The story of Benson's Birth

We had planned to have a baby shower on May 20, but due to the fact that I went into the hospital on May 14 and didn't leave until the 23rd, the shower got post poned. So since I was on bedrest at home, we had the shower at my house and I sat in my recliner while my sweet friends and family showered me with blessings for my little one on the way. It was so much fun- such a great memory.

We had scheduled a doctors visit for the next morning at 8:45. We normally always go to the doctor in the late afternoon after Benjamin and I get off work, but this time, my OB was going out of town at noon for a week, so he wanted to see us early and give me a shot of progesterone to "help keep me pregnant" until he got back.

Before the shot, he checked me and discovered that I had advanced to six cm. dilated and my cervix was "paper thin." He said, "we're going to have this baby in the next 24 hours." He, again, didn't let us go home, but sent us straight to the hospital and we, again, didn't have the first thing packed or ready for a hospital stay. Praise the Lord that our family lives in town!

He came in at about 11:45, before he was to leave to go out of town, and he said that, at that point, one or two more days of Benson staying in my belly really wasn't going to make that big of a difference, and that the 25 days he had been in there since the first time he tried to come into the world had really gotten him good and ready for the outside world. Ideally, of course, we would have wanted him to stay in for 5- 1/2 more weeks, but today was the day. So he gave the orders for the doctor who would be on call (since he was going out of town) to help get things rolling so they would be "in control of the situation." At 1:30 pm, the antithesiologist came in and gave me an epidural.

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I was scared to pieces of having a needle stuck in my back and almost opted out of the pain meds... but my doctor said I would likely want to have more children if I had the epidural, it would be questionable if not. So I did and let me tell you... it didn't even hurt! The worst part was when they took the tape off at the end. In my opinion, an epidural is the ONLY way to go. I was able to enjoy.. and I mean literally, have fun, giving birth. Amazing. Thank you Lord for modern medicine!

At 2:00 they broke my water. Very interesting indeed, because THEN I started have those crazy hard contractions, (I could tell because I was looking at the monitor) but I didn't even feel them because I was completely numb from the waist down! Apparently, when you still have your water, it acts as a cushion during the contractions... that's why, during the previous three weeks, I was able to stand having contractions every 6-10 minutes.

I contracted for another couple of hours and at 4:00 the nurse checked me and I was a full 10 cm. dilated, so she said it was time to push. I didn't count, but I pushed somewhere between 5 and 7 times and heard a little lamb baa-ing. Benson came into the world at 4:23 pm. Incredible.

I did not cry one tear due to pain. It was such a completely different experience than what I expected it to be. To hold my little boy was the most surreal thing I have ever done... and that has continued to be the case day after day. I wonder when it will finally sink in that I have a son and he is here and he is mine and I am his.

Sometimes I crumple his legs and arms in on his tummy and think: "Wow, you're supposed to still be in my belly, and this is what you'd look like!" And yet he's here and thriving. The Lord is certainly good, and his goodness to us abounds each morning.

My friend Kelli's dog had puppies a few weeks back... she said, "Each morning is like Christmas morning.. I get to wake up and go see them again!" There is not a better description of what it's like having my little Benson. I can hardly go to sleep, because I just want to sit and watch him. He makes the greatest little faces, especially when he's dreaming. And on the rare occasion he is awake, he has the sweetest face and biggest eyes.

I continue to be amazed at what a true blessing he is from the Lord. God is so very good. My heart is so filled with joy and gratitude at this precious gift he has given us.