Contractional Obligations

Well, here's an irony -- I'm having contractions. 5-10 minutes apart, about 30 seconds each. Not too intense yet (obviously not, I'm online blogging about it), but just enough to keep me from sleeping. They've been going on for over an hour now, and neither getting up and walking around nor taking a warm shower got rid of them, so I suspect they're the Real Thing.

Am debating whether or not to call the midwives back (they've already been here once tonight, checking me out when I thought my water had broken -- but I wasn't having any contractions then, and after doing a thorough exam and a swab, they decided it was either a false alarm, or the leak had closed up again).

I think I'll wait another half an hour or so... whoo, here's another one. Did I say ouch? Ouch.

Well, what do you know! It's a boy!

Well, I was right -- it was labour. And as of 6:30 this morning, I'm the proud mother of a new baby boy, Simon Philip. 7 pounds, 7 ounces, born in the waterbirth tub, and to all appearances at present, healthy and flourishing. The labour was intense, but short -- active stage was only 3 hours total. And right now, in spite of not having been able to sleep for some reason (in spite of having lots of opportunity to do so -- Hubby and the baby are both having a nap right now), I'm feeling pretty good. Certainly much better than I did after having Nicholas, anyway!

Thanks to all of you who kept us in your thoughts and prayers. "Give thanks to the LORD, for he is good; his love endures for ever." (Ps. 107:1)