Bernice is Here

Last week, about 45 minutes from this time, my contractions for real, actual labor started.
I denied them for 6 hours, going grocery shopping (last burst of nesting) while breathing through them in intervals, chatting at checkout and telling the lady I thought I might be in labor, going home and cooking the spaghetti I later threw up during transition... Then I realized this might be real. The pain was different; bone-deep pain.
I labored through the night and started pushing with the birds' awaking outside around 5AM, and got Bernice to finally crown at around 7:32. I felt her head, said out loud "Come on baby! It's time! Come out!" and at 7:34 her head was out, followed by the rest of her at 7:35AM. Right at the foot of our bed.
Shawn caught her, handed her to me and we both saw she was a she (as we had suspected!) at the same time. She promptly proceeded to clear all the meconium she had in her bowels at that time all over me and the towel covering us. Ahhh first mommyhood poo experience.
Shawn and I took her in, she only made little cries as I tried to put her to breast so she was bulb-suctioned clear and she cried louder. Beautiful lung clearing cries!
Her cord stopped pulsing and Shawn cut it, then it was clamped. We were helped into the bath and cleaned up, then B was weighed and Shawn was shown how to dress and bundle her while I finished soaking.
We all got into bed and were given postpartum instructions and we took a nap. All 3 of us warm and safe and glowingly happy.
A few hours later we woke up and told everyone in our family, who were all teary and thrilled to hear it went just as we had hoped, prayed and dreamed for sooo long.

Thank you Jah.
Thank you birth people.

Thank you Shawn. You made me happier than I ever thought I could be again. We made a beautiful little girl.
Like we said: this just keeps getting better.