Abbey's First Birthday

Disclaimer - Birth Story
If this makes you queasy then skip to the pictures!

It was a Saturday and I was very pregnant. The kids had been up all night and we were tired. We decided to go for a bike ride to wear them out and get a good night's sleep. Yep - nine months pregnant and going for a bike ride. We came home and the kids crashed. Ben and I had just discovered the first season of Psyche and decided to watch one show and then go to bed. We were exhausted. It was only 8pm but it was that kind of day. The episode began. I felt a little uncomfortable. About 15 minutes into it I decided I was probably in labor. Dang it. We really were tired. We walked up and down the street in front of the house we were renting at the time and started timing. The contractions were 12 minutes apart. We had time. We called my mother-in-law Terry and she drove over. The contractions were still only 12 minutes apart. We told her this was going to be a long one and showed her the futon in the spare bedroom. (Anyone that has slept on this futon knows that Terry is a saint). We decided to lay down and try to sleep as much as possible. Ben crashed immediately. I twisted, turned, sat up, and timed. Still only 12 minutes apart. I stood up to walk around some more and felt a drop/swish/painful something. Contraction....1 minute later.....contraction....1 minute later......contraction. I woke up Ben. We hurried to the car without waking anyone and without taking anything. In the car I needed to push. NOW. Ben was on the cell phone calling our midwife Katherine Grimes. We got to the birth center were Ben was telling me to hold it in. The midwife wasn't there yet. It was cold and dark and Ben was having visions of delivering in the parking lot. I was just trying not to push (whoever has done this knows it is not easy). Katherine sped in and unlocked the door. The nurse Trish came shortly after. They filled the tub. I got in and Abbey was born.
Total labor - 5 1/2 hours
Time we left for the birth center - 1:00am
Time Abbey was born - around 1:30am
Afternote: Nativiti was awesome. Trish's daughters brought us a homemade German chocolate cake that was amazing while Katherine tried to convince us to name her Katherine. When we got home at around 5 am Terry woke up to a light going on and a newborn crying. She didn't know we had left.
Interesting note: All four of my kids have been born on a Sunday

Rush and Abbey were born two days apart. Abbey on the 13th and Rush on the 15th. Rush's sister Paige was born on the 14th. Combined party anyone?

After the singing we let them dive into their goodies. Rush dove straight in and you can see the results. Abbey wanted a fork and then daintily ate the whipped topping off her cupcake. Rush a took bath. Abbey didn't need one.