Birth from the "other side"

Yesterday was one of the most amazing experiences of my life. I got to witness my first birth from the "other side"...meaning it was my first birth that I wasn't the one birthing.

The were to induce my sister around 8 pm on Tuesday night, but when they went to put the cervical pill in, she was having too many mild contractions to do it. Katie Beth had been having those exact type of contractions every night for a month. So they decided to just put her on a pitocin drip. All night long...nothing. All through the early morning...nothing. No dilation, no painful contractions. Nothing. We all started to worry that she would end up with a C-Section and I know that would have broken my sister's heart. Especially since this very well could be her one and only baby.

I got to the hospital around 9 and Katie Beth was laughing and talking away, she was 0 dilated...like nothing. 10 am hit and all of a sudden she started having horrible contractions. By 1:56 Rainy Shiloh Lewis was born. It was an intense and VERY fast labor and Katie Beth did it all without any drugs or epidural! She was so strong and brave. I will admit that pangs of jealously for her beautiful, fast, natural birth came to me throughout the day. I mean, what is wrong with me that my labors last FOREVER?!

I felt so blessed to be able to be there and help her through it. Still fresh in my mind from 6 weeks earlier, I was able to remember clearly what helped and what didn't. I also felt so blessed because Katie Beth has been there for me through so much. All my preterm labor, during my labor. Always quietly helping me, and it was wonderful to be able to return the favor.

It was so strange to see Katie Beth in that much pain. She has incredible pain tolerance and in her whole life I have never heard her scream out in pain.

During the whole thing I just kept thinking, this is the most beautiful thing I've ever seen. She's the most beautiful thing I've ever seen.

The actual delivery was pretty crazy. I cannot believe what the body can do! I must admit, I nearly passed out several times. The whole time I kept thinking, "I literally cannot believe I've done this before...twice!"

Katie Beth's husband stepped up at the very last possible second and was there for the whole thing. I must admit, it was really hard for me to see him there acting like the past 10 months had never happened, but I know deep down that it meant the world to Katie Beth to have him there. Something this intimate changes people.

Right around 10 when labor finally started.

Yes. She does look that angelic in the middle of horrible back labor.

I love this photo because Katie Beth got that tattoo for the baby she miscarried. It's a bible verse in Greek. James 1:2-3 Consider it pure joy, my brothers and sisters, whenever you face trials of many kinds, because you know that the testing of your faith produces perseverance.

Still so beautiful. Even though I hated to see her in pain, because I had just experienced it, I wasn't sad for her...because I knew that it would be over soon and that it was necessary to bring such a wonderful gift of life into the world.

I was bawling like a baby. This was the first time in nearly a year that I had seen true joy in my sister.

Isn't Rainy just precious?!