Baby's arrival catches parents on the go

Last Tuesday, June 2, Puget Island resident Hollie McKay-Beach woke up to what she thought were gas pains at 5:50 a.m. It didn’t take her too long to realize she was having contractions and that they were already just four minutes apart.

She tried to wake her husband, Patrick, but he wasn’t having any of it. Soon her contractions were two to three minutes apart, and Patrick was awake. Being groggy, his regard for the situation didn’t match hers, and he told her he needed 15 to 20 minutes to get ready.

Hollie tried to hurry him and took the time to contact her babysitter Iris, who hurried over to watch their three children.

Patrick and Hollie got in their Dodge van and headed to the hospital.

“We had just rounded Holloway’s Corner when my water broke,” Hollie said. “I had grabbed something to protect my seat, but in my hurry I forgot to use it.”

At this point, Hollie told Patrick that she thought they were going to need an ambulance.

“I can get us to the hospital in 15 or 20 minutes,” Patrick assured her.

A few minutes later, Hollie became more insistent.

They pulled into County Line Park, and Hollie pushed her seat back while Patrick ran around the vehicle to her side while calling 911.

“I was in so much pain I couldn’t pull my pants down,” Hollie said. “I was pushing and she came out so fast, Patrick had to fish her out of my pants before she slid down my leg.”

Patrick placed the baby on Hollie’s belly and tied the umbilical cord with the first handy thing he could find.

“I had just read something about how I should rub the baby’s back, so I did that,” Hollie said. “We put a jacket over her and Patrick turned on the heaters while we waited for the ambulance.”

A truck pulled into County Line Park and Hollie began to pray that the driver would not pull up next to them, as she would soon have to exit the Dodge without pants on.

“I thought she was so small,” Hollie said of her fourth child and fourth girl. She laughed. “She was 10 pounds 13 ounces. I guess I was wrong.”

Rachel was born at 7:25 a.m., less than two hours after Hollie’s first contraction. She joins her sisters Julianne, 13, Abigail, 6, and Alyssa, 3.

A herdsman, Patrick is experienced in delivering lambs and calves; this was his first delivery of a human.

“We’ll have all her birthday parties at County Line Park,” Patrick joked.