The Birth of Elena Rae
Montana woke me up on May 6, 2021, at about 6:15, informing me that today was the day. She had called both the midwife and her mother, and the former was beginning her hour drive to come to our house. I got up slowly, like I usually do, thinking through everything I needed to do to prepare. This is our third child, so I have been through the drill before. I remember feeling excited, but not giddy. I went down stairs to my computer where I telework and told my supervisor that I will not be logging in today. My wife is in labor; the hour has come. Montana and I had decided to do a home birth for our third baby. Our first two boys were born at the hospital, and both were great experiences. Our decision to make the change was in part due to COVID restrictions in our area. We had a lingering fear of the off chance occurring: that one of us would test positive on the day of the birth and Montana would have to deliver the baby alone. More positively, however, we had heard glowing repo