Tuesday, March 20, 2012

Make Way, World. Gibson Is Here

What a day. What a beautiful first-day-of-spring day and what a day.
We all just keep saying, "I don't believe it."

I went to bed last night fully expecting to be woken up in the middle of the night but no, the phone didn't ring until a little after seven this morning and Lily was crying. "I just can't do this anymore," she said.
"What's going on?" I asked her.
"Just the same thing. I can't sleep but they only last a minute and I have to get out of bed and this could go on for days and I can't do it!"
And so forth.
She was so afraid she hadn't made any progress. She'd slept some until about three- thirty when she could sleep no longer and she'd done all of her contractions by herself and honestly, I thought she was probably still prodroming and I asked if she'd called the midwife and she said that no, she was coming at 10:30 anyway and I said, okay, we're coming.
I woke up Jessie and I packed up clothes and a toothbrush and books and crocheting stuff and food and well, I was just prepared for a long, long day. Hell, I packed a pillow!
We got to Lily's and she was outside, and yes, crying, and yes, she'd called Diana and I tried to comfort her and from the looks of things, I had no idea where she was at, despite all of my experience. Yes, she was crying but Lily cries. She was saying, "I can't do this anymore," but her contractions were short and she was still doing things. She wasn't in that far-away place that women in transition usually are. We went in the house and Owen was eating his breakfast and Lily didn't want to let him go anywhere but she knew she had to. She hated upsetting him when she had a contraction. He wanted her, he wanted to comfort her. He didn't seem too upset, but still. He just wanted his mama.

We made the decision to call Bop to come and get him and then Diana got there and Lily said, "I feel all this pressure!" and Diana got her on the bed and checked her and said, "Well, honey, you're feeling so much pressure because you're nine and a half centimeters dilated!"
Oh boy.
Oh boy.
We called May to hurry. We got things set up. Diana's assistant was far away. May got there. Bop came just in time because one of us was having to be outside with Owen and no one wanted to miss the birth. This is how selfish I am: As Diana was setting up she said, "I think I'd like Jessie to help me and I said, "Actually, I did birth assisting for years. Jessie is a mama-baby nurse in post-partum."
HOW MEAN IS THAT? But true, although Jessie always attends the deliveries at her hospital too. But it was all okay because Bop got there and grabbed the boy and took him off. Lily was already pushing and so Jessie was there and Jason and May and me and in about ten minutes, so was Gibson.
Yep. That's his name.
Gibson. Which is my middle name. My great grandmother was Mary Gibson. And I also gave that name to Jessie as a middle name. It's a fine name. It's also the name of a company which makes very nice guitars which pleases Jason. They're not sure about the middle name yet but they're honing in on it.
Anyway, Gibson was born with a minimum of fuss or blood although the cord was wrapped around his body but Diana just unwrapped him and let Jason finish the delivery of the body and then he was handed off to Lily and well...there you go.
A perfect, fast, beautiful home birth.



Here's Jessie doing her nurse thing:


Oh god. It was just so perfect.


He hardly cried at all, that boy but turned spring-rose-pink in a few minutes. His breathing was fine, his heart rate was fine, his reflexes, all good. He latched on right away like he knew what he was doing and he was just so chill. Just so...here.

My goodness.

After the midwife's assistant got there and Gibson had nursed well and we'd all talked to him and loved him, Diana helped Jason to cut the cord and they did the newborn check and Lily took a shower and then we called Bop to bring Owen home.

Oh my. That boy is in for some changes but it's going to be good.

He wanted his mama to put the baby in the baby's bed but he did hold him and Bop got some great video of all of that on his phone.

And that was it- the baby was born at 9:03 this morning and I left the house around three-thirty. Uncle Hank had come over to meet him and it was just so lovely, everyone at home and no one coming to take the baby to "clean him up" (he was perfectly and beautifully gorgeous and needed no cleaning whatsoever and most babies don't, despite what they tell you) and when I left, Jason was holding Gibson who was sleeping and Lily and Owen were cuddled on the bed together, getting some Mommy-Owen time and Jessie's spending the night with them.

Oh. He weighed 9 lb., 2 oz. and he is 20 inches long. He has a lot of black hair and perfect little bow-lips. He has peed and he has pooped. I think he is also talking. I am sure I heard him say, "Ma," and also, "nurse."

I hope Lily gets some rest. She's going to need it. I hope that Gibson (it feels so weird to call him that) continues to be a good nurser. I hope that Owen falls in love with the baby and goes to sleep sweetly tonight.

After it was all over, Lily said, "Some of those contractions really hurt."
I about cracked up. I told the midwife that and she laughed, too.
Lily was born to have babies, obviously.

I feel so incredibly grateful and blessed. It was such a perfect birth.
I told Diana after it was over that when I met her, I knew that everything was going to be wonderful and she said that when she met Lily, she knew the same.
I can't say enough about the joy of having a home birth. Of the bliss of a baby being born at home with his mama and his daddy and his aunties around him and a good, good midwife.


I asked Jason if he liked the home birth. He said he did. That it was awesome to be able to catch the baby himself instead of having to sit up by Lily's shoulder and having to wait until some doctor told him he could touch his son.

It's that and it's so much more.

My baby had a baby today on the first day of spring and it was as prosaic and as miraculous as anything you have ever imagined.

Welcome, Gibson. You are loved.

47 comments:

  1. Such a beautiful story of such a great day. Again, we're so happy for all of you.

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  2. Ah. So lovely. I'm so glad she got to stay home. 'I can't do this anymore' = optimum birth moment :)

    HE's so beautiful, the pictures are so lovely, the story is just excellent.

    I'm also really glad he got so much time before his chord was cut, there's so much goodness in there they deserve to have with them! Makes a big difference, it seems.

    Ach. Congratulations again, to all of you. I look forward to the continuing adventures. xx

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  3. Sweet joyous miracle! I love his name!

    This cracked me up: I am sure I heard him say, "Ma," and also, "nurse."

    Have you seen that video about the "words" newborns say? It's really the sounds they make and how they are formed by either the suckling instinct or discomfort or whatever. I'm sure you know all that already instinctually, but it was really interesting.

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  4. Yes, that is the way a birth should be Mary. When you started off about her contractions and the crying I thought "Transition". It reminded me of my second birth where I just wanted to quit. I thought I could just walk away and I would not being having a baby! I said the strangest things at that birth.

    Lily, beautiful mother...blessings and sweet bliss.

    Happy day and so life flows...just as in birth.

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  5. Oh my god. This is the most beautiful thing I've read today. Congratulations to you and Lily and Jason and Owen and that new and perfect Gibson.

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  6. Woot! Congratulations everyone!

    I adore Diana. She and I worked together at Finale's moons ago. She was headed off for the Peace corps when she met her man and that was that. It's an incredible story of serendipity.

    But Lily and Gibson and company are the stars today. Shine on you lovely expanding family. We sure do love you all so.
    xoxo The Levi Clan

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  7. Congratulations to all of you !!!!
    Welcome to the world sweet baby Gibson.

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  8. Oh Ms Moon, I so turn to mush when I read about births, and this one takes the cake. It s such a joy to read about Gibson's arrival into the world. What joy.

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  9. So fresh and sweet! I need a grandbaby already! Congratulations!

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  10. I just don't want to spoil the moment with anything but a deep, delighted and satisfied sigh.

    Sigh.

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  11. What a beautiful birth story and I'm in tears.

    I saw that photo at the top and I said to myself, that is one huge baby! Congratulations!!!

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  12. Oh wow oh wow. And Page just walked by and saw him and said OHHHH! and I said his name is Gibson and Page said that's an AWESOME name he's going to be a poet.

    Joy for you and Lily and Jason and Owen. SO much love.

    Rebecca

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  13. So beautiful, so tranquil an entrance, and another fine boy for you and Mr. Moon to adore!

    I am an older child, and I am keeping a special place in my heart for Owen. I hope his transition to big brother is smooth.

    Thank you so much for sharing your family with us.

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  14. Such perfection!!!
    And what does Owen have to say about all of this? :)

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  15. What a privilege and a joy to share in this day. I am in tears of happiness for you all.

    Bless.

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  16. What a beautiful day! Thank you for sharing it with us. Welcome Gibson, and congratulations Moons!

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  17. Gibson-perfect name, Lucky wee babe, to be born into so much love.

    XXXXX Beth

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  18. Welcome Gibson! You have a wonderful family, you're so lucky to join them, you are loved and wanted so much.
    Lily - so happy it was so fast and easy for you, great job Jason, just like catching a football!
    Lucy

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  19. I am crying again. And Lily's a crier? Oh well, ho-hum, as it should be. Best day of my life, Mama. Best day of my entire life.

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  20. I love it, and you, and your whole entire family especially May but of course all of you and now Gibson too :) What a wonderful story. Beautiful day, boy, bliss.

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  21. Weepy again. Thank you for sharing, and thank Lily and her dear family too. Everyone really. You all are so precious.

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  22. Oh, y'all. I can't keep up with comments because there are so many but thank-you, thank-you, thank-you. All of you- all you guys, you have no idea how much your words of love mean to me and better yet- to Lily.
    May- yes. It was definitely one of the best days of my life. I love how I kept finding you and hugging you. Wasn't it perfectly perfect?
    Oh yes. It was.

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  23. There really are no adequate words to describe the joy and tenderness and beauty in those pictures and your words - so privileged that you have shared this - as Elizabeth says - sigh. My heart is just so full right now.....sigh indeed xxxx

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  24. Happy tears for all of the gorgeous Moons.

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  25. I am in awe--totally. How really wonderful to see the photos and to know that little Gibson is in the world now, eating and breathing and doing all the bodily functions. Amazing. Lily is born to birth. Happy birthday, Gibson! La rite du printemps!

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  26. Oh, Ms. Moon. I feel so much joy for you and your family. I love the name Gibson.
    I wish I could give you a hug. Congratulations to you and Mr. Moon!

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  27. Way to go Lily and Jason! Love his name! thanks so much for sharing the story--I just shared it with my Hubs. hb dads become big hb supporters. The love in their home today is incredible. And congrats, Mer Mer of two delicious babies!

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  28. Just beautiful.

    Gibson is the family name on my mother's side as well. Lovely choice!

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  29. Wonderful, truly. And he does know what he is doing, thank goodness they do.

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  30. Oh me, oh my. I ate up every single bite of that. I started to say that I am so over the moon but feared it would sound like I was "over the MOONS" which I am SO not. SO happy for you all.

    I teared up when I heard he weighed 9 lbs 2 oz because my Isaiah weighed exactly that. Big and robust, just like that. They call it LGA (large for gestational age) in the hospital but I just realized something--when it's a home birth it's just called beautiful.

    Welcome Gibson. Yes it is obvious that you are loved.

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  31. Happy, blessed, first day of spring!! Welcome to the world, beautiful baby Gibson. You couldn't have been born into a finer family, for certain.
    Owen, you're a big brother now, how tremendously fantastic is that?!

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  32. Oh, I'm crying. So much love in this beautiful post. So many possibilities in a new life. We will all get to know Gibson as much as we know Owen. I'm over the moon for you all. Gibson. oh Gibson.

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  33. Oh my heart is just bursting with this story! Love, love, love.

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  34. I logged in tonight and immediately saw your new header and started yelling at A, "Lily had her baby! Lily had her baby!" The truth is, she immediately knew who I was talking about. Isn't that cute?

    BIG congrats to Lily, Jason & Owen. Welcome Gibson!

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  35. What a big beautiful baby boy ~ congratulations to all ~ and Lily, what a beautiful birth story!

    How about Hummingbird for a middle name? (just kidding, that's the guitar my John plays, a Gibson Hummingbird)...but it IS a beautiful instrument, as well as a beautiful boy!

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  36. Tears are streaming from my face for Gibson and his family.

    9 pounder? Hmmmmmm - Mama Lily just got paid back!

    So happy for you all. So glad you were all together.

    So pleased to know that Baby Gibson is in our world. The world seems brighter.

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  37. You don't know me, but I've see you on Elizabeth's blog. I saw this and had to read. It's lovely. Congratulations to all! And that is a great name.

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  38. OHMYOHMYOHMY! So happy for your tribe, Mary Moon!! Give that beautiful boy and his Mama a kiss on the forehead for me and an extra squeeze for the O Boy as he learns to share his mom. x0x0x0 N2

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  39. I drank in every single word of this post... Every single word. Of course this baby does not cry, he knew he was sooo wanted and was just happy to be here!

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  40. Yeah!!!!! just Yeah!!!!! Wahoo and Hip Hip Hooray!!!!

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  41. Thank you for sharing the story, Mary Moon, and for the lovely, moving, wonderful pictures. I have tears in my eyes right now - tears of joy.....

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  42. Oh Oh Oh Oh Oh OH!!!
    I'm so happy for you all! That brand new baby Gibson is beautiful and what a way to come into the world, welcomed by all his loving family!
    happy happy joy joy and much love and many blessings.

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  43. It's enough to make me tear up.

    Love will do that.

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  44. That's one gorgeous kid. Way to go, Lily & Jason, I say!

    Love to all,

    SB

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  45. So so lovely! Welcome to the world baby Gibson x

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  46. Gibson- a soul name!! Lily is awesome, amazing, made to have babies, as you said. Congratulations sweet Mary!!!

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  47. I'm just catching up with all your latest posts, and so I'm seeing Gibson for the first time. He's a sweet pea, and what a loving family he's got all around him. New life, new love. Congratulations!

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