Chris, Beka and Finley: December 2009

Now for the catching up..... I went for my 39 week visit on Novemeber 23 and my BP was slightly elevated still so my CNM decided to check me and see how far dilated I was to see if I was favorable for labor at this point. When she checked I was 3cm, which is "favorable" and decided at this point we should probably admit me to the hospital and have a baby!!!! She let me go home, take a shower, eat, get my bags and wait for Chris to get home from work and then go to the hospital. By the time I got all of that done, I checked into the hospital around 5pm. They monitored me in Maternity Admissions and drew lab work and all that good stuff and finally it was time to go to Birthing Suites. My friend Melissa was going to be my nurse until my friend Nicole on night shift got there at 7pm. They let me pick my room, which I picked 162 because it is big and has a walk in shower... Special treatment #1. When I got to L&D I was greeted by so many smiling faces of co-workers and friends wishing me luck and got lots of great hugs!!!
Once I was admitted, all the paperwork done, and settled in Tanya CNM came by to see me and placed a Cytotec beside the cervix which helps soften the cevix and get it ready for labor. This medicine makes you cramp... and that I did. I only needed 1 dose of this which is good, lots of times people usually get at least 2 doses, but I was contracting away! I progressed slowly at the beginning, I was dilating a 1/2-1 cm a hour. Tanya came and broke my water at 12:42am and then is was on... The Contractions started picking up and I was starting to hurt. I had a lot of fluid, and it was very uncomfortable after that. My friend Nicole who was taking care of me, suggested a epidural around 4:30am and I think I got it at a perfect time. After the epidural I was able to rest and get ready for the hard part. My mom and dad came back around 7am and Chris of course was still there and we were able to talk about when mom was in the hospital having me and the girls, and just enjoy each other. Melissa my friend was back to care for me that morning and she brought her camera to take pictures of him after he was born... she does an amazing job! Tanya came back to see me and Dr. Taavon and I was 7 cm dilated around 9am. Tanya told me that we would have a baby around lunch time. At this point I was feeling a lot of pressure in my bottom and I kept feeling I needed to push, but it wasn't time yet! Labor nurses like to have their patients "Labor Down" which means once someone is completely dilated to 10cm, you allow the body to push the baby down and it allows mom less pushing and also is easier on her body... Not to mention less work for the nurse too! I had told Melissa I wanted to labor down, I wasnt wanting to push for hours and she was happy about that. well... Around 12:20pm I was feeling so much pressure I could hardly sit still. She checked me and I was 10cm and she said lets push, He is right there!
I started pushing at 12:20 and Finley Cole Harker was born at 12:41pm Novemeber 24, 2009. It was AMAZING!!!! I cried, Chris cried, Mom cried, Hannah Cried... Everyone even the nurses and Tanya had tears, It was Beautiful!

He weighed 7lbs 10oz, he was 20 and 1/2 inches long and a headful of brown hair. He was Perfect! Everything went perfect and better than I ever expected. Chris surprised me with Diamond earings after he was born and I cried some more. I can honestly say, I was in love instantly! We had to stay in the hospital 2 days, and we were discharged on Thanksgiving Day! Just in time to go to grannys for Lunch! We are so happy and each day we look into his beutiful eyes and are just in amazement of how Great our God is and How can you not believe in God! The miracle of Life is more than I can even imagine! Thank you Lord for Finley Cole Harker!