What happened

The Setup

Katie’s due date was Saturday May 23rd. She had a doctor appointment on Wednesday May 20th

May 20th Timeline in review

2:40 Scheduled Dr. appointment at OBGYN office
3:00 Meet with Dr. Bair. Katie is still only dilated to a 2. Schedule to be induced on May 30th in case the baby doesn’t come.
3:30 while driving home from Dr. office Katie says “I may have just had a contraction”
3:30 -5:30 Shopping (returns and purchases)
5:30-6:00 Dinner
6:00 Call Bell’s to arrange care for Elizabeth
6:58 Drop Elizabeth off at the Bell’s home
7:00 Dallin Calls parents to tell them they are headed to the hospital
7:02 Dallin hangs up on parents because Katie is having rough contractions
7:06 Dallin and Katie get to the Freeway as they get on Katie says “I am having the urge to push.” Dallin and Katie try to breathe and relax with only limited success.
7:09 The RAV4 hits 84mph as Dallin tries to safely navigate a crowded freeway and 55mph speed limit
7:11 Katie expresses disappointment in the pain and circumstances by saying “I wanted an epidural”
7:13 Contractions are hard and constant. The car is very tense. Katie is very worried that the baby is coming. Dallin is trying to help Katie breathe but finds himself trying to slow his own breathing down.
7:14 Katie says “I can feel the head coming” and “I am dilating right now.”
7:15 Katie is screaming. She says that she is pushing and that the baby is coming. Dallin calls 911 but hangs up quickly as he sees the hospital exit is only 1.5 miles away.
7:17 Katie says she is going to have the baby right now that she can feel the head coming. Dallin and Katie try to keep breathing. Dallin reminds Katie that she can’t have the baby because her water hasn’t broken. He also reminds her that they had to break the water for Elizabeth and that Mom Cornwall had to have her water broken for all six kids. That we were going to make it to the hospital and be ok
7:18 The freeway exit appears Katie informs Dallin that her water just broke and that the baby is coming
7:19 Katie and Dallin run 3 (out of a total 4 possible, one light was green) red lights.
7:20 Dallin parks the car in front of the hospital doors turns on the hazard lights and runs to the passenger side. Random stranger asks if we need a wheel chair. Katie and Dallin both say yes. Said stranger runs to get the wheel chair.
7:21 Dallin pushes a screaming Katie through a very large and crowded lobby. As Dallin jogs past the lobby’s desk he tells a hospital employee his car is out front and that his wife is in labor. Dallin doesn’t leave time for a response as he jogs to the elevator that is being held for them by people who had heard Katie’s screams
7:22 Dallin and Katie get to the 3rd floor. Dallin tells the receptionist “We are preregistered. We are having the baby right now.” We follow the receptionist 20 yards to the nearest room
7:23 Dallin, Katie and the receptionist enter room 334. The receptionist says something about getting a Dr. Katie stands up and says “He is in my pants.” Dallin looks and sees that there appears to be a head between Katie’s legs. Dallin pulls down Katie’s pants and catches the baby (with his bare and unwashed hands). Dallin holds the baby and looks at the receptionist who says “I am not a nurse.”
7:24 Eight to ten nurses swarm the room. Dallin hands the baby off to a nurse. (Remember the baby is still attached by the umbilical cord). With the help of one of the nurses Dallin lifts Katie to the bed. A gentleman enters and says I heard screaming do you need help (a random OBGYN named Dr. Pennikas). The room is not a standard delivery room so there is a flurry of activity to get the needed supplies. Dallin cuts the umbilical cord and Daniel Morris Stratford starts flying solo.
7:25- we leave the hospital 40 hours later Katie receives no medication or IV (the doctor left before signing any forms and Katie felt fine). Katie’s recovery goes remarkably well. Katie and Daniel are doing great.