I had an uneventful and healthy pregnancy with our fourth child. My first two had been drug/intervention free hospital births, the third was a home birth and our fourth was a planned home birth with Gentle Birth Options. All of our babies had come quick; 3.5 hrs, 3 hrs and 2 hrs and 45 minutes respectively. I knew the whole pregnancy there would be a very real chance we would be birthing without our birth team though praying they wouldn't be too far behind just in case there were complications. 41.1 wks into this healthy, uneventful pregnancy I requested to have membranes stretched. The morning of September 11, 2014 Cindi did just that. I was 5cm with baby quite low. After a normal NST my husband Adam and I left the office for some Thai food. I had a few contractions during lunch. We had to pick up our other three children and start the 2 hour drive back to Panama City. Lunch in Niceville was a much needed delay just in case the membrane manipulation got things moving before we could get home. No one wants to have a baby on the side of the road. We arrived back home still pregnant around 2:30p. I went to take a nap and left Adam to care for the kids. I slept a glorious three hours uninterrupted. I awoke at 5:30p. I sat in bed for a moment feeling no contractions. I sent a text to Cindi letting her know. I got up, went to the bathroom and started out to the yard where I would find my husband and children playing. I had a contraction. Then, I had another. I was paying attention to these last couple so I thought I should let Cindi know. She asked that I get in the tub and see how I felt. Between feeling the contractions at 545p and the tub filled and me in it at 615p I was unable to update her via text. My body was already clearing itself out (many trips out of the tub and to the toilet) and I was focusing on my labor which I was positive was active. Cindi called Adam and asked if they should come now...YES! My birth team was on their way. I jumped in and out of the tub multiple times to toilet before settling in to a great relaxation pattern. I was centered on the music being played, the essential oils diffusing into the room and my sweet children helping me labor. My husband was managing the logistics of getting the outdoor birth lights plugged in, our babysitter, photographer and birth team all on location. At 7:50p I felt an overwhelming desire to get out of the tub. To this day I will never know why, I just knew I had to. So I did. I sprinted to my bedroom and laid on my side. Adam was not far behind me with a towel, drying my skin as I settled into relaxation again. Five minutes had gone by before I said with certainty, "they're not going to make it!" "yes they are baby, just breath." Adam had said. I was pushing, "no, they're not going to make it!" Adam replied, "okay, we've got this" and moved from his support position behind me to sitting on the edge of the bed, my leg on his shoulder and began applying counter pressure to my perineum. Our babysitter/my best friend now moved to my support person, offering her lap as a pillow. My children became my support people as they chanted, "go mommy, I see the baby, you're doing it, you're doing it!" while my photographer who looked just terrified every time I opened my eyes to place the people present, became a birth assistant. I took on the role of birth-er and birth manager. After the first push I asked the photographer to put the towels in the dryer. The second and final push revealed our baby. Adam was saying, "I see her, she is almost here honey you're doing great, slow and controlled...". Baby was out. It was an easy birth. Adam began to laugh, why is he laughing?! "It's a BOY!" he said, "You have go to be kidding me!" was my reply. You see, I believed to whole pregnancy that this baby was a girl. The pregnancy had mocked our daughters and my "intuition" had told me it was a girl. My intuition was clearly wrong. I couldn't have been happier though. This beautiful baby boy was staring back at me. I held him close and breathed in his new life. I sat up and began nursing. A minute or so later I announced that the placenta was coming. My friend held the bowl under me and caught the afterbirth. Cindi called to inform us that she was just a few minutes away. Adam let her know that baby was already here and that he and I were doing just fine. About ten minutes after our boy was born the birth team arrived, first Christina and Lorrie then Cindi. Judging by Christina's facial expression when she walked in she hadn't yet gotten the memo that baby beat them to the birth. Our birth, although a planned home birth, ended up being an unplanned unassisted home birth executed with ease in an hour and 45 minutes. My husband was amazingly calm. You would have thought he had done this a hundred times before. My children were amazing cheerleaders and my best friend was attentive. After our birth team arrived they crossed all the T's and dotted the I's. Our birth was perfect. Our newest son, Mason Roy Wickes 8lb 22"long was perfect. It was all, from beginning to end, perfect.