Caecilius' birth

It always surprises me how each birth is unique... 

I did not go to Mass on Sunday as I felt uncomfortable and did not want to leave home. Franz still took the boys and had his phone on him. I watched Mass, took a nap, and wandered around our place checking animals and plants. It was a nice break for a change. 

Monday Franz and the boys worked hard in the fields. He also got two full loads of hay in. We still have a third of our hay field to cut for first cutting. There are about 500 bales in the pole barn. This is the first year we are actually getting the hay cut on time. The quality is much better.

I was able to finish wheel hoeing my gardens and do some hand weeding. I was having contractions on and off all day. Really I had been having good practice contractions for a month. But, I could tell it was getting more serious. Early afternoon we got a pea hen from the woman who gave us our pea cock (she is a midwife), in exchange for a meat buckling that her son wanted to raise up for meat. I told her I was probably going to have the baby the next day which I had been one of my date guesses for our baby guessing pool. All in all it was a full Monday. By super time I was only able to eat half my meal. I was not sure, but was getting more suspicious that I might have a baby soon.

After we prayed our family rosary Franz and I spent time together talking and just trying to relax watching a show together (it was getting harder for me). We went to bed at 10:30. I thought well if it is labor the contractions will continue. Sure enough I woke at 11:30 because of still having contractions. I didn't want to wake Franz as he had a long full day of manual labor. I decided to try and rest as best I could and see how things progressed. By 2 a.m. I was so uncomfortable, I woke Franz. I texted my midwife at 2:25. I had alerted her earlier Monday evening of the possibility of baby coming. She asked if I wanted her to come, and I said yes. I always have a hard time with telling the midwife when to come. I do not want to jump the gun and have them hanging out for a long time. 

My midwife arrived a little after 3 a.m. I was still able to walk around and talk a bit before each contraction. Then I was working my way through contractions. They were 7 minutes or so apart. Franz and I had set up what we could for birth. Then my midwife set up the rest. She checked me and I was 6 cm dilated. I think this happened at 4 something. When I was laboring Franz was my support and my midwife would check in on us. Franz decided he should get chores done if he could. So my midwife switched places with Franz. He took his phone out with him. At 5:41 I texted him to hurry up. He called and asked if he should come in, or milk? He had done all the other animal chores and had just started milking. I said just hurry. Within a few minutes I asked my midwife to quickly call Franz up to the house. I had the sudden feeling and strong surge of pressure. I was holding back, as I felt my water wanted to break. Franz got in and my midwife left the room to grab something. The back up midwife was on her way. My water broke just as my midwife was coming back into our room. 

I was on my left side on the bed. Caecilius crowned, but I knew I needed to get up. My midwife and Franz had to lift me to my hands and knees, as I couldn't do it myself. I was in the throes of serious pushing and pain. Within a few minutes Caecilius was born. He didn't just shoot out, but came in quick increments. He had quite a bit of fluid on his lungs you could hear and he was kinda purple. But, thankfully they quickly flipped me over onto my back so I could have Caecilius resting on me. The midwife cleared his mouth and nose.Then the champ really started to cry and clear his own lungs. His color and reflexs picked up quite quickly too. He had a little bit of bruising on his forhead and right fingers. I was just so relieved to have him out. I am not going to lie, labor was really tough this time. I had only back labor. Which pretty much felt like my back was going to break. The midwife gave me a shot of pitocin, since I have a history of bleeding and the other midwife was not there yet. The other midwife arrived shortly and helped with cleaning up and checking. I did tear, but thankfully no stitching was required. I also had some clotting but with massaging my tummy a few times, the midwives were able to work them out over the next hour. I felt quite good, not as weak as I had after Cornelius. I think my adrenaline was running high, as the midwives asked what I wanted for pain. I said nothing as the pain was nothing compared to laboring. I did change my mind that evening and took one Ibprofen so I could sleep. 

So, I don't know if you wanted to hear my birth story, but I myself find it fascinating and helpful to hear others' birth stories. 

Caecilius is definitely showing a strong personality. He loves snuggling. After nursing he seems to really enjoy Franz holding him upright and gently burping him.

I am happy to announce the birth of our sixth son. Caecilius David Klein, born at 5:58 a.m. on June 9th, weighing 8 lbs 13 oz.

Caecilius David Klein, shortly after birth

Edit to note for myself as I look back: I prayed a lot of Hail Mary's and Our Father's during my contractions. I really tried to remember to breathe my way through the painful parts. Franz did catch Caecilius. Cyprian was awake and downstairs when I had Caecilius. The other boys all slept. We had before bedtime explained to the boys not to be worried if they heard Mommy yell. That it is hard work to have a baby. The other thing I did was drink a whole pot of red raspberry tea. Then I switched to water. I was well hydrated. I weighed the most I ever have at the end of pregnancy. Caecilius is not my biggest baby, and there was a lot of fluid. I was so relieved when I had Caecilius, and Franz was a bit distracted as he had just rushed up from the barn, that we didn't even know we had a boy at first. After I held him in my arms for the first time, then I thought to ask. It may surprise some not others, but I really am excited to have another boy. We may be a family of only boys and that would be fine by me. Who knows, maybe there will be a Klein girls someday. That would be okay too. When asked the silly question of "are you trying for a girl." The answer is,"no, a healthy baby." I am thankful for the blessing of a another healthy baby. What is funny is that we have been spelling Caecilius name wrong. I followed what Franz put down. Apparently he was so tired he did not realize that he put two "ll'. It is just one "l", now I have to make sure it is right on the birth certificate and insurance.  

Anticipation

I have had my fears and doubts. After 7 miscarriages, 2 of them ectopic, and the last requiring emergency surgery, I have at times anxiety which can be crippling. As we get closer to the due date with this time, I am praying for peace of mind. Labor is hard, but it is even harder when you are afraid and scared. I pray, but I sometimes lose it and lash out. Whether it is to snap, or to become withdrawn. I am feeling for the most part excited. With the warmer weather and spending more and more time outside my mood is much improved. I did not use to love gardening to the extent I do now. I can happily sit out in the garden pulling weeds for an hour. Then I like to take meandering walks and periodically check things over for growth, issues, etc. My garden is planted except for my celery starts, and sweet potato slips that will come in the mail in a week or so. Weeding is the big project. I just finished my potato patch, and now working on the strawberries again. Yes, I already weeded the strawberries once this year. The bugs and the weeds seem to be prolific. If I can manage to keep up till baby comes, then maybe I we will not lose so much to weeds and pests. I will have to take advantage of some the rainy days to go over the house again. The never ending cleaning!

We have an abundance of milk! Franz has been making chevre and cottage cheese. I make raw goat kefir, puddings, and custards. We use some of the whey and the rest goes to the pigs. We have enough milk for family members to get some too. So thankful, as this is the most milk we have had coming at a time. Alpine babies are weaned. Nigerian babies are either sold or being seperated at night for morning milking of mom. We have sold all the kids we had available except one Nigerian buckling. We are keeping the two Alpines we wethered for meat (they are quite large). We have two Alpine doelings who will be replacement future milkers. I have one black beauty Nigerian doeling named Flower (like the skunk in Bambi)that we are keeping. Her brother is appropriately named Bambi as he looks like a little deer. The kids we have left on meat moms are all doelings that we will evaluate and keep if looking to be good breeders. We have one adopted meat buckling that we will raise for meat with the two Alpines. We have maybe seven does to kid in the next month or two. Goats are out on the big pasture. Franz was able to make the Nigerians their own pasture this year. Bucks and weanlings are kept in large pens. We would love to get the buck pasture put in.

The horses have a sacrifice area off their shelter that Franz built with some help from me and the boys. We seeded their pasture and now they are back out on it. They are getting fat and sassy. The boys still love hopping on Thora's back, and she is pretty tolerant.

Dogs, Leche is in with the Nigerians. Lilly is out on the big pasture with the meat goats. Max who is  a big puppy is in the buck pen. He has a lot of energy and wants to play a lot. He does not bother the bucks, but can not be trusted with kids. He is sweet, but very much in throes of teenage puppyhood. I have started to try and leash train him. It ends up looking like a rodeo. At least he loves people. Snowy has been diligently running her rounds and chasing things in the woods.

Cats are doing well. Cat and Georgie have a truce. They sometimes rub each other and then other times hiss. Georgie is due any day. The two male cats we are looking to get rid. The boys are hoping to keep a kitten or two.

Chickens in the coop, there are 16 layers with George our rooster and Andy our male peacock. Recently Andy has started fanning his tail feathers and calling. He has been settling in nicely and we are talking about getting him a girlfriend. We have a new batch of meat chicks in the meat tractor/brooder. I might get ten layer hen chicks with our order of turkey poults.

Six piglets are growing like the weeds they like to eat. We have two males and 4 females. We will decide if we want to try breeding one of the females and keeping her over the winter for piglets in the spring. Otherwise 4 for sure will be butchered this fall.