Look Who Decided To Show Up!!!

So this SWEET little piece of heaven joined our family on March 13, 2013 at 10:41 a.m.  He weighed 8 lbs 15 oz. and was 20 1/2 inches long!  Check out that big ol' chest!  My kid's buffer than yours.  Haha...But seriously. A quick version of the birth story goes something like this:  I was to be induced on Wednesday the 13th in the early morning because he was getting really big and my placenta was calcifying really badly.  So at 845 pm on the 12th, my water broke while I was in the shower!  Perfect, right?  

 Well I went into labor shortly after and we were off to the hospital.  I labored naturally for about 6 hours in quite a few different positions.  It was amazingly hard, but rewarding as I worked through each wave with Josh at my side.  My doula Bri was there as well as Em and my Mommy.  They were great to have there :)  I felt so comforted knowing that I had a strong support group with me.  Anyway,  I had been laboring in the tub for about 2 hours when my nurse decided that I needed to get out so she could check me.  She said she was sure I had made a lot of progress for how well and long I had been laboring.  Well I got out and after going into the hospital at 3 cm's, I was ONLY A 5.  To make matters worse, Phoenix had started to get distressed every time I had a contraction.  So they told me I would have to labor in this one strange position on my side because it was where his heart rate was the highest.  I was heartbroken.  I was already on pitocin because my contractions weren't helping me to dilate and I knew that if they upped my pitocin and put me in that position, I would not be able to handle the contractions naturally.I cried :(  But it was okay.  Phoenix takes precedence over me wanting a natural birth by a LOOONNNGGG SHHHOOOOTTT!  So, soon after the anesthesiologist came in to give me an epidural so that I could sleep a bit

before I had to push.  At around 8 am, my most favorite midwife's shift started and I felt comforted knowing that she would be there with me for the delivery.  At about 9:50, I had dilated to a 10 and was ready to push.  As I pushed, Phoenix's heart rate dropped and slowly came back up in between pushing.  It was scary, but I was totally in the zone and completely determined to get that baby out in the least amount of time that I could manage.  After a last minute episiotomy and some help from the nurses, Phoenix's head was born.  His shoulders were then stuck.  So Dena (my midwife) had to reach in and help pull him out.  He was purple and white and very floppy.  I only know because of pictures of all this.  I was a zombie after pushing him out.  He was rushed to a doctor and they got him all cleaned up and flushed out and he was crying in no time.  His abgar score was an 8 and then a 9.  What a miracle :)  When the doctor got done, he asked who wanted to hold him first...  I thought 

 "If anyone says a name other than mine, I will put my epidural in their eye ball."  Luckily for everyone in the room, I was given the baby first ;)  He looked up at me with alert and beautiful eyes.  It was absolutely surreal to look at him and know that he had just been INSIDE ME!!!  I am so grateful for him and his precious spirit.  He already is showing us his adorable personality and bringing an added measure of the spirit to our home.  He is so special.  We love, love, love him!!

 Isn't this picture great?!  It makes James look like a GIANT! It's so cute seeing these cousins together.  On Sunday, Emily, Loafy, James, and my dad came to visit and brought us a yummy pizza lunch that they made :)  It was fun to see James meet the baby and to use his little quiet whispers to talk to the baby.  It'll be fun when they can actually play together!   They're going to be best friends :)