larry needed to do, so he jumps back into the car and we drive the last mile to the hospital.  This whole thing all happened during the one light cycle.  He pulls onto the road right in front of the traffic that we would have been in if we had missed the light!  We turn to each other and can’t believe we just had a baby in the car!  Larry pulls up to the emergency room door and runs in.  Bradley at this point is warm and calm.  He’s looking around the car.  He is adorable.  When Larry runs back out I tell him to get the camera.  We need a picture!  Then the montage of medical personnel arrives.  I’m asking them to move out of the way so Larry can get a picture.  It didn’t work.  LOL.  Since the room wasn’t ready they cut his umbilical cord with a scalpel instead of the normal scissors.  We then found out he was a whopping 9 lbs 4 ounces!  I did have a little more post partum bleeding then they like to see, but besides that everything was/is great!   There was signs on the placenta that it had detatched early- placenta abruption.  This can be very dangerous for the baby OR it can cause a very rapid labor.  We were lucky it caused the later.