Having a baby in Kazakhstan Part 2: Delivery

We have a baby! Granted he is almost 3 months old, but he is beautiful and healthy and we are grateful for his safe arrival. Ian James was born on May 26 at 9:44 AM after a short 4.5 hour labor from start to delivery.
My labor with Noah was so long we had prepared for at least a 24 hour labor. Juice boxes, and music playlists were never used, but we were thrilled it went so quickly.

I woke up just after 5 AM with the start of labor. I had already had a couple of mornings with "teasers" so I expected this to be another one of those. I got up and grabbed a book (might as well be entertained while I wait). Around 6 AM I realized things were progressing so I woke up Brett and my Mom--it was time for a walk. Brett and I decided to walk around the Highvill complex, so as not to be too far away. At the end of a 40 minute walk contractions were about 5 minutes apart. We came home and I got in the tub, and Brett took a shower to get ready for the day. When he got out of the shower contractions were around 3-4 minutes, and I was getting uncomfortable. He called our OBGYN and she said to go over to the hospital, she would call the staff and they would be waiting.
Brett then told me he was calling a taxi, and I argued that it was not time. He assured me it was, and at 8:45 I was being loaded into a cab. As we were leaving the house Olivia says to Noah, "Mom is in labor. It sounds like the wind." Noah replies, "No, it sounds like the mosque."
You may wonder what the taxi driver's response was to a woman laboring in the back seat (I had 4 contractions  in the 10 minute drive to the hospital). Nothing. He did not even blink or look back. Brett was impressed.
We arrived at the hospital, and it was empty and dark. Great. We march (or maybe crawl) down a long hall to where we are supposed to register, and no one is there! We panic. By this time my contractions are right on top of each other. Brett called our OB again. Turns out the staff was in a different office. We find them and the first thing they do is ask for documents--of course. At this point I decide that on my hands and knees is a much better position for me to be in. I wish I had recorded the faces of the nurses as I drop down. After a few seconds of paper work, they get me in the stirrups to determine how far along we are. We are expecting a number between 1 and 10, but the nurse turns around and says "Polnay". Brett is wracking his brain because he knows this is not a number when he realizes it means full. He confirms "polnay", and the nurse turns to him and in English says "10!". Then the nurses got moving. I am so relieved sitting up in the chair that the worst is over. They roll me onto a bed and take me upstairs to delivery. 15 minutes of pushing and our Ian arrives. He was placed immediately on me and covered in blankets. They lifted the blankets once to make sure he was okay and then left us alone. It was wonderful.

A+ to the Mother and Child center. Good work.

A special thanks to my parents as well as Brett's for the love and support during Ian's birth, especially flying around the world to come and help. Also thanks to Kendra and Erik, without whom we would not have been able to receive Ian's passport in time to travel to the US this summer. Love you guys.