Go Go Go Joseph!!!

Well, it's the news you've all been waiting for! Joseph finally decided to grace the world with his presence! He was born on November 25th at 6:27pm. He weighed 7lbs 9oz, was 20 inches long and had a 37 centimeter head! (that's BIG in case you're wondering, and yes, I am feeling it.) :)

Up until that morning I had not had any contractions that ever were painful or that woke me up in the night, so when I had one around 3 am that was painful and did wake me up and then another one not too long after, I woke John up and asked him to start timing them. They went consecutively from 10 minutes apart, to 8, 7, then stayed around 5 and 4 from then on out. That's when we decided that it was what we had been waiting for, so we woke up my mom and little brother. We drove McKay to my sister-in-law's house and then went to the hospital around 5:00am.

I was officially admitted around 7:30am. I was dilated to a 3 when I was admitted and by 9:30 I was at a 4. I spent the next few hours walking around the hospital and when they checked me next around 12:30, we were all excited when I was dilated to a 7. Staying relaxed and focusing on my breathing was key to my success in having this natural labor. It was great. My support through labor was wonderful. I couldn't have requested a better nurse, my doula was intensely focused on me, my husband's emotional and physical attentiveness was perfect and my mom did a fabulous job of documenting the whole experience for me both with a camera and on video.

We were all thrilled with my progression and figured that he would be born soon after noon, but it took a little while longer yet. By around 2:30 I was dilated to a 9, but that's where I became stuck and labored for about 3 hours there. It was really really tough! But with the AMAZING help of my doula (I highly recommend having one) and my wonderful husband, I was able to make it through that.

The doctor came in and recommended that I get an epidural and that they start me on a little pitocin to progress me the rest of the way and get to the pushing. When I heard him suggest the epidural, I thought to myself, "are you kidding me!? I've made it this far already and it really hasn't been that bad! I'm going the whole way!" So, no epidural, but they did start the pitocin. I was pushing not too long after and it was VERY hard.

There was still something not right though... the baby wasn't coming down and his heart rate started to drop pretty low. My doctor (a family doctor, not an OBGYN) was pretty sure that the baby was posterior, but wanted a second opinion and didn't attempt to turn him on his own. They asked me to try to breath through those contractions instead of push and that was SOOOO hard. It was at that point, hearing his low heart rate and seeing the looks on everyone's faces, that I was totally fine with being wheeled into surgery to have a c-section, as long as it got my baby out safe and fast because I didn't know how I was going to make it through any more of those contractions! But again, with the help of Jen, my doula, and John, I somehow made it through until the other doctor came in. He confirmed that Joseph was posterior (meaning that his face was facing my spine, which makes for pretty rough lower back pain during labor) and wanted to try turning him to see if that would help him descend. Gratefully he was able to turn him really fast and it only took four more contractions to push Joseph the rest of the way out.

I cannot even begin to describe how amazing it was to push him out and feel the incredible relief as first his head and quickly the rest of his little body came sliding out. So so so amazing. As soon as he was out, John lost it and was crying tears of joy and relief at the birth of his first little son. It was such a special moment!

I was crying too as the nurses quickly cleaned him off and brought him up to my chest for me to hold him.

What an unforgettable moment filled with such gratitude, elation and, for me especially, relief.

I delivered the placenta without much effort and then had the "joy" of being stitched up by the doctor while everyone else's attention was on Joseph.

It was very ouchy, especially when a few of the stitches went in where the local anesthesia had worn off! I still can't laugh without feeling like I'm going to pop my stitches and I hope they heal soon because I miss laughing in my normal way! I had requested not to have an episiotomy and as far as my tear goes, the doctor only told me it was a "pretty good one." While I was being stitched, Joseph was being checked, weighed, and measured and then they brought him back to me for me to try breastfeeding him.

He is a natural at it... a great little sucker! Next I went to the bathroom and then was helped into a wheelchair and got to watch as Joseph had his first bath while John brushed my hair out.

Then they took us up to the recovery room. We stayed in the hospital that night, had a few visitors in the morning and then left around three that next day.

We drove up to Enterprise that evening and spent Thanksgiving at John's parents' house. Joseph's cousins were especially excited to see and hold him.

We gave them that opportunity and then let him spend the rest of the time there in a bedroom away from everyone, hoping to keep him away from any illnesses. We came to our home home Friday morning and have been loving this time taking care of and getting to know our little boy. We love him so much and couldn't be happier with how everything has played out. We truly have so much to be thankful for during this Thanksgiving holiday!

Oh yes. I have to be sure to mention this. John, who had always said he can't change dirty diapers, has already become a pro changer... even messy ones! I had been in the bathroom and I came out and John said, "I changed his diaper." I said, "really!? Was it messy?" When he said "yes," I beamed with pride but said, "and I can't believe I missed it!" So no pictures of that momentous occasion, but let it be known that John is the best daddy I could ever hope for! He's changing diapers, knows some secret to walking Joseph to sleep that I haven't figured out, knows how to swaddle him and dress him and even gets up in the night and quiets him when he cries, just to give me a few more moments of precious sleep. I really really love my husband.