About 3 AM I was jolted awake with an awful contraction. Seeing as I had been experiencing false labor for a few weeks, I decided to go back to sleep. Fifteen or so minutes later, another contraction. Begrudgingly I decided a bath might stop my contractions enough to get some more rest. As I quickly realized these contractions were getting closer and closer. I woke up Tommy and told him he wouldn't be going into work. As things progressed, Ella woke up. Tommy got her up and occupied her as I timed contractions. I figured that since Ella's labor was 19 hours long that this would be a long process. Tommy, on the other hand did not agree. He urged me to get in the car. We dropped Ella off to our good friend Brittany, who thankfully is only three houses away, and headed to the hospital. The car ride on Washington's finest interstate only made things progress. Once at the hospital, contractions were about three minutes apart. The wait to be escorted to Labor and Delivery felt like an eternity. The ER nurse asked if I needed to push many times! Once we made it to triage, contractions were about 2-3 mins apart. I was interrogated by the nurse on shift and Tommy had to answer for me. I was checked and I was already 6 cm dilated. After about 5 mins of monitoring, we were moved to a labor suite.Our Doula walked in as we were leaving the triage room. They began to fill the tub. The birth tub was hardly full as I felt the need to push. The nurse quickly checked me and I was a full 10 cm and ready to push. In fact she didn't think I had time to get in the tub but I insisted. Tommy got in the tub first and held me as I started to push. The midwife had not made it into our labor room yet and the nurse was getting ready to deliver LeighAnn herself. Just in time the midwife walked in and 6 minutes of pushing later I was holding our sweet baby girl. She was anxious to arrive and wasn't waiting on anyone! This birth was the most incredible experience. Catching my own baby, being supported completely by Tommy and cutting her cord myself were liberating and empowering. Before her birth I wrote this magical birth plan where I would labor without medications or IV fluids and be left to deliver naturally. I never fully imagined what living out that dream would feel like until now. At 7:28 AM on April 28th, 2014 we welcomed our second daughter into this world. LeighAnn Michelle Travis weighed 6lbs 9 oz and was 19 inches long. Wavy blonde hair and bright blue eyes and looking sweetly like her Daddy.
