Jacob's Birthday Party
I had made all kinds of plans for this birth- some I was not even aware of and very little of what I had planned happened. God had a better plan and it was perfect. Jacob Elias Medsker entered this world at 1:30am on Saturday October 9, 1999. He was born at home, unassisted, and is our third waterbaby. Both of the children were asleep at 8:30 pm - miracle- so I thought it was the perfect opportunity to make my last batch of candles before the birth. The baby had slowed down about a week earlier and I had contractions throughout the last days. In fact I had thought I was in labor the day before, but took a bath and the contractions stopped. I was standing in the kitchen about 9:30 in the middle of the project when I had a contraction and my water broke. I thought "This could be it." But knew that often labor did not immediately commence.
After about 15 minutes, and 2 contractions I thought I should tell Staten. I went downstairs where he was playing music with his friend Chris and told him that he should turn the water heater up because my water just broke. I returned to my project and when I had 2 more contractions in 10 minutes I thought that this might be the real thing. I returned upstairs and told Staten that he might want to set the birth tub up. He went upstairs and with Chris' help began to set up the tub. I thought that if this was really labor I had better carb load for the event, so I made myself some pasta. I called my friend Mary to come over. She was due 5 weeks after me and we had walked much of our pregnancies on the same path. I felt strongly that I wanted her to witness and be a part of my birth experience.
The entire energy of the house changed and both of the kids woke up. Bryce wanted to help with the tub (he was bouncing around like Tigger exclaiming with glee "We have a hot tub in the house!"), and Mandy was being really clingy. I realized that I really was in labor when Mandy was demanding attention and I was overcome with a rush so big that I just had to focus on inward and could not be there for her. I had planned 2 options for the children. Bryce had told my that he did not want to watch the baby being born and wanted to go to Grandma's house when the baby came. I thought he might change his mind so I had planned to have a friend over to watch them as well as planned to take them to their grandparents. I thought after that big rush that I should call the in-laws, but it just didn't feel right. I was in the middle of this dilemma, and wondering how on earth I was going to work all of this out, when there was a knock at the door. It was Keena, a friend of Chris' and our office manager. I was wondering what on earth possessed her to just show up at 10:30 pm. She had come by to see Chris, and when she realized what was going on she offered to watch the kids downstairs. Bryce and Mandy were completely fine with this arrangement and I knew that God had sent an angel right on time. I had not planned on having Chris and Keena there, and in the past I would have been uncomfortable with someone I had not "planned" on having there, but it felt right this time. Staten sent Chris to the store to pick up some important items like M&M 's and Martinelli's sparkling cider.
Mary arrived and helped with filling the tub (Staten had turned up the water heater in the dark and it was realized the next day that he had actually turned it down.) The hot water ran out quickly and she set to boiling more on the stove. Staten and I retreated to our bedroom and Mary lit a candle I had just made and brought it to us in our room. I found that I was analyzing the labor and trying to focus on what I was going to "report" to my family and friends. I found that I had to let go of all of that and just have the experience. Once I could get to that place, I found it so nice just to labor with my husband on our bed. I handled the contractions, by swaying on all fours and on my knees and quietly moaning. I remember saying that I felt like Snuffalufagus from Sesame Street because I was swaying so much. At one point I reached inside myself and felt the baby's head, but didn't measure dilation or think much about where I was at in my labor. We talked quietly between contractions and I remembered a dream I had 2 night previous. I had been holding a red-haired baby boy whose name was Jacob Eli. I told Staten that if the baby, was a boy his name was Jacob.