Introducing...Gavin Joseph!

At 7:44 on Saturday morning, April 3rd, we were blessed with a healthy and handsome baby boy! Gavin Joseph entered the world after almost 8 hours of labor...here's the story!

All last week I had been having cramps and contractions, when I had gone to the doctor on Tuesday I was dilated to 2 cm. The cramps and contractions continued throughout the week, off and on. Thursday was my last day of school and we got to spend Friday together as a family of 3. We decorated Easter eggs and played outside and just enjoyed our time together! I had been writing down my contractions and only ever got up to 4 in an hour--dr. wanted me to call when I had had 6 in an hour. So that night we went to bed around 10:30-11:00 and I woke up right before midnight to go to the bathroom. When I got back to bed I noticed I was quite uncomfortable and having some strong contractions (which felt like cramps which felt like the contractions I remember having with Sydney when I was in the hospital--not the "tightness of the belly" I had been told to look for.) Anyhow I had 5 of those contractions in 25 minutes....that was when we decided to head to the hospital. Hoping and praying it was not a false alarm, we called a friend to come over and sit with Sydney until Bailey could get there. I would have felt SO bad if I would have been wrong!

When we arrived at the hospital, the nurse checked me and I was dilated to a 3 and the contractions were closer together, 2-3 minutes apart. They admitted me and started pitocin, which really jump started the contractions even more! The anesthesiologist came and inserted the epidural--it was a much different experience than when I got one for Sydney. This guy had to try 3 different times and it took him about 30 minutes as opposed to maybe 10 minutes in my first experience. Not long after I got my epidural I started feeling light-headed and woozy---my blood pressure was dropping after getting the epidural so they had to lessen the dose until I felt normal again. Which of course meant that I got to feel more too! I dilated one centimeter per hour until I got to a 7, which was when the doctor came in to break my water. After he broke my water I could tell I progressed quickly--sure enough in less than 30 minutes I had gone from a 7 to a 9! I was at a 9 for awhile and the contractions by that time were very intense. I was actually relieved to finally reach 10 cm and get to push! Once the doctor arrived and I got the 'go ahead' things moved really quickly. In just a few pushes his head was out and the nurse said "okay, last time to take a guess--boy or girl?" I said "boy"--and then I got to meet him! :) Our beautiful, 8 lb. 20 inch long son was born at 7:44 in the morning.

Our experience after his birth was a wonderfully relaxing one compared to his big sister's and it was a very welcomed switch!!

Welcome to the world little man!

First bath

Syd meeting Gavin!