He's here...

I had an appointment (39 weeks) on Monday morning. The doctor checked me out and said I was 3cm and 50% effaced. She told me to go home and walk, and I could either go into labor that night or it might take a few days. Either way, we'd induce on Thursday.

I got home and hit the pavement. About five minutes into the walk the contractions started. I timed them, and towards the end of the walk they were consistently 4 minutes apart. You are to call the doctor and head to the hospital when they are 5 minutes apart for 1 hour. To say I was getting my hopes up is an understatement.

When I got home, the contractions subsided. Stephen and I decided to run some last minute errands, and we of course parked far away so I could walk further!! Once we got home, the contractions started arriving regularly again at 5 minutes apart. I jumped in the shower and got ready, called the doctor once we hit the hour mark and we packed up for the hospital.

Stephen's parents were on their way in, and ironically arrived when we were about to head out. Stephen and I headed to Chick-fil-A to make sure I'd eaten (it was about 6:30pm) and then headed into the hospital. Once we arrived and were in the L&D room, the nurse checked me and found that I hadn't really changed since my morning appointment. I was disappointed, and to make matters worse the nurse said if I didn't change in the next hour they were going to send me home with an Ambien to get some rest. My contractions weren't regular at this point, so I was really nervous.

The nurse came in an hour later and I'd progressed to a 4. She was admitting me. I was ecstatic. I was able to get up and walk around at that point, hoping to move labor along. It was at this point that the labor moved to my back. It was excruciating. I held on as long as I could, and at 6cm I decided to get the epidural (around midnight). It.Changed.My.Life.

My parents arrived soon after, and when the nurse checked me she realized I'd progressed at double the rate she expected and I was now at an 8. She called the doctor in and decided that since my contractions weren't regular (they never were) she wanted to give me pitocin to make sure I kept progressing. Well, I did, and before the doctor could get back in the room I was ready to push. After ten minutes of pushing, he arrived. Full head of hair and a hearty scream. We cried, kissed, loved on our son and became a family!

Now...onto what you came here for :)

Proud Daddy

Proud Mommy

Innocent Little Man

Love this picture, and love him!

He may not be happy, but we were overwhelmed with joy!

So wrinkly!

Full head of brown hair!

Loves being swaddled...

but only if his right hand is free :)

Headed home!

Big yawn after his first night of little sleep

Sweet toes

So tired!

Posed in his moses basket

Loves his hand!!

We're so blessed to have him in our lives. God formed him perfectly, and we couldn't be happier and more lucky to have been chosen to be his parents. He's a cutie!