{Harper Lynne Johnson}

Tues. Nov 16Th I woke up utterly depressed! I had been dilated to a 4+ for over a week and I had my membranes stripped 3 times! Just days away from my due date, I found it ironic that the one pregnancy I decided I would not be induced on was the one I didn't go 2 weeks early! I had an appointment the next day with my midwife and kept toying with the idea of just having her break my water in hopes that would send me into Labor...

I didn't answer my phone all day, and I didn't respond to text partly because I was tired of having to say... "Nope still no baby!" I don't know what it was on that Tuesday but I was in a major funk!

By 8:00 that night I knew I needed to do something, something to get "Having the baby" off my mind...Laundry?? well that was my "something!" Which is crazy, because that is the last "something" that is ever on my to do list! As I was walking back up the stairs after putting a load in Hallelujah I had a contraction:) Trying not to psych myself out, I kept trying to stay busy and ignore the signs but oh baby the contractions kept on coming!

I called my mom at 10:30 to come down and by 11:30 we were on our way to the Hospital!

12:00 AM Dilated to a 6...should be having baby soon right? We called my sister and my Doula to come over thinking they'd get there when I was maybe at an 8......

3 AM Still at a 6....We send my pregnant sister home to get some sleep before coming back to take pictures!

Meanwhile I spent hours walking to halls with my Doula while Matt slept! I tried passing time on Facebook, blogs, walking, Talking, bouncing on that darn labor ball...TIME Could not pass any slower holy cow!

{Natalie was amazing! If you ever need a Doula she is the person to go too! I couldn't have done it without her!}

My mom as she got to the hospital!

after lots of laughs of me being some "super human" because I was dilated to a 9 and still going strong the pain hit! And oh my word did it ever! (the picture above and the picture below were taken minutes apart! MAJOR DIFFERENCE)

11:30 AM I was rolling from side to side trying to flip little Harper so that she would come out, but that little stubborn girl was not moving!

After an hour of intense pain I literally didn't think I could do it anymore! Here I was sitting in the hardest part of labor for over an hour...mind you the transition phase usually last between 15-25 minutes give or take! I was begging for anything because at this point I was convinced she was not coming out, and staying at a 9 FOREVER! (A little dramatic I know!) Matt, my doula, Midwife and Nurse knew better...I had literally threatened their very lives if they let me have any pain medication! They were the best support and got me through this 1.5 hour moment of HELL! After flipping back and forth and going in the tub and doing everything we could Harper was not about to flip, so my midwife suggested a new position that I told her I would never do, but at this point I would do anything! Seconds after switching positions Little miss Harper came into this world! I don't even think my midwife had time to put on her gown!

12:59PM (17 hours of labor) Harper Lynne Johnson finally gave in and joined our little family!

7 lbs 6 oz of pure Joy!

I can't even begin to explain to you the feelings I felt at that moment! Love, Excitement, proud, accomplished...It truly was the most amazing experience!

{Having a moment with Susan my midwife...this picture captures who she is perfectly}

{Matt was a rock star from start to finish! He blew me out of the water how supportive he was especially in my hardest moments!}

I had invited my mom and sister into the room, (the reason I have so many pictures, and why my sister isn't in one) she captured all the perfect moments, but I think I traumatized her and my mom for life!

I later learned how traumatizing it was for my husband, but I'm pretty sure that was due to me passing out cold a couple time! Yeah, remember the time I passed out butt naked on top of the nurse and woke up due to that smelly thing they put under your nose, to 5 frantic nurses splashing water in my face...not my proudest moment! After they finally got me to come to, they wheel me down the hall to a different room where I broke down and was laughing hysterically...Really??? Did that just happen?

I was on strict order not to be left alone with Harper until they got my blood sugar under control! Finally after telling Nurse after Nurse I was losing a lot of blood but them saying "it's normal just watch for clots," I passed a blood clot the size of a baby...that got there attention!

After weighing the clot on a baby scale they called my midwife, who got me the meds I needed and we got the bleeding under control!

2 days later I finally felt safe enough to walk around with Harper...and 2 days later I think Matt has finally stopped imaging me dying! (really it was that traumatic for him)

5:30 PM Gracie and Easton met their little sister! This is one of those moments that can only be felt, no words could ever describe this tender time!

Gracie was extremely nervous, and could hardly say a word, I was so concerned for her because I had never seen her act this way before! But after a little sleep over at her cousin Jays she was back to her old self again!

Easton was just glad to be there to see everybody:)

{Finally a picture of my sister with her little man Landon! He is about to be a big brother to twins very soon, so we were very glad he was so excepting of Harper! He couldn't get enough of her}