Birth and Naming Story for Hunter

As I entered my last month of pregnancy we had to move into a hotel to get the floors fixed. After 2 1/2 weeks, on Dec 2nd I hit 38 weeks and we checked out at noon. I could barely walk due to my pelvis spreading but I was still carrying you high so I thought I’d have time to get a little more ready. I did 3 loads of laundry, chopped some veggies, and then, barely able to walk, I went to bed. Your dad woke me up when he came to bed a few minutes after 1 am. I got up to use the bathroom and a bunch of red-tinged water came out. I called the midwife. Was I having contractions? No, just crampy, so she said this doesn’t mean anything, call her when I’m in labor. I went in the office and got on the internet to wind down a little. I got a big rush of adrenaline when I thought I was going into labor. At 1:18 I wrote down the time because ?I though maybe the soreness was getting worse periodically. And 1:22. And 1:25. I appeared to be having weak contractions every 3 minutes. I called the midwife back and she said to come in.

Oh, the scrambling! I had part of a bag packed in the trunk since a few days earlier, but no clothes for me, and no food. Food! What were we going to eat? Poor BJ called to see what was keeping us.

Around 2:30 we got there. Finding me 2-3 centimeters dilated, BJ said we could go home if we wanted or, stay. If we stayed, maybe we’d go home later, if labor wasn’t progressing. We stayed. The electric tea lights were so pretty. I listened to Lisa Ackerman’s Hypnobabies CDs, and they really helped. Dad took a few naps. After a few hours of contractions, around 6:30, I woke up BJ to tell her that I was having trouble with pain management. She gave a few suggestions and told me she’s check back at 7:30. Soon later it felt like you suddenly punched through my bag of water and it was gushing all over! I was sad that I couldn’t give birth in the tub. BJ came in and gave me an IV quick to protect you against Group B Strep.

Suddenly, I felt so much pressure bearing down. You were coming so fast! Before long we could see/feel the top of your head. Nobody could believe that you had so much dark hair. None of us were born with dark hair. “Come on baby!” I told you. Your dad saw your head come out, and the amniotic fluid gushed out your mouth and nose. One more push and you were out!

My little girl was here! They placed you on my belly while your umbilical cord kept feeding you oxygen, blood and stem cells. What did we say? “We finally get to meet her” or “Our little girl” or what? “Your little girl?” BJ asked. I said, “Yes, I’m pretty sure I saw girl parts coming out.” “Let’s double check.”

Then she held you up and I will never, ever forget that moment.

My little girl was a BOY!

My Mammoth Hunter was not, after all, a Mariana Nora!

You were so sweet and alert. Your cord went all white after it stopped pulsing and your dad cut it. We cuddled and you figured out how to nurse before long.

We kept calling you Mammoth Hunter and I think the midwife and birth assistants were a little horrified. “How about Hunter?” they asked. “Nah,” I said.

In the entire last 6 years since our first pregnancy began we had never once agreed on a boy’s name. So we asked Katya, who came up with:
Tap Dance Class, Tape Dispenser Wand, Swimming Pool, Divine Flower of Rome (from a Magic Tree House book), Cheezits, Fall of Rome (my favorite), and, after being told that all flower names are considered girl’s names in this country, Stem.