Last year, I was the entertainment..

I went to our neighbor's house today for a birthday party for their two year-old twin boys. I had just walked in when a woman I didn't know said to me, "Weren't you the one who had the baby last year?" Well, yes, yes I was. Last year, when the boys had their first birthday party, I had Sage. Why this is a memorable moment to complete strangers is because I just so happened to accidentally have her at home. On my couch. With my doula making a fine catch. Nine men I'd never seen before (paramedics, fireman, who knows who else was there)looked on. And somewhere, down at the end of the couch, was my husband.
I had been in labor denial the entire day. I woke up with fairly noticeable contractions. But Sage was not due for another week. And Sawyer was nine days late. So I did what most women do under these circumstances: I went shopping. I had to clutch a rack at TJ Maxx to get through a particularly strong contraction. But I had no trouble at Target until I got in my car to leave. I was in fairly regular phone contact with my doula. I headed home to try to start my hypnosis. I had taken a class called Hypnobabies for the purpose of having a drug-free, PAIN-free birth. I was having a touch time getting relaxed enough, because after each contraction, I had horrible nerve pain. I guess I didn't quite impart to my doula how much discomfort I was in. David finally took Sawyer to the party, because I couldn't relax with Sawyer running around.
Then, at about 5 p.m., I talked to my doula and she decided to come over - not because she thought I was imminent, but because I sounded lonely! Forty minutes later (she packed a dinner since she thought it would be a long night) she arrived.
She helped me relax during the contractions, which wasn't a problem, but nothing helped with the ensuing nerve pain (like an electric shock going around my waist and shooting down my legs. Good times.). Then she asked if I'd peed lately. I couldn't remember, so off we went to the bathroom.
I sat down, peed a little, then felt a POP. My water broke! A moment later, I had to push. We both immediately looked at the bathroom rug and then at each other. There was no way I was going to have the baby on the floor! We rushed out of the room and I called David, who was now next door, and told him we had to go to the hospital. Then I had to push again and said "We're not going to make it!" David called 911, but by then I felt better and wanted to try to go to the hospital. So he told 911 that we didn't need them, and walked out of the house.
Now, because of the party, there were tons of people walking up and down the street. I got into the car. I tried to sit down. David started the car. He told me to fasten my seatbelt. I realized I couldn't sit down. I panicked thinking he was going to try to drive, when THERE WAS A BABY ABOUT TO COME OUT! My neighbor helped me back into the house while David called 911 again. My doula spread chuck pads on my couch. I lied down. The paramedics finally arrived. Sage was born two minutes later. She was perfect. And sunnyside up, explaining the nerve pain.
I came out of the house on a gurney, and waved to the crowd that had formed. I felt amazing! I can't wait for Sage to be old enough to hear all about it...