Matthew's arrival

I'm stealing this idea from Mindy and telling about Matthew's delivery. It's mostly selfish so that I can journal what I remember (I'm working on getting better at this).

I had braxton hicks for the last few months with Matthew. I was awakened at about 3:30 am on Tuesday July 11th with contractions that made me sick to my stomach. That's how I knew it was actual labor. I got up and ate some cereal because I knew I wouldn't want to eat anything later, then laid down in our spare bed and tried to rest. Contractions were about 15-20 minutes apart for the first few hours. I got in the bathtub a couple of times. I found that rocking my hips from side to side while on my knees was the most effective. At about lunch time (1:00, I think) I started to loose my cool (I probably should have been using my relaxation cds more). Brian gave me a blessing and we headed off to the hospital. We got in and I was dilated to 6 1/2. The silly nurse told me I needed to get to the hospital sooner, but things worked out just the way I wanted. I was starting to doubt if I could do it without an epidural, but the nurse said they could give me a mild narcotic that would just dull the pain a little bit, but I would still be able to feel everything. We decided to do that. After getting the narcotic I was able to refocus myself and calm down. Then the time passed quickly for me and soon it was time to push. I only had to push two or three times (I can't exactly remember) and out he came! He was 6 lbs 3 oz and 19 inches long, born at 4:32 pm.

Matthew is such an amazing boy. He has a special gift of being able to make those around him happy. His laugh and smile are contagious! He's very curious, like most toddlers, and it's amazing to see how smart he is. He loves anything with wheels and he loves to be outside. We are so lucky to have him in our family!

I hope to post some pictures later of him in the hospital, on his first birthday and today, but I need Brian's help with that, so check back later!