I'm flashing back 4 months. I started this blog after Maggie was born and I was excited to share Maggie's story then. Now it's Max's turn.After this post, it was Easter Sunday and my contractions decided to stay steady, about 3-5 minutes apart, but all day they were mild. I didn't have to breathe through them but I wanted to be home taking time to relax and focus. Hubby took Maggie to his parents for brunch and I stayed home and ate, knit, and watched this movie. It was perfect. I had forgotten that the main character was named Max. I took it as a sign.
Maximillian is the full name I wanted early on in my pregnancy (and prior when Maggie was a he/she in utero) but hubby thought it was too strong or something. He'd joke that in order to have a son with that name we'd need to be living in a castle as a royal family. It wasn't until after Max was born that we decided on his full name. We knew it was going to be Max, but Maximillian or Maxson? We went with Maxson. If not Maximillian, this was a good substitute. Unique and we could agree.
**Side note: I hear Maximillian slip? out of people's mouths though when they are with Max so maybe that name will always be around? Hmm...
My mild contractions stayed steady through the night and woke me up a couple times but I was able to fall back asleep each time. When I woke up Monday morning, I knew it was "the day". My sister, who had been waiting fervently for this day to come, was in touch and came over to help with whatever I needed. As the morning progressed, my contractions got stronger but I was still able to function, eat, take a shower and dress, and hug my little girl in the sunshine. 
By the time Maggie had to go to gym class, it was clear I shouldn't leave the house but I was still talking like I could do errands and was telling hubby not to come home from work yet. I became focused on having the perfect candle for the birth and then panicked because the one I wanted was all used up and I wanted a replacement, pronto! I was thinking I could run out and get it but nope, that didn't happen. My mom stopped at the salon on her way over to bring me this beloved candle, but they were closed. Funny what I focus on in those final hours.
My sister took Maggie to gym and brought home thai food for a late lunch. By the time she got home around 2 pm, my midwives had come and gone after blowing up the new tub (see below - in my opinion, so much better than the horse trough!) and doing some other prepping for the birth. Hubby had just gotten home too. He knew it was time more than I was willing to admit. We talked on the phone as he was driving home and I had to stop and breathe through a strong contraction. He made fun of me later for this because I was still saying on the phone that he shouldn't come home yet because my contractions weren't strong enough.
Maggie fell asleep for a nap after lunch and my sister, Michael, and I hung out together in my living room having some good laughs as my contractions ramped up in strength. She and I had a glass of white wine (midwife recommended :-) and then I took an epsom salt bath to relax with hubby by my side. These were the hours leading up to my active labor. Around 4 pm, my sister called my mom to have her leave work at my dad's furniture store and come over. By the time my mom arrived, somewhere between 5 and 6 pm, I was in my bikini top and yoga pants walking through the house breathing through my contractions and really focusing, relying heavily on my sister and Michael for support. The midwives arrived and filled up the tub. By 6, I was in the tub and in full labor. While I labored in my bedroom in a calm atmosphere, Maggie had woken up and would come in occasionally, whispering and being so cute, but she also spent time with my mom and sister in the other parts of the house proceeding on like normal - eating dinner, watching her shows, and having things explained to her about what was going on. She was a trooper and so excited to meet her brother.
My labor progressed fast, much faster than my labor with Maggie. I knew that as I was in it, but it just suprised me overall. I was more aware during Max's birth because it didn't take as much out of me, but I was still tired in between contractions and remember falling asleep a time or two. The first time I was checked after getting in the tub, I was a 6 and that was encouraging. By 8:30 I was ready to push and my midwives said from the time I was ready to the time he arrived, it took me 20 minutes. I remember thinking that I didn't want this to go into the night (like past midnight because it went waaaay past that with Maggie) but was mentally preparing for something longer since that was all I knew. But just like that, my midwife would say something or do something like put on gloves and change positions and the next thing I knew I was in transition and Max was born! It was 9 pm on the dot. Born April 9. Weight? 9# exactly!
A friend asked me after Max's birth if it was anything like Maggie's. It was in that they were both born at home in the water with the same midwives and people surrounding me, but in many ways Max's birth was easier and more enjoyable simply because I'd done it once before. I knew what to expect with labor and delivery, it was much shorter, I knew how to handle the contractions better, I loved the new tub (so comfortable), hubby was more relaxed, Maggie made the experience sweeter just by being there, and I just felt better prepared all around. 
Max came out wailing and the midwives commented that he had a strong set of lungs. He started nursing right away and he was really aware, opening up his hands as you can see in this picture (not clenching them), which the midwives said was also a good sign that he was comfortable/not scared in his big new surroundings. Foretelling signs of his strong personality? He was born a few days before my mom's birthday. He's an Aries like my mom and mother-in-law.Read this birth story for more fun. It's wonderful and so similar to mine. Very thankful for homebirths and great birth stories.
