Welcome, Baby!

HE'S FINALLY HERE! My sweet Baby No-Name.

On Tuesday evening, a friend of mine came over to show me some pressure points that should put you into labor. It's worked for her every time. I was already past my due date (shocker), so I thought I'd give it a try. On Tuesday morning at about 2:30 (if you can even call that morning), I woke up with contractions. We waited until about 4 before going to the hospital, and Craig's sweet mom came over to watch the kids. I was so excited to be in pain, because it meant he was coming on his own. When we got to the hospital, they said I was only dilated to a 2. WHAT?!?!

I walked some laps for a few hours, leaning my head against the wall each time a contraction came, and when Dr. Larsen came at 7:30, I was STILL only at a 2! You've got to be kidding me... My womb must be quite the vacation home. Anyway, they gave me some morphine (shot in the butt... yessss) and told me to go home. Ugh! I couldn't believe it. Besides that, my cervix likes to play hide-and-seek, so I was in agony after being checked so many times. They waited about a half hour for the morphine to keep in and to watch me, and when they came back, I was at a 4. Hallelujah! The nurses left to call Dr. Larsen, and came back and said, "Let's have a baby!"

Things were pretty normal after that. I got my epidural, got my water broken, got some pitocin to help along my ridiculously slow labor, and pushed for about 45 minutes. (15 hour labor... seems long for the 2nd kid, but Brooklyn was 20!) My beautiful, slimy, squirmy little screaming monster was born at 5:10 pm, 21 inches long and 7lbs 13 oz. As the nurses handed him to me, I thought, "Ah!! It's Brooklyn again!" He looks just like her when she was born. It's an indescribable feeling to hold your brand new baby in your arms. My heart overflowed with love, and I thought it might burst. Then I threw up.

He was healthy and beautiful, and I was made a mother again. What a blessing it is to be a mother. To go through childbirth, rejoicing at your pain because of how grateful you are to be able to bring a child into this world. To be willing to suffer anything as long as your baby is healthy and happy. To have your heart break to see your child hurting. It is the greatest blessing in the world. I am so grateful to be this boy's mother.

He had a fever, and so has to stay in the nursery. He cries a lot more than Brooklyn did. :)

Brooklyn was so excited to meet her new brother! It warms my heart to see her interact with him, and talk to him in such a sweet, motherly voice. This girl is so compassionate and loving, and he is lucky to have her. I can guarantee she will baby him and play with him and love him so much. She is my little angel.

And here is the proud papa. What a trooper this man is. He is by my side for everything, and I am stronger because of him. He is an amazing father, and I am loving seeing our family grow!

You may have noticed I haven't said Baby Boy's name.... He doesn't have one yet. :) Sure, we've been calling him Stockton for months, but I'm not sure yet.