It's About Time!

Introducing..........

Yes, I'm a little behind on my blogging and I can name three reasons why. I love them all more than life itself if that gives you any clue! If it's not obvious enough, we welcomed our very first little boy into the family WAAAAAAAAAAAYY back in August and it seems like he's been with us longer than that! He is WONDERFUL, to say the least.

Our last picture as a family of 4, right before leaving for the hospital!

Here's Sam's birth story:
I woke up very early Wednesday, August 18th with contractions and began timing them around 4 am since they seemed to be pretty regular. After timing several and realizing that they were not going to stop, I woke up Chris and told him that today would be the day! He decided he'd better go into work for a little while to get ahead on some things, knowing he would need to take a few days off. So he left for work around 5:30 and I tried to stay calm and stay in bed for a little longer and relax, but I was too excited. I couldn't do much, but I fiddled around on the computer and waited for the girls to wake up.....And when they did, I brought them both into my bed and snuggled and snuggled with them (and cried a little thinking about how this would be our last time snuggling, just the three of us). Chris came home around 8 or 9 after I had called the Dr's office and asked them if they wanted me to come in to be checked or just head straight to the hospital. They said to come straight to the hospital since this was my third baby and who knows how quickly things could go. At this point, my contractions were very regular around 5 min. apart and I was feeling fine.

My mom got here to stay with the girls around 10 or 11 (I honestly can't remember if this is even close to the right time but we'll just go with it!). I still didn't feel READY to go, so I just piddled around doing different little things to stay busy. All this time I was communicating with my best friend, Melissa, who is a labor/delivery nurse and she was trying to talk me into just going ahead and getting to the hospital....

On our way to the hospital, as I sat there in the car feeling JUST FINE, I thought we should run by the mall to pick up a going home outfit for this unknown baby. Chris was a little unsure about this idea, but he granted my wish and took me to Old Navy. As we walked into the mall, I remember saying "this might not last long" as I was feeling lots of pressure. We immediately found a bathroom for me and then quickly glanced in the newborn section at Old Navy until I realized we better get to the hospital. I headed to the bathroom yet again while Chris went on to pull the car up. People were looking at me like I was about to have a baby drop out of me...well, I was!

When we arrived at the hospital, I walked into triage and told the lady at the desk that I was there to have my baby today, with a huge smile on my face! I'm sure I didn't appear to be in labor. After giving her all of my information, she was informed that they did not have any rooms available in triage so she had to turn us away and encouraged me to stay at the hospital to walk. We tried that and I had to go in EVERY single bathroom and could hardly walk around without feeling like this baby was just going to fall out! So we went back to triage to see if they had anything open up and sure enough, they did not. Since I knew I was better off sitting, we hopped in the car and went to get a bite to eat. I took maybe one bite of my sandwich and just didn't feel like eating.

Then we headed back to triage yet again and she said they had an open room for me....And as we were sitting there giving her all my information AGAIN, an ambulance came in and they said that woman would need the room before me. Hmm, at this point I was ready to go outside, call an ambulance myself and have first dibs on the next open room. We waited. And finally they decided to place me in a regular labor/delivery room to have a nurse check me. If in fact I was in labor, I would stay in that room...and if I wasn't, who knows what they would have done with me! Sure enough, I was already 5 cm and IN LABOR, despite my calm (to them) appearance ;)

At last......I could relax a bit more knowing I wasn't going to have a baby in the triage waiting room or one of the many hospital bathrooms. So we waited....and waited....and had a visit from my wonderful Dr. who checked me and ruptured my water around 4:15ish. She lives only minutes from the hospital so she assured me she could run home real quick and be back in time to deliver our baby. It was all pretty quick after she broke my water and Dr. Leinenbach arrived back just in time for me to push our little man out in one contraction (I think it was 3 pushes to be exact). We were ALL so shocked that HE was a BOY!!! We had taken final guesses from everyone in the room right before and we all pretty much agreed HE would be a GIRL.

Just like I cried with JOY when Lydia was born because I was thrilled that Addie would have a sister, I cried for JOY knowing my girls would have a baby brother when Sam was born! I will admit that I felt a teeny tiny bit of fear in the unknown with having a boy, but let me just say.....that has all gone completely away and I am enjoying this little BOY to the fullest!

Our first photo as a family of 5!

So now everyone assumes we're done since we have three and especially because "we got our boy" (which we were never hoping strongly this baby would be, knowing we would have more!). God willing, we will have many more little blessings join our family.............