Dryan James Larsen

After all the work I did to get Dryan here no stacking of wood, gardening, or weeding could out do the effects of canning peaches.

On Tuesday August 31 the kids and I went to playgroup and then returned home to can some very ripe, but delicious peaches. It was so fun to have Autumn plopping the peaches in the water bath and Bruce eating the ice out of the water bath. When Isaac got home we grilled chicken and zucchini for dinner. As I was enjoying my meal I felt like I needed to go to the restroom but then as I excused myself I realized that it was a contraction. Well, I did not say anything because it was the first of its kind and you never can to be sure about these things (later I will learn that I can be very sure about THOSE things). The kids went out to chop wood with dad and as I cleaned the kitchen up I had another contraction. I decided that I needed some fresh air so at about 7:00p.m. I headed outside and sure enough THOSE contractions seemed to be the real deal. I go out to casually tell Isaac that we are going to have a baby that evening. I walk one full circle around the house and realize well I better call the midwives and get the bags in the car. By the time I get into the house at 7:30p.m. my contractions are about 5 minutes apart. Jana comes and picks up the kids who more than excited for a sleepover. Even Bruce was headed out the door with his blankets before Jana even got here.

We headed out the door and the bishop calls on the phone. Isaac is playing real smooth and tells the bishop that we are doing well and no we have not had the baby. Meanwhile I am pacing the driveway with 3 minutes in between contractions, READY to have a baby.

Isaac and arrive at the Midwife center/house at about 8:15p.m. The evening was so beautiful that I walked outside through big beautiful Elm trees with a clear starry night overhead. I then started to get the chills so we headed inside for duration of labor. I was pretty pleased with myself because up until this point I could remain standing and breathing through each contraction. My goal this time was not 'bare and grit' the pain, but to work through the contractions.

Once inside I paced around the living room and then was invited to get in the warm bath. Now this was part of the 'plan'. At first I was not all to sure about being in the water, but it started to make since after I thought about the many long showers taken after working hard outside in the yard. What was not part of the plan follows.
Once I was in the water I thought 'oh no I have slowed everything down." Where in fact I was just more comfortable and relaxed because not 20 minutes later I was ready to push, which surprised me, Isaac and the midwives. The surprise came when at 9:26p.m. I pushed and in full swoop Dryan came and I caught him. So now our joke is that when anyone says "My doctor was almost late to catch the baby or the nurse had to catch the baby." I say it is overrated. just catch your own baby.

I tell the tale of labor just so that anyone who is curious about midwives or home births knows that not just hippies do it. Well maybe not, Isaac calls me a hippie because I recycle and eat trail mix. Anyhow midwives are the best alternative to the hospital scene. They have great bedside manner, they are trained to deliver baby's not do surgeries (did you now that most Dr. have never even seen a natural labor/birth), they do not switch when shifts are up, they do not drug you up to slow or speed things up, they encourage and cheer you on, they remember your kids names, they treat pregnancy as something natural process not an illness, they do not hound you for every weight gained or lost, and last but not least they love their jobs because of the miracle of babies not the money they will receive for the addition of a intervention or procedure.

AND the rest of the story continues with the best baby ever, well alongside the two before him.

Dryan is alert, calm, healthy, HUNGRY, ADORABLE, cuddly and sweet.

He weighed 7 lbs 4oz, but already weighs 7lbs 12oz.

He was 21 in long.

Autumn and Bruce are totally in love. From the moment Bruce saw his 'baby' he was all giggles. Autumn, as expected, is his second mommy. She asks to hold him at least 10 times an hour it seems like. We are so blessed!