The morning of Wednesday, November 6th, started out like any other. I was helping Nate get ready for school when suddenly, I felt like I had accidentally dumped an entire bottle of water down my legs. For a split second, I froze. Wait—was this really happening? I thought water-breaking moments were reserved for dramatic movie scenes and TV storylines. But no, it was happening in real life, in my kitchen. I looked at Keith and, as calmly as I could, said: “Ummm… my water just broke.”
I was technically due two days later, on November 8th, but I had been so sure this baby wasn’t making her debut until the following week. In fact, just the night before, I’d been on Instagram confidently telling you all, “I think I’m going to be late.” Famous last words.
When I’d visited my OB earlier that week, I was only 1cm dilated. Nothing felt out of the ordinary, and because I had gone ten days late with Nate, I was fully prepared for another long wait. Clearly, this little one had other plans.
Calm Before the Storm
Even after my water broke, I felt surprisingly normal. No dramatic contractions, no panicked rush to the hospital. Since we live just ten minutes away from the hospital, I wasn’t overly stressed. Everyone warns that second labors can move quicker than the first, but for some reason, I felt completely calm.
In fact, I still had a to-do list for the day. I’d been working with Amazon Home on a nursery/toddler room project, and I was determined to wrap up the photos before the baby arrived. So, while Keith dropped Nate at school and I texted my mom with a casual “pretty sure the baby is coming today,” I grabbed my camera and started shooting.
Once the photos were done, I treated myself to a shower, washed my hair, shaved, did an exfoliating facial, slathered on a heavy layer of Augustinus Bader Rich Cream, and finally tossed my laptop into the hospital bag. Some might call that crazy, but to me, it felt like the perfect way to prepare for what was ahead. About an hour and a half later, we were on our way to meet our baby.
A Very Long Wait
When we arrived at the hospital, I expected things to move quickly. Instead, we learned I was the tenth woman to check in that day—and the labor ward was buzzing. We ended up waiting in the lobby for over two and a half hours.
At that point, I turned to Keith and laughed, “Well, it’s a good thing we didn’t rush.” Honestly, it was one of the most relaxed stretches of time I can remember. While waiting for a room, I pulled out my laptop, edited the nursery photos, and even answered a few work emails. Who knew labor could make me so productive?
Eventually, they checked me and confirmed I was definitely in labor, though still just 2cm dilated. Finally, we were escorted to a private room to get things moving.
The Labor Itself
Since my body seemed to be taking its sweet time, my doctor suggested pitocin to speed things up. I agreed, and once the contractions started to intensify, I opted for an epidural. (Bless the person who invented that!)
The whole process was a stark contrast to my first labor with Nate, which had dragged on for more than 30 hours. This time, after just a few hours of labor and a mere twelve minutes of pushing, our baby girl was born at 1:44 a.m.
Meeting Our Daughter
That first moment is impossible to put into words. After forty weeks of carrying her—anticipating her, worrying about her, wondering what she would look like—she was finally here, in my arms.
I remember staring at her tiny face in complete disbelief. How could something so perfect really be mine?
Before having a second child, I often wondered how it would be possible to love another little person as much as I loved Nate. People always told me, “Your heart just expands.” I didn’t fully believe it until that moment. But it’s true—your love doesn’t divide; it multiplies. One look at her, and I knew.
Looking Back
This labor was everything I hadn’t expected—calm, relatively quick, and even a little bit productive (thanks to those emails I squeezed in). It was such a different experience from my first, and in many ways, exactly what I needed.
Every birth story is unique, and this one reminded me that sometimes, the best moments in life don’t follow a plan. Sasha chose her own perfect timing, and in the blink of an eye, our family grew by one beautiful little girl.
And just like that, our hearts—and our world—were forever changed.
