“It’s time,” I told Osman (or “O”), as I called him on the phone from my “comfortable” perch on the toilet. Don’t knock that toilet position — it’s not too tall and not too short. A true Goldilocks situation. We were at home. I was just sitting, wondering if and when my water would break. O was in the next room, sleeping with our middle son (then 2), while our daughter was in bed (then 5). 

Around 3:40 AM on April 30, 2024, I put the Tribe on alert that it might be tonight because of all of the signs — you know, with the terrible names that can’t have been created by a woman (loss of the “mucus plug” and “bloody show”). That’s meant to make you chuckle. 

I messaged our birth photographer, Carmen, to give her as much time as possible because we don’t live close. I also texted my mom and my best friend from high school. 

At 5:47 AM, I said the magical three words — “water just broke.” I have text evidence with the timestamp. I told O to get the kids ready. Instead, I hear the water running and can tell he’s trying to give our daughter a few more minutes of shut-eye. So I wake her up, “It’s time, the baby is coming.” Boy, did she jump out of bed with a quickness! 

This labor was different from the others — it was much more intense standing through contractions. Waiting on them to get ready was pretty difficult. I later learned Osman was brushing his teeth and trimming his beard. On the one hand, there’s gum for that; on the other hand, these photos live in perpetuity, so “I ain’t mad at it.” Even our daughter came to the door to say she needed clothes. Ha!‍

That was my last straw. I shouted from the door, “I’m going to the car.” At least I could sit while laboring. I remember calling my mom, no answer, calling my dad, no answer, calling again, and again, and again. And I remember looking at the clock in the car — 5:55 AM. That’s when O and the kids got in and we were off to the birth center just 3 minutes away (maybe a little slower because those speed bumps are horrid while breathing through contractions, fair warning). We get there, walk inside, attempt to walk around with midwife Amy. That wasn’t happening. Found another lovely toilet. And breathed and waited and breathed. 

She ran a bath for me. My kids helped. I got in, thinking there was no way I could have a water birth because it was quite unpleasant the last two times even laboring in the water. I remember O pushing my back down so that I would sit deeper in the water as I was leaning my head and arms on the lip of the tub. I may have scared our daughter just a wee bit with my volume. Whoops. Bestie took the kids upstairs.

I distinctly remember pushing once, pushing twice, and being completely fatigued. Amy was near my head, Osman was ready to catch baby. I could hear his controlled panic, encouraging me to push again because baby’s head was already out. But my muscles were so tired I couldn’t even feel baby — it felt like I couldn’t grip strongly enough to push. So, I took a couple breaths (if Amy was calm, I could be calm), mustered up the strength, pushed again, and felt the relief of a baby rushing out (7:01 AM). That’s always the “cool” part — they feel like oiled rubber, like those water-filled baby dolls we had as little girls. 

Big sister and brother came down and fell completely in love. They wanted to touch his hands and feet and make my herbal bath. 

It wasn’t until I saw the photos that I realized Osman was the first one to catch our little boy. He was close with the others but not quite. When I showed him the photos for the first time — that wave of emotion washed over him as he witnessed what he had experienced firsthand, what life he brought into this world with his own hands.  - Christina

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I remember seeing his hair first. I was like alright, there's his hair — and there's a lot. It's about to happen, like right now. And you gave another big push and his head came out. So I'm looking at this kid — he's underwater you know and I've got my hands there. I'm looking at his face and his eyes are closed... That's when I was like, hey, you gotta push right now, you know what I mean? Let's get this done. I forgot exactly what I said, but I know that there was a little bit of urgency. And then you did, and you pushed and his little body came out under the water and I caught him. It's still bizarre to think about it — seeing him enter the world.  - Osman