He came two weeks early. And thank God. Because the pregnancy was killing me. So let me back up…
In my last post, I mentioned my trip to the ER. Well, I had to go have another procedure on Nov. 9th. That one was even more severe and I spent 7 straight hours later that day in excruciating unrelenting agony. After spending months with a bad case of SPD pain and then this problem in my last month, it was just getting to be so much. I really think that spending those hours on the 9th in that kind of pain made my body say “ok, it’s time to get this baby out”. The following morning at 5:30am I woke up with contractions. Not Braxton Hicks, the real ones. So, at exactly 38 weeks pregnant, I knew that this was the day!
Ron took some photos of me that morning:

While we were waiting for the contractions to be regular and 5 minutes apart, I passed a pretty big blood clot, and that scared us enough to want to get checked out at the hospital, so we left around 10:30am to go do that. We took a photo in the parking lot by the sign (same thing we did last time when Jaimee was born):

I just love the trees in the background. It was a gorgeous fall day!
They checked me out & monitored me and determined that baby and I were ok and that we should go home until contractions were regular. So now it was 12:30pm and I was 3cm dilated and 50% effaced.
We went home and labored some more. My sister Missy arrived and brought us lunch (the yummiest caprese sandwiches from the Nugget) and we waited. By 3:00pm we were headed back to the hospital… the contractions were coming fast and hard! I went from 5 minutes apart to 2 minutes by the time we reached the hospital! In triage they said I was 5cm dilated and I wanted my epidural ASAP. By the time I got it and they checked me again, I was 8cm.
Me, happy and pain free, with Ron – we’re so excitied!

And ohhhhh, that epidural. I was so thankful. It was the first time in months I was feeling no pain. And there I was with my ideal birthing situation with Ron and my sisters by my side. I was so enjoying it, I was in no hurry for baby to arrive.
Me with my sisters Juli and Missy:

The epidural slowed the progress waaaaaayyyyyyy down. By 9:30 pm I began thinking that maybe the baby would wait until after midnight and have a birthday of 11-11-11. But at 10:40p my water broke (more like EXPLODED – it shook me and the hospital bed!) and Bennett starting coming. I let the contractions do the work, gave one genuine push, and there he was at 11:04pm!

I created a layout with a photo taken just before leaving the hospital. A family of six!

(using all Basic Grey digital)
and then a page with photos I took yesterday:

(using all Designer Digitals – click for larger view and details). I just love how those photos turned out!
So now we’re settling in to life with a new member in our family. He’s nursing well, yay! Now we just need to get his days and nights turned around. We’re so happy and feeling so blessed to have a beautiful healthy baby boy in our family. And I’m so glad I’m not pregnant anymore.



Holy moly! You’ve been very busy! Congratulations to you and your beautiful family!
You look positively gorgeous in labor!!! Love it!!! Congratulations again on this wonderful new part of your family!
What a beautiful story. What a gorgeous pregnant Kathleen! And what a beautiful beautiful baby. And a truly beautifully blessed family. Happy Thanksgiving!! xoxoxox
Love hearing all the details, Kathleen. Bennett is a gorgeous baby…like all your others! Have a wonderful Thanksgiving. You have been truly blessed! <3
Congratulations Kathleen! You look wonderful! And I can’t believe you had time to scrap. You are incredible =)
Melita
What an amazing day and an amazing baby. Overjoyed that Juli and I were able to share it with you and Ron
Love you!
Mis
Congratulations! He is so sweet! And you looked GREAT in the midst of labor…geesh! *smile* I love the flower in your hair! So happy for you and your family!
Wow! Congratulations and a big welcome to Bennett. You look fantastic. Thankful all went well and you have a healthy new member added to the family.