Backpack Arrives

I just knew we were going to have the baby this weekend! I was suppose to see Dr. Billings at 10:22am on Friday, Aug. 22nd (I was 37 weeks on Sunday, Aug. 17th). And if this pregnancy was anything like the other two, then I was going to give birth within 24 hours of seeing the doctor on the 37th week of pregnancy. The reason I made my appointment so late in the week was to see if, in fact, it was the doctor who induced my labor by just checking me. So all week I stayed busy deep cleaning the house, getting all the baby stuff ready, doing all the laundry, washing sheets, making guest beds, packing the hospital bag, tying up loose ends, cleaning the animal cages all so when I got home from the hospital I could relax. Thursday rolled around and I woke up feeling okay, but more miserable as the day wore on. I did some more cleaning but relaxed while the kids napped. About 6:30pm Travis called because a storm was moving in and he needed the hole he cut in the bathroom roof to be covered up and his tools, siding, and shingles to be moved into the house. So I did that, got the kids dinner and went to a Girl Scout meeting. At the meeting I was feeling a little miserable and had a few slight contractions. After the meeting it struck me that I might actually have this baby tonight. Well I wanted to finish cleaning the house so the kids and I went to Wal-mart to get vacuum bags. We got home and I laid them down for the night (I was really grumpy now with the uncomfortable but slight contractions). I finished the cleaning the house. Travis called from work about 10:00pm and said that he might have to stay a few more hours at work, or he could come home. I told him he'd better come home. He got home at 10:30pm and timed my contractions while we watched volleyball, which were 5 mins apart, 1 min long. 11:30ish we called the hospital to let them know we were coming in, then called our good friend Elizabeth to come stay the night with the kids. She came right away and we got the hospital about midnight. I told the nurse to check me and send me home because I suddenly remembered that I was about to lose the ability to have full nights sleep for the next 2-3months and I wanted one more night of good sleep. HA HA! She made me de robe, put on the monitors and get into bed before she even checked me. I was between 4 and 5 centimeters dilated. Typical for me, as in I start real labor at 5 centimeters. We asked them to call Dr. Billings in so he could break my waters. They said they'd call him when I was almost ready to go. NO, I protested, my waters don't break on their own, call him in. Luckily, he was called in for someone else and when he finished with her he came to check me and broke my waters. That was about 2:30am and I was 7 centimeters dilated. Then I refused an IV and got a lecture from the Dr. and the nurse about the dangers of that...blah, blah, blah...I just wanted this thing out of me!! I just wanted to get this over with!! Then at 3pm I was in hard labor, contractions one on top of the other with just seconds in between and I thought I was going to die and Travis thought he was going to die...I only bit him once :-) Anyway, shortly before 4am I had a healthy baby boy! And all I kept saying was, "I'm glad this is over!!" Honestly, I love being pregnant, I love having the new baby and all that goes with it, but I dread labor (um, maybe I'll get an epidural with the next one...of course that is what I said when I had Dynomite).

Baby boy Backpack

22 Aug 08

6 lbs. 0 oz.

19.5 inches

My last belly picture. I took this knowing it would be my last. We have been taking these everyday throughout the pregnancy so Travis could put together a still photo movie showing the growth of the belly.

A happy family. Taken right after they got Backpack all cleaned up.

The kiddos with me. This was Friday afternoon (and after a shower!!).I even had the clothes laid out that I wanted them to wear to the hospital when they came to see me. Travis' shirt from Father's Day. And for the kids I stole the idea from Jerusha to have them put their hand prints on a shirt for when they came to visit the new baby.Dynomite was so adamant about holding the new baby. She's going to be a good helper for mommy.And this is the goofy picture they took at the hospital. But you can see all his blond hair and blue eyes.

Anyway, Travis was home by 6:30am get let Elizabeth go home. The kids had no idea, they weren't even up when he got home. And I got home Sunday afternoon. Backpack slept well last night. All I've got to do all day is sit and hold my new little baby. The kids played great and let me nap this morning while Travis had an eye appointment on base and got my pain meds. He took the kids to the splash pad this afternoon. I can already tell that this is going to be a much faster recovery. We're just going to take it easy and lounge around in our pjs all week. Thank you everyone for the support, phone calls, and visits!

Welcome to the world little guy!