the details

October 9, 2009 - Quincee Dene Ralph... This is her story...

My moms birthday October 8, I started the day by telling my mom and Lynz I felt different. I knew today was the day but didn't want to tell anyone in case I was wrong. But started cleaning like a mad woman, all three bathrooms, vaccumed whole house, made sure I had everything for birth, double checked birth stuff, did few loads of laundry, dishes, everything else that was a mess... Brett came home around 1:30 pm made him lunch, took Houston to run a few errands while Kodi napped, came home showered and got ready to go out to dinner with the Stampeder wives. Left kids with Brett, he took them to McDonalds where Kodi told him "That boys ticking me off." in the playplace about some random kid... I picked up Mindi L. and we headed downtown to dinner. By this time I'd been having cramps all day long and I knew they were getting slowly stronger, but brushed them off so I wouldn't have to think about them. I didn't tell anyone just made a joke about Mindi maybe having to coach me on deerfoot while driving home...:) So we got to dinner at 6 pm. About an hour into dinner one girl said "What's wrong?" I said "Nothing" She said "Your whole demeanor just changed what's wrong? Do you feel something?" I said "I'm okay I've been having cramps all day." Her "What?" Then everyone started freaking out. I said I was fine. Then went to bathroom to call my mom she asked if she should come, i told her i didn't know wait a little bit longer. Then called brett and told him it was tonight and to get kids in bed before I came home. I still waited and pretended they weren't getting worse, finally at about 9:00 I told Mindi we should go, she freaked out and said I should've told her earlier. So we paid and left. She asked to drive I said I was good. She asked how I was feeling I told her they were getting closer and stronger, so she started timing them, They were four minutes apart, she told me to call my midwife I said I would as soon as I got home. I dropped her off just before ten. She was still freaking out a bit... I got home and Brett was watching his favorite, Seinfeld. I went upstairs and started making my bed, getting towels in dryer, getting things ready between pauses for contractions, told my mom to come now, called Lyndsay, called midwife she said she'd be half hour. Then Brett started a bath and I got in. They were worse now, and 3 minutes. The water helped but back labor was a killer, so Brett got his duties of rubbing it through contractions. My midwife came and got her things ready and then decided to check me, 6-7 cm and that she was really low. I tried my moms cell, dead, then called my dad and told him how far I was and he said she'd been gone about hour and half. I said to tell her if he talked to her. Then hung up for a contraction. Taina came in and asked if I wanted to have iv for Group B Strep that I'd tested + for. She said once my water broke she'd be here fast. I decided not to have iv since it wouldn't be in my system long enough and she'd be here fast after my water broke. I was glad cause I really didn't want the iv. The other midwife(Anne) arrived and by now I was close to thinking I might die (which means it's almost over in my books) Then when I wanted to start pushing I did and my water broke, I called Taina in and she said you have to get out right now if you want to have her in your bed, otherwise you can have her in the tub. My tub isn't big so I said I wanted out. Brett and Taina helped me and I got on the bed. Brett kept rubbing my back, and I pushed for about 10-15 min. and she was here, 12:30am, missed my moms birthday by half hour. I said, "This was the easiest one." Which both midwives thought was a little soon to say. Then I layed down and held her/nursed her. My mom got there about five minutes late... and Brett went and woke up kids, Houston walked in turned around and went back to bed, he was a little out of it, Kodi was so excited and never stopped talking for five seconds. Houston came back out about half hour later and then was excited. After about two hours they weighed her (7.1lbs, 20inches) and checked her. Then Anne left, Taina stayed about an hour longer. Then my mom and brett put kids back to bed and we all went to bed. The next day Brett went to football, I mostly stayed in bed, Mindi called and told me she started screaming in her room when she found out I'd had her a couple hours after she'd left me. Lynz came in afternoon with Lucy, Taina came back that afternoon. The next day, Saturday Brett left to Montreal and my mom and Lyndsay stayed till he came back Monday night, we had our own Thanksgiving dinner with us three and that was it... I loved it, even though most thought I was nuts. My dad called me to yell at me a few days prior, Bretts family was freaking out but it was awesome and I will for sure do it again if its available. I loved being in my own room, my bed, with the people I wanted around me. I loved that my kids got to be there right after and that I didn't have to leave them to have her. Even Brett liked the whole thing. I was so happy he was supportive of what I wanted for the birth and even though people were telling him we were crazy he went with it... Pretty much it was amazing. Now it's been four weeks and I can't believe it, I love having a newborn, but she's getting bigger too fast... Houston and Kodi love her and are really good with her. We're getting used to getting out of the house on time with three and adjusting to a newborns schedule... Love her!!! I think that's the whole story... and a few pics, not the greatest but what I have...

The dinner I was at prior to baby... I look fine.... I told them I was fine

About an hour and half before she arrived... I wanted a close up all the others of me were about a 100 feet away, he tried...:)

My only pic where I'm decent.... Brett not so good with camera.... don't think he realizes what he's taking pics of they were a little Risque, nothing you'dve wanted to see... and yes I look rough I did just push out a baby, none of this posing for the camera and looking good.... I had mascara running down my face, its beet red and my hair is wet.

Kodi meeting new baby sister, in her jammies with crazy hair...

Gramma Dana and Quincee, about ten minutes after birth... 'I'm still mad she missed it, I am mad it's not on video and hardly any pics... next time maybe she'll make it

Daddy weighing her... that's Taina... she's awesome




She's hiding in there somewhere all 7.1lbs.

That's it and I loved the whole experience!