birth story addendum.
Addendum! I forgot the best part.
During most of labor Bradee dealt with her pain with a low, moaning chant. (apparently that's pretty common.) She almost never spoke English during a contraction. It was focus, quiet, moan, focus, get through it.
But near the end, when it really. really. hurt, she lost her center a few times and the exhaustion and pain took over. And one time, mid-contraction, she cried "please, honey, help". And that, combined with my own exhaustion and fear for her, well, that did it, I lost it. I put my head in my hands and wept. No, I bawled.
And in the middle of the contraction from hell, Bradee turned her head towards me and said "Scott, keep it together". And patted me on the head.
Then she said "that's all I got" and went back to work.