Sunday Cooking with Mrs. Graham: Welcome Rowan-Oak

Welcome Rowan-Oak!

Introducing Rowan-Oak Hemlock Graham. He will officially be taking over the bulk of this blog seeing as I have posted a ton of cooking recipes. Ha. From time to time I will continue to cook and share some of Mrs. Pat Graham's recipes. But for now it's all to the first born. He is more interesting than some cake I baked anyway....

What an adventure with this little one! In my belly as a mystery one moment and birthed in the water at home in another moment revealing himself as a boy! Oh what fun we are going to have!

His arrival was quite the experience. I had the birthing tub set up for almost 3 weeks before he made his grand entrance. Oh the waiting......those last few weeks are long!

I had a midwife appointment in Portland on June 10 and was surprised to learn that I was 4-5 centimeters dilated already! The midwife told me I would be in labor that night and to hurry the 2 hours home, so I wouldn't be in the car when the baby came.

The car ride back I finally started to feel something. I made it home and the contractions really started to get going! While they waves were coming I decided the best place to be was outside. I scooped dog poop every time I felt a contraction, I know I wouldn't have been able to do THAT in a hospital!

After a few hours I decided to call the midwife to come as she had a 2 hour drive herself. While waiting for her I filled the birthing tub, settled in a chair, and told myself things like "this feels good" when the contractions were coming.

When the midwife arrived I hopped in the tub and just rode the contractions out floating in the warm water. I was in a dark room with Brandon while the midwives stayed out of my way in another room. Before long I was pushing out a head "I feel hair" I proclaimed! I was then notified that I would feel the baby turn, and to stand a little to catch the baby. After I felt the turn (really cool BTW), out the baby came in the next contraction in my arms. I quickly counted fingers and toes and saw a little penis. It's a BOY! I knew it all along....