My contractions started Monday evening around 7:30pm. They were fairly minor, but I already had the feeling that this baby would come early, so I was ready anytime for Jude to come. I called my midwife, Kim, and told her I would keep her posted. I took a hot bath, said a rosary, and went to bed.
3:30am rolled around and I was no longer able to sleep with the contractions. I got up and did some minor things around the house, read a bit, ate a whole cantalope melon and started getting excited - I knew this baby was coming today. I called Kim at 5am and she said she was going to head over. I went to tell Mike the midwife was on the way over and that he should start to fill the birth tub that was already set up in the basement.
It felt like Christmas morning. It was early in the morning and I had great anticipation for what the day would bring. I walked outside where it was a cool crisp morning. The stars were out and the moon was just a sliver. Everyone was busy and excited doing different things around the house while I was relaxing and waiting to see what would happen. Faustina got up around 7am and was running around being very cute and making people laugh. I know, this sounds like a good movie - and it felt like it! Here is a picture of Faustina and I an hour and a half before Jude came.
Mike took Faustina over to our generous friends the Grams house and a few minutes later my Mom came over. And this is when contractions started getting harder. With my Mom's arrival, I was able to relax and it is as if my body said, "Okay, you are ready to have this baby.". By the time Mike got back from dropping Faustina off 15 minutes later, I was downstairs in the birthing tub.
At this point there was about 45 minutes until Jude was born. The environment was perfect: I had my husband and Mom right there rocking in lazy boy chairs (!), 3 incredible midwives to dote on me, I was comfortable in my own home, I had a candle burning, and I had Mike bring down my favorite picture of Mary and Jesus that I could concentrate on during contractions - what more could I ask for! I felt like I was getting ready for a championship soccer game or studying hard for a test and I WAS ready.
Jude was born and and the classic "It is a boy!" came out of Mike's mouth. Holding him for the 15 minutes in the pool will forever be tattoed in my memory - it was just one of those unforgettable experiences. We were not surprised Jude was a boy; in fact, about halfway through the pregnancy we were 99% convinced he was a boy and soon after I just knew he was a 'Jude'. I didn't even really think of him as 'the baby' - I thought of him as 'Jude'. It was just one of those things. Here is out beautiful baby boy saying hello to us for the first time!
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