Happy Birthday Ivy LaRue!

One year ago a little Princess was born and her name is Ivy LaRue. I will never forget the early morning of Sept. 15, 2008.
It all started on the evening before when Steph called me to come over because her water broke and she was in labor. She chose to have a homebirth. I walk in her door after a 20 min. drive and there she was, standing at the island in the kitchen, all smiles, timing her contractions as she was finishing up the beer bread she made along with other munchies to snack on while at the Labor/Delivery party we were about to have. She had called her midwife, Lynda, who was on her way over. Oh, I forgot to mention that I drove through a storm and flooding to get to her house and ignored road closures, driving thru rivers. We were told to stay indoors and no one should be out driving. Well, nothing was going to stop this Mimi! I would have rented a boat if I had to. After Lynda arrived, driving thru the same flood, we started munching and visiting. Steph mentioned that she wanted to rent the movie "Baby Mama" while she finished laboring, so, I headed to Blockbuster. She even called ahead to see if they had it, so when I walked in, the clerk asked me who I was and I said my daughter is in labor and called to see if they could hold this movie. She was so excited and asked me Stephs name and pulled it up on the computer, since I didn't have a rental card. Well, Stephs mom-in-laws name came up and she said, that's good enough and told me to go. She didn't even ask for I.D. We did return it the next day, so she didn't have to pay a late fee.
When I got back with the movie, the boys, minus Gray were in bed all tucked in. We all headed downstairs to watch the movie. I will never forget, I sat beside Lynda, not knowing that this angel of a lady would forever change my mind about homebirth and educate me in the hours to come. Steph was across the room in a comfy chair and would get up during the movie every now and then to move back and forth while laboring, not an ouch or groan, just working through each contraction while laughing at this movie. When the movie was over, Steph said it was time to labor upstairs in her bedroom by herself. Lynda sat in a comfy chair at the bottom of the stairs with ears directed towards Steph's bedroom. I layed on the couch with Gray at my side across from Lynda. The whole house was quiet as a mouse. The peace that I felt was hard to describe. I was not nervous, scared or worried for my daughter who was upstairs about to deliver a baby with no medical team. I knew that God was with her and everything was under control. Of course she did have hubby with her in the room, praying and being a comfort when needed during the last hours of labor. Then all of a sudden, about 1:15 am. Steph, very elegantly yelled out, I think I'm ready, or something like that. Lynda lead the way up the stairs while I followed. By this time, Gray was fast asleep, or so we thought......(at one point during the night he was in his firetruck bed and wanted his laboring mom to climb in with him).......(he woke up right before the birth and Jeff quickly put him back to bed), so he almost witnessed his sister being born.
When we walked into the bedroom, Steph was swaying back and forth, bent at the waist holding on to the side of the bed. Within about 5 min. she decided that she wanted to kneel down at the foot of her bed on the floor, so she directed us to lay down the towels that were neatly stacked in preparation. We thought all along that she would give birth in her bed, as she did prepare it beforehand, but things changed. As she got on all fours, I was at the front and Jeff and Lynda were at the back. She felt the need to push and I will never forget kneeling there with my daughter, holding her shoulders and giving her the leverage to give birth. I was never so proud of her as I was at that moment. It is so hard to describe the love and closeness I felt. As Lynda directed her with each push and how to not arch her back and relax, out she came. Ivy was born. A dainty cry. Steph asking if she was for sure a girl. Lynda handed her through the front like a football and Steph was in Awe. Lynda asked Jeff if he wanted to cut the chord and he passed on it and she turned to me and asked if I wanted to cut the chord, and I didn't hesitate. I cut my grand-daughter's lifeline to her mommy. And I did it by flashlight and candles flickering in the background. After the birth, I scooped up all of the towels and Stephs clothes and put them in a bag, which I later did the laundry. The floor was clean, no signs of what had taken place. We watched Lynda weigh and measure Ivy and check her out. She checked Steph out and not too soon after, Steph was able to shower and crawl into her comfy bed with her bundle beside her.
Lynda and I went downstairs to let them get acquainted and rest. I watched and listened to Lynda at the table as she was cleaning the few instruments that were used and neatly wrapping and placing back in her bag as she told me stories of how she became a midwife. I remember having so much respect for this lady and felt so privileged to know her and to assist her in the birth of Ivy. She asked me if I wanted to see the placenta before wrapping it up. I was very hesitant and said NO...then....I thought, I will never have this chance again, so why not. I have always been a squeamish person, not being able to watch surgical procedures on t.v. but this was different. This was my grand-daughters home for 9 months and her lifeline to my daughter, something I could not pass up. So, I said, Yes, I want to see it. OMG....it was amazing. Lynda explained everything and what she was looking at and for and how it tells the story. I could actually see the tree of life and branches leading out everywhere as she pointed it all out. I had a crash course and felt so much knowledge. So, after this lesson, to which I was very grateful for, I left Lynda to finish up her midwife duties.
As the sun was rising, the boys would be waking up and one by one going in to see their new sister that was born in the next room while they slept. Comments were made, like "She is so cute", It was like Christmas morning. A child was born. Another miracle took place. All on a bedroom floor. No outbursts of yelling or screaming. Peace and quiet. God was there. It was perfect because school was cancelled due to the flooding, so the boys got to spend time with their new sister. A lot has happened since the birth one year ago. Our sweet, precious Lynda lost her battle with breast cancer and has gone on to her new home in Heaven. She is surrounded by babies who left this earth too early. She is cradling them in her arms, taking care of them until their parents get there. Thanks Lynda, you taught me so much and are so missed!
Happy Birthday sweet Ivy!