Peter's Birth Story

My dearest Peter,

I cannot wait to see what God has planned for you and your beautiful life.  It has been such a journey that we have been on already and you have already blessed our family with so many sweet surprises.  Here is how our story began!

We were so excited for your arrival, but I had determined in my head that you had to wait until at least the evening of November 9th to make your arrival.  Your dad was scheduled to take his EMS medical board exam that day and I thought since your due date was November 18th, that it would not be too hard of a goal to make.  Plus, my doctor who had delivered all of your brothers was out of town until November 8th, so I really kept telling myself "Just wait until the 9th little buddy".  Well, I have a feeling your personality might have us in for a wild ride, because starting November 3rd when I was almost 38 weeks pregnant I started having contractions.  I knew that they were not strong enough or regular enough to be active labor, but I was worried because when I was pregnant with your brother Luke contractions just like those ones began about 4 days before he was born!  The contractions continued, but they had no real pattern so I did not think much of them.  Finally, the evening of November 5th I was having a lot of pelvic and hip pain, no contractions, I was just uncomfortable.  I went to bed that night and woke up around 2am on Friday November 6th, from the pain of a contraction.  I fell back asleep, but when I woke up that morning and then throughout the day the contractions were still coming every 6-20 minutes.  I could talk through them and they were not incredibly painful, but I would just stop and notice that they were occurring. 

I was getting worried knowing that if I was having these signs and symptoms that active labor was probably coming sooner rather than later.   Knowing that my doctor out of town, the weekend quickly approaching where the doctor's office would be closed, and your dad's test looming around the corner I admitted to myself that you probably were not going to wait until Monday November 9th.  I decided to call my doctor's office to make an appointment to be checked.  I got to the office around 3:30pm, explained what was going on and they checked me and I was already 5cm dilated.  At my last check up I was only 1-2 cm dilated so they knew this was a pretty big change and that I was in labor.  Because of my history in having a C-section with your brother Ryan the doctors always like to monitor me more closely during labor so they said it was time to go to the hospital! 

Your dad was at work when I called and told him the shocking news that I needed him to come home so we could go to the hospital, and I drove back home to tell your brothers the plan and pack our bags!  When we told your brother Ryan that we were going to the hospital to have you he proudly replied "REALLY?!  This is the BEST DAY OF MY LIFE!!!"  It was going to be one of the best days of ALL of our lives, as we have waited a long time for you to join our family!  We got packed up to go, grabbed some quick dinner and got to the hospital around 6pm.



Leaving for the hospital at 38weeks 2 days pregnant



Saying goodbye to your brothers!

When we got checked into the hospital my contractions still were not regular and I was still about 5cm dilated, so they told us to walk around for a while.  After about an hour and a half of walking my contractions started to come more regularly at about 5-8 minutes apart.  They checked me again and I was 6cm and they decided that they wanted to break my water to monitor you more closely.  Because of my past labor going very quickly after my water broke I decided to get an epidural before they broke my water.  It took a while to get everything ready and set up for the epidural so by the time that it was finished and they broke my water it was about 9pm.  At this time I was 6-7cm and fairly comfortable.  Your dad and I were tired so we decided to try to rest, not knowing how long of an evening we had ahead of us. 

They checked me again at 11pm and I was 7cm, which was a  surprise to all of us since usually things progress quickly once my water breaks.  The nurse called the doctor on call and they decided to start the lowest dose of Pitocin around 11:20pm.  Your dad was resting on the bed next to me and I was listening to relaxing music he had started for me and around 11:40pm I was starting to feel every contraction again.  I was kind of assuming that the epidural just wasn't working very well because I was having to breathe through every contraction.  I did not call my nurse or assume it was time for you to be born because only 20 minutes earlier I was only 7cm.  Finally, my nurse came back in to check on me around midnight and saw that I was breathing through my contractions.  She checked me again and was shocked that your head was right there, and you were ready to be delivered!  You were ready to come and my doctor who was going to deliver you was not even at the hospital!  She told me to breathe through the contractions and just make sure that I DID NOT PUSH! 

Thankfully the doctor lived only 10 minutes from the hospital so she arrived around 12:20am, got everything set up and I started pushing right around 12:30am!  A mere 3-4 pushes and 7 minutes later you were born on November 7th, 2015 at 12:37am.  Your dad cut your umbilical cord and they laid you on my chest.  I adore those first few minutes where the rest of the world seems to disappear.  I fell in love instantly and you were so alert and seemed so tiny. 



You started breastfeeding right away and were a champ right from the very start.  After we had about an hour they assessed you and you were 7lbs 6.7oz and 20 1/2 inches long, just perfect!  You had some cuddle time with your Dad and then we got settled in for our very short night (only about 2-3 hours) before the new day began and your brothers eagerly arrived to meet you! 

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So, even though you did surprise us a bit early, and come right during the time when I was praying that you would wait a little longer, you have already taught me that this life is not about our plans.  You have been a part of God's plan right from the very beginning and He keeps showing me again and again to trust in Him and His plan.  You came at the perfect time for you, and we could not be happier and feel more blessed for you to be a part of our family.  I love you dearly my Peter Michael.

Love,

Mommy