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Eden Grace is Born: the Story according to Julie

Tuesday, June 2, 2010

11:58pm - I’m in bed asleep with my cell phone next to me, in case “tonight’s the night”. The phone rings: it’s Irv calling to let me know Darci’s in labor and they are getting ready to go to the hospital. I tell him I’ll meet them there! Yay! Eden is coming! I climb out of bed and stumble around to make a quick trip to the bathroom.

Wednesday, June 3, 2010

12:00am - I’m in the bathroom and I hear my phone ringing again. I rush back to my room and see I missed a call from Irv.

12:02am -  I start to dial Irv back but he rings me again first, which I answer. He says that things are moving pretty quickly and they are coming to pick me up at my house. That way I can drive the van and Irv can be in the back helping Darci. I tell him I’ll be waiting in the driveway.

I grab my stuff and go downstairs to whisper to Mom I’m leaving ’cause Darci’s in labor. I go outside to wait for them to pull up in the van.

12:05am – I am waiting on the sidewalk outside when Irv calls again to say Darci is progressing really fast and they’re not sure if they’ll make it to the hospital in time. He says to get Mom up and have her call 911 for an ambulance. I rush inside and try to calmly wake her up to do so. She stumbles out of bed and dials 911. At this point I assumed Irv & Darci were still at their home, so I decide to jump in my car and speed over there to do what I can. Mom is sitting outside on the sidewalk talking to the 911 operator as I drive away.

12:07am – I am speeding down Harris Road and about halfway to 441 when I call Irv. I tell him I’m on my way to their house and Mom is coming behind me as soon as she can. He says they’re almost to our house! I say, oh no!, hang up, and turn the car around to speed back.

12:09am on – I peal back into our driveway to see their silver Honda Odyssey van parked by the back door/sidewalk. Irv and Mom are standing with Darci under the outside light, while she is standing up holding onto the outside of the van. I jump out of my car and rush over to find out what’s going on.

As I’ve never witnessed a live birth experience before, I could not ascertain how Darci was doing or how far along in labor she was. Irv seemed calm and cool, while Mom was still on the phone with the 911 people. Darci seemed in control, although in pain or intensity, and called for Irv to keep on pressing on her lower back with both hands. (It seemed to diminish her pain.) Darci seemed very focused. I wasn’t sure if I should do anything, so I decided to offer a little verbal encouragement: “Darce, you’re doing a great job” or “keep it up”, something like that. I figured it couldn’t hurt?! She immediately responded “don’t talk to me!” in a very direct manner which shut me up! I wasn’t offended but it was a surprise to me to get that reaction, certainly unusual!, from her.

She wasn’t too verbal, with the exception of saying “help me Jesus” a couple times and “holy sh-t” once. (That’s ok, Darce- you’re allowed to swear when in labor.) Mom was poking her head under Darci’s long jean skirt to get a look at things, and told her she better remove her underwear! Darci said she would when the contraction was over.

I think at this point Mom was asking Irv/Darci if we could get inside the house, but it wasn’t an option. Irv had already got one pilot seat out of the van, but between the two of us (with Mom pushing on Darci’s back instead of Irv!) we got the other pilot seat out onto the driveway. Darci commanded that we should shove all the van stuff into the back, to make her a spot to lay down, and also that someone should get some blankets from the house to put down. I shoved everything to the back and rushed upstairs to grab blankets from the linen closet. (I was dying to wake up Mary and Anna but Mom had said not to, so I didn’t!)

I rushed back outside and spread the blankets onto the van floor. Mom asked Darci if the baby’s head was in her vagina, and she said “yes, and it’s burning really bad”. I think shortly after this Darci put her own hand down there and said, “oh, I can feel the baby’s head, it’s right here in my hand”- as in, a LOT, not just a little head skin! She said she could cup the baby’s head in her hand.

Mom asked Darci if she could lay down on the floor in the van, which she did, although I have no idea how! (since Eden’s head was almost or all-the-way out at that point!) Somehow she lowered herself down and Mom threw back the long jean skirt. (She also tossed the phone with the 911 operator still on the line, into the back of the van!) I tried to push the blankets under the baby, as Eden’s head was completely out at this point! I think her face was pointing towards Darci’s left leg, although I don’t remember for absolutely sure. I wanted to watch to see the baby shift to allow her shoulder to pass under the pelvic bone.

There also was a lot of poop, whether from Darci or Eden, or just other yucky stuff, I couldn’t tell. No blood that I could see though!

Irv immediately saw that Eden’s umbilical cord was wrapped around her little neck (one time, I think?) and slipped it over her head. Mom was crouched in the van next to Darci’s left side, supporting Eden’s head and the perineum too. I slipped around the front of the van to the other side, to see if I could help support Darci at the back of her head, in any way. (She was propped up on some pillows.) In retrospect I wish I had stayed in front to see Eden’s entire body slide out- I still feel like I didn’t “officially” view her birth because of that! There didn’t seem to be anything I should do, but I knew Darci would want pictures (she might have been saying so, even at this point!)! I scrambled around searching for the camera case, but couldn’t find it immediately, and I didn’t want to ask Irv to come help me right then!

About one or two minutes later, Eden was completely born. Mom wiped her face with the blanket, and tried to cover her with it, while Darci said “put her up here on my chest, I can help”. Eden started to cry! She looked kind of grey to me, but I think it was cause of the vernix and/or poop. Darci said, is it really a girl? And Mom looked and said “yes, it’s a GIRL!” and we were laughing and crying out of shock and adrenaline.

My dad had come outside sometime during this part. He was creeping around in his blue and yellow plaid flannel pajamas, with his reading glasses on, taking pictures on our family digital camera!

I finally found the camera with Irv’s help and started snapping pictures as much as I dared. I vaguely remember Irv praying aloud for Eden and Darci and safety and thanking Him. It seemed like about 5 more minutes we were all alone, and then the EMTs arrived in the ambulance and SUV. They didn’t seem very concerned with the situation, which I thought meant things looked pretty good! The one guy said yes, if the baby’s crying, I’m happy. Later we figured they were a little at a loss of what to do with a newborn and mom! But it worked out OK.

They eventually loaded Darci onto a stretcher (from the van), and carted her, Eden, and Irv into the ambulance to take them to Highland. I followed in their Odyssey which contained all of the bags and luggage. After getting people and stuff established Mom came to pick me up and I cried and talked all the way home simply because of the excitement and adrenaline and joy.

It took quite a while to go to sleep that night, and the next day we were all pumped up, for sure! Mom said that she looked outside to find Moppet, our cat, sitting on top of the soiled blankets, waiting to come inside. For proof of the night, we showed Mary and Anna Darci’s soiled undies which had gotten tossed onto the lawn somehow! (I think Mom threw them away after!)

It was the most amazing, joyous occasion I  have ever witnessed in my entire life. I am so honored to have been a small part of Eden’s birth, and to have been there while it happened. But, as I tease Darci, I take a “rain-check” on watching her give birth, ’cause I didn’t get to see her push or anything! She made it look so quick and easy!

I will never forget that night, and thank you Jesus for Eden’s safe arrival and blessing us all that night. Thank you for your protection over the Salisbury family, and we pray that will continue. We also believe you for twin girl babies to come, if that is in Your will for their family!

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