A Story To Tell, And It's A Good One!

I'm struggling with just how to tell this story, but rest assured it has a very happy ending! Yesterday I was talking to a ward member on the phone when my friend Camilla's number beeped in. I knew Camilla's baby was due, so I quickly excused myself from the conversation, but I was too slow. When I called Camilla back, she told me that she had been having contractions for a while but just wasn't sure if she should go into the hospital since she had already had a non-stress test that morning and they sent her home saying she was probably having "false labor!" She wondered if she could bring her other kids to my house so she could go in. I suggested that I come get her kids, but she said that she'd just bring them on her way. She started having a contraction and said she'd call me back. When she called back, she was sure that she should go in, but still thought she should just drop off the kids on her way. We hung up, and I quickly changed clothes and put on make up (this late in the afternoon, why even bother...I know!). She then called right back at 3:43 and asked if I could come watch the kids at her house! I could tell it was getting serious, so I told my boys to get their shoes and I woke up Alison and went right over. Her twins were out in their van, so I told them to get out and play, and that we'd be staying at their house until their Aunt came to pick them up. They told me that their Mom was in the bathroom having her baby. Right then I heard Camilla scream "LIZ, GET IN HERE NOW!" I dropped my bag outside their door and ran in to see my dear friend on her hands and knees on her bathroom floor! From this point on things happened so quickly that I know I don't have the exact details clear! I went into the bathroom and she told me that the baby's head was crowning. I put my hand on her back and looked over and sure enough there was a little head crowning and it was blue! I started saying "what do I do?" "what do I do?" I ran back out and got my cell and called 911. I placed Alison down on the floor in their Living Room. Camilla handed me their home phone, and I saw that the Salt Lake Fire Dept. was calling. I had two phones to my ears and wasn't even doing anything to help Camilla. The 911 lady that I had called told me not to hang up, but I told her that I had the Salt Lake Fire Dept. on the home line and that they were on their way. I needed to put one of the phones down and start helping my friend! They told me to get her on a bed on her back. I said this to Camilla and she said she couldn't move and that she needed to push. I ran into her bedroom and started pulling her comforter off so she could at least lay on it, but it never made it into the bathroom. I ran in and helped her roll over. Alison was crying in the hallway now. Camilla gave a good push and the baby's head came all the way out. She was screaming that I needed to pull and the lady on the phone was telling me to push something but I'm not sure what. I pushed on her thighs but decided I really needed to listen to Camilla. She said she was going to push and yelled at me to pull. I got my hands in there and tried once, but couldn't get him. The next time she pushed, I put my hands right in and pulled him out. I laid him on her stomach. He was completely blue/purple and not moving. (We're guessing by phone records that this was at 3:50...7 minutes after she called me the last time!!!) The 911 lady asked if he was crying, and I told her that my daughter was in the background crying. Camilla yelled at me to stop worrying about Alison. Camilla was then so with it, she told me to go get a syringe off of Roger's dresser. I ran in and the room seemed dark, but the green syringe stood right out. I grabbed it and we sucked out what we could and got him to make a little sound. I remember rummaging around on the floor and grabbed Camilla's garments and wiped him off a bit. I looked up and saw her neighbor Gordon grab my daughter and take her out. Right after we heard the baby, the paramedics arrived and I was able to hang up the 911 call. I got called back on my cell phone and they confirmed that two calls had been made for the same incident. Her husband D had called 911 from his cell phone while I was calling from my cell phone. Camilla told me that there were some towels in her laundry room. I ran and grabbed those and handed them to a paramedic. I went into the kitchen and washed my hands. I ran outside and saw some of their neighbors gathered on her driveway and across the street. I had a little freak out moment, and reality set in as to what just happened. I told the neighbors that she just delivered her baby on the bathroom floor. They all looked so shocked! I can't imagine how I looked. Camilla's husband D came out with the baby wrapped in a blanket and showed him to me. He already looked less blue. I guess D had arrived and went into the bathroom, but I never saw him go in. Now D is a DOCTOR, so it's unfortunate that I was there and not him, but it all worked out! He took the baby to the ambulance to get warm. One of the paramedics told me "Good job in there." It was all so surreal! I wanted to make contact with Camilla so I snuck in as they had her on a chair by the front door ready to put her on a stretcher. I gave her a kiss on the forehead and told her I loved her. The bowl she was holding totally caught my eye, but I thought it was something the paramedics had brought to catch any of the after birth. Nope, it turns out it was her own salad bowl! D gave me his car keys to bring up his car later, and they took Camilla and the baby up to the hospital. D's brother was going to take the kids so we got Roger who had been asleep downstairs through all of this. We grabbed his shoes. Davis made sure he grabbed his DVD player and Harry Potter DVD's. Eliza had the biggest smile when I told her that her brother was here and that they were going to take him up to the hospital. Camilla's sweet Sister-in-law stayed and cleaned up the bathroom. I talked to another neighbor who was pregnant. She said that she'd be having a scheduled c-section! :) I took my kids home and began calling everyone and telling my neighbors and flooring them with my story. I know this was long winded, but I was in a daze then, and these are the details I remember! Well, the happy ending is that baby Reed and Camilla are both great! He was 8 lbs 4 oz and 20 inches long. I went and visited them today and swapped stories with Camilla. She looked amazing, she IS AMAZING!!! She actually came home tonight! I am blessed in my life to have wonderful friends and family! I certainly look back and wish that I had done things differently or more calmly, but no more beating myself up! He made it, she made it, and I hope I never have to go through that again! So NO I'm not offering my services to any of you friends out there who are pregnant! Don't ask! And YES it will be a while before we even think if we would like to have another baby of our own!
Isn't Reed adorable??? And I apologize for the bloody capri's, but they are my proof! And signing the "Attendant" line on the vital records form was pretty cool, too! Yeah, you can say it....WOW!