September 26th was my little brothers wedding. I was very upset having to miss it, but we currently live in NC and the wedding was all the way back in IL. My two older children were ring bearer and flower girl so I had sent them, unaccompanied, on a direct flight to Milwaukee the day before, where my mom had picked them up.That evening around 4 or 5pm I spoke with some family on the phone and had to fight back tears from being so heartbroken at not being there. He had not been able to be at my wedding in June either as he had been at basic training for the Army... but his now-wife was there for him.Around 6pm DH and I started to prepare supper... Chicken Taco Soup, one of my favorites only I had never had it with chicken before, so very excited! DH was helping me because I had SPD very bad and could not stand long enough to do most things necessary in the kitchen.While making it I started to notice that I was having some contractions... but that was nothing new, I had been having contractions since 32 weeks... strong ones since about 36-37 weeks. A very tiring prodromal labor... as at this point I was 41w5d! I did mention them to DH but told him not to get his hopes up.After supper, I had to use the bathroom... when i wiped I saw pink! I got a little excited but decided to keep it to myself... we had just DTD earlier in the day and I supposed it was quite possible that caused it though I had not had bleeding from DTD since around 26/27 weeks (the week of our wedding) I decided to take a bath and then go to bed as the contractions were hurting my back and my midwife had specifically said to rest as much as I could. I figured I would wake up in the morning, disappointed as usual.September 27th...I did wake up disappointed. But it was 4am... and it was POURING out. I was upset because DH and I had to go to my 42 week appointment that morning at 8am and then drive ALL the way to Raleigh to pick my kids up at the airport... we would not have made it back home until after 4pm and I did not want to be on the road that long that pregnant AND in the rain!After a bit, I had a contraction and realized it was a little stronger than the earlier ones had been... but sort of shrugged it off. Got on my ball and sat at my computer, where I had posted in my DDC about the pink and contractions the night before, talking about trying not to get my hopes up. My spirits were lifted considerably when I saw the outpouring of support from MDC mamas, many who were not even from my DDC, telling me how they hoped it was the real thing!I posted at 418am about how they were strong enough I couldnt sleep through them, but not close enough together to get excited about.10 minutes later... I had to go potty again and when I wiped there was a large amount of bright red blood! I got such a rush from seeing that I nearly jumped on DH in bed, kissed him hard and told him "We are going to have a baby today!"I realized shortly after that I had predicted her birthday weather correctly . I had actually been saying the whole pregnancy it would rain the day she was born. I also said I hoped that it would be on my birthday though, and that was 23 days before she was born!Called the midwives at 6am.Then DH called work.Then he called his mom, I called my mom, texted my aunt who was taking the kids to the airport, he called his sister-in-law and brother... his grandparents... his aunt... despite it still being the crack of dawn!We had to figure out what to do about picking up the kids!Luckily, MIL was planning on driving down here (from Michigan) to meet Mae when she arrived... so she offered to drive to Illinois first to pick up the kids and bring them with. I had my aunt turn around and MIL picked up the kids and took them back to Michigan (getting texted play-by-play of the entire labor/birth/after by DH)Made DH and myself some cheesy scrambled eggs and toast, figured I would be needing that energy soon!Then DH and I started playing Yahtzee! between contractions to distract me... but the dice shaking was bothering me so I got online and played some Patience and a few other games of solitaire as I can lose myself in those pretty well.around 740 am I started questioning if I was really in labor in between contractions... but as soon as a contraction hit I had no doubt.around 830am the midwife arrived... checked me, I expected to be 2-3cm (I was NOT dilated at all the last time I put in my EPO the day before) but I was 5cm!Went back to playing cards and listening to my labor playlist... slowly the contractions were building up to the point that I had to breathe through them... then moan through them... then stop and moan through them...Kept eating. I was amazed at how much I ate as I had not eaten that much in weeks due to being so big and not being able to fit that much IN me!tried to take a nap around noon but contractions kept me up....At this point my poor DH felt useless... was playing xBox because there was not much for him to do. This changed quickly though...1pm I had to have him start to sit behind me so I could lean back on him through contractions. We put on Willy Wonka and sat in bed watching it...2pm was my last post on MDC... midwife had just told me my cervix was 8cm but still slightly posterior, if I leaned back still it would change eventually, if I leaned forward, it would change faster. I was getting sick of the contractions... so I had DH help me into a position leaning forward. The contractions got hard and fast and suddenly I was feeling very nauseous so I decided to go in and take a bath (leaning back of course!)Had two contractions that I had to yell through on the potty... several in the tub... two after getting out of the tub, while drying off. Then told DH I had to get back to the bed before the next one happened... got back in bed around 3pm... DH had changed the movie to Ponyo at some point... so I sat with him behind me again and rode out contractions while he watched... around 330 the midwife and her assistant came in and she decided it was time to stay close... kept telling me I was doing a great job... hearing that helped so much.about 4pm the midwife moved over in front of me and set up her stool... started getting contractions between my contractions... was yelling out "I REALLY HOPE THIS IS TRANSITION!" and when the contractions got lighter "RELAX! RELAX! RELAX!" to myself to remind myself to rest. Then the contraction before the last I laughed halfway through and said I was going to need a week long nap after this... DH was so awesome giving me water (through a straw in a bottle, you can see it on the crib behind him), wiping my face of the sweat, supporting me emotionally and mentally and most importantly, physically. The way we are holding hands made me feel like I was able to focus my pushing more efficiently. I have no clue how... but I felt like that was a huge amount of help.about 415pm i started feeling pushy... more like feeling I needed to poop but I know that as my pushy feeling.417 my water SPRAYED all over the midwife... poor thing! LOL She even said she had a premonition it would happen but it still surprised her. Was a tiny tiny bit of meconium in it, but most likely due to her being a day shy of 42 weeks.Although I did not push myself, my body totally took over and at 418pm Mae came flying out (DH was absolutely amazed by this. I was just amazed I barely tore! Required only ONE stitch!)I am not saying that she was born fast, btw. She was actually AIRBORNE when she came out because she came out with such force! This was baby #2 to be born this way (my doctor literally caught DS... midwife literally caught DD2... DD1 came fast but not flying)This was made more amazing when the midwife informed me she was born with both of her arms up by her head! OMG. (The day of the birth I misunderstood and thought she meant one... the next day my other midwife came for my 24 hour check and said no... it was both!)My first reaction was "How bad did I tear!?"My second reaction was "OH MY SHE IS TINY!"Just... much smaller than we expected her to be as she was 2 weeks past her due date!DH took a camera-phone photo of her moments after she was put on my stomach and sent that off to the whole world to know that we had had her (he told me he had to take three to make sure he did not get any part of me that I would be ashamed to have my brothers see in it LOL)We lay there for an hour, DH calling our parents and everyone to let them know she was here, me holding Mae and trying to get her to nurse (when she finally latched she nursed like a pro!)I passed the placenta about half hour after she was born with very little effort... basically just slid out of me.Finally an hour after she was born, with our families yelling (lovingly) at DH to make me give up Mae for a moment so they could know how big she was (lol) we decided it was about time to cut the cord. DH got to do this (I had already cut DD1s so I did not feel like I was missing out and knew he would love to) and was amazed, of course, at the consistency of it... said it was much like cutting rubber (I agree!)Then, DH finally got to hold his daughter as they stitched me up.was the most painful experience of the day! During it I screamed out "WHY DO PEOPLE PIERCE DOWN THERE? THIS DOES NOT FEEL GOOD!" lmao Just glad it was only one stitch!My body has bounced back much faster than it ever did with the other two. I attribute that half to this being my first homebirth and half to DH being so incredibly supportive (XH was less than helpful at my other two births, nearly getting sick the first time and staring at the wall not even holding my hand the second time)I am so happy with my precious little girl and so is DH... cannot wait for my older two to get here later today to meet their little sister!