Reagan's Arrival

Everyone say hello to Reagan Nikkole Johnston born 12/24/10 at 2:13 P.M. weighing in at 7 lbs. 10 oz. and she has one of the most unique birth stories ever... let me fill you in... Reagan was born at home on our bathroom floor and was delivered by her daddy... It all started on 12/23 we started getting ready for bed and I had a few contractions, but nothing strong or to hard so we went to bed, I got up at about 2 30 A.M. to go to the bathroom and realized I had lost my mucus plug while I was sleeping... so I woke Brandon up and told him "Brandon I think I'm in labor" his reply was "Are you serious" I told him yes and so he got up and we started getting ready... I started packing my bag and Brandon got in the shower... an hour later we were on our way to the hospital... we got to labor and delivery and they checked me and I was only dialated to a 1 and my contractions were not very close and not steady at all, so they sent me home and told me to take some baths, drink lots of water and not to come back until my water broke or my contractions were a steady pattern... so we got home at about 6 A.M. and I took a bath, which seemed to slow the contractions a little bit and then I laid down and slept for about an hour my contractions started to get kinda hard again so I got in the tub again and it didnt really help... I tried laying down again but I couldnt really get comfortable so after laying there for a while I got up and tried taking another bath... that bath made things worse my contractions got harder... so we just kinda hung out and timed my contractions... they were in no sort of steady pattern they bounced all around from 3 min apart to 7 and then down to 5... Brandon said he had some last minute christmas shopping he needed to do so I told him to go and I would stay home and pay bills and play with Brakky... so he went and my contractions seemed to get a little harder and a little closer, so I was going to have him take me to the hospital when he got home... I got done paying bills and stood up I barely made it down the hall from the computer to our bed and my contractions were super hard and one right after the other... I tried putting a cold rag on my forehead because I was so hot and to help relax me but there was no relaxing happening at all... everytime I would have a contraction I felt like I had to pee so finally I gathered enough energy to get up and go in to the bathroom... I sat down on the toilet and I heard "POP" and knew my water just broke... So I had Brakken grab my phone and I called Brandon and said my water just broke and he said what and I screamed " MY WATER JUST BROKE", he said ok well I have half a cart of stuff at walmart so your going to have to give me a little bit ok... and I said no you have to get here NOW!!!!! I hung up the phone and laid down on the floor of the bathroom hoping the cold tiles would cool me down a little bit... (poor little Brakken had no idea what was going on he kept saying Mommy whats wrong... your belly hurts, and everytime I would have a contraction and scream he would start crying, when I stopped screaming he would say Mommy its alright give me hugs...) ( he is such a precious little guy) as I was laying on the floor Brandon shoved his cart at Walmart and literally sprinted out of the store... he flew home going 60 all the way through town and ran 2 stop lights... whil he was driving home my mom and sister called me and were trying to keep me calm and help me breath which was not working because by this point I could feel the baby crowning... when I told my sister this she told my dad and they tried calling 911 but it kept sending them to 911 in Montpelier so finally after calling 3 time the dispatcher connected them to the Idaho State Police who then connected them to Pocatello 911. I heard the garage door open and was so glad Brandon was walking through the door because it was time to push and no one could tell me other wise... Brandon walked in and called 911... the dispatcher told him she would get the ambulance on its way and to try and keep me from having the baby, I told him she was crowning and he told the dispatcher... she told him he was going to have to deliver the baby... she told him to try and get me up on my hands and knees and when he told me that I told him not to touch me... the dispatcher told him to get some towls and to let me push... so I started pushing and Brandon was already to catch... two big pushes and she was delivered... Brandon handed her to me and had to find a shoe lace to tie the cord... just then Dayna's sister in law Christy showed up to try and help because she was just down the street and Dayna had called her... she came in and asked what she could do... I handed her the baby and Brandon came back in and tied the cord... a few min. later the EMTs arrived and cut the cord and got me and baby on the stretcher and loaded in the ambulance... Brandon jumped in the truck and followed us down the hill to the hospital... It was seriously a christmas eve like no other and we will never forget it... I still cant believe our baby was born in our bathroom and that Brandon could stay so calm and deliver our baby... he did amazing... if he was nervous or scared he did not let it show, he stayed calm and he did exactly what he was supposed to... I dont know how many husbands could honestly do that but I am so lucky to have one who could... he was brave for both of us and he made sure that Reagan and I were both ok... he is so amazing and I hope he knows how grateful I am to have him... not many couples can say they had there baby like we did and I honestly feel so much closer to him and there is a love there that can never change... and Brandon is so happy to have been the very first person to hold his little girl... he loves her so much and those two have a bond that will be so strong and so special for them... we are so glad nothing went wrong and that we could have such an amazing story to share, and such a precious angel that came from it.