He's Finally Here!

Jeriah Ben

Born: 12/17/14 -  8:46AM

Weight: 7 lbs 10 oz

Length: 19 1/2 inches

Picture taken at the hospital

(Original picture not yet received, so this is the sample)

It all started Tuesday, December 16 at 8AM when contractions started to hit.  This was of course after Andy left to work.  But at first I wasn't sure if they were contractions since I also had an upset stomach like if I ate something bad.  I didn't want to alert Andy just in case it was false labor. So I waited and started to clean around the house preparing for my parents to arrive that day.  I couldn't continue since the contractions were getting stronger and closer together. I then started timing them.  They were 7 and 2 minutes apart.  (A contraction would come on, then 7 minutes later another, then 2 minutes later another then 7 minutes another and so on.)  By now (9AM), I called out to the sister that lives above us and told her that I think I am going into labor.  I kept timing the contractions and it changed to 5 and 2 minutes apart.  So the sister quickly took me to the hospital.  So we started our 45 min drive to the Seattle hospital.  NOW I'm calling Andy along the way.  I told him that I am on my way to the hospital and to meet me there. He was in shock and asked "Did you time the contractions? You mean we are having a baby now?" I told him to please just start driving towards the hospital since he was 1 hour away.  Once we arrived to the hospital, Andy got there right when we did.  (Don't know if he was speeding.)  My OB first wanted to see me at her clinic there at the hospital to monitor the contractions and the baby's heart beat.  At first I was only 4 cm dilated, and the contractions were so irregular.  So they told me to walk around the hospital for an hour and come back.  WHAT?! I could barely walk a few steps and then a contraction would come on.  But I did it anyway.  Now it was about 11AM and Andy was hungry so we went to the 1st floor of the hospital where there is a Subway.  He ordered some food for the both of us but I wasn't sure if I could eat.  I was hungry but my stomach wasn't feeling too good.  So I snacked a little on chips and some chocolate milk. BIG MISTAKE.  About an hour later I threw it all up.  My body was preparing to have a baby so it needed to stay clean.  So I couldn't hold anything down, (not even juice, which I found out later on).  Then I went back to the clinic to get rechecked and they said I was now 6cm dialted and ready to be admitted to the hospital.  From there I was sent to Triage where they checked me in and prepared me to be moved into my birth suite. 

At the clinic when first arrived.  

Monitoring my contractions and baby's heart beat,

Arrived at my birth suite and the waiting begins...

 along with many contractions...

Andy was of great help and support through out it all. I tried many soothing methods to distract me from the contractions like: listening to kingdom melodies, getting on the exercise ball (to relieve back and hip pain), got into their jacuzzi tub (which was heavenly!!), or just held on to Andy tight while a contraction hit.  

By around 6PM that same day (12/16/14) I was told that I was still at 6cm and my water still hadn't broken.  Meanwhile, I was having what they called cluster contractions where I would have one large contraction and 2 minutes later a smaller one then a few minutes later after that another large one...

I didn't have much of a break in between contractions.  So they suggested they needed to break my water to get things going.  I was worried that the contractions were going to be stronger then they were already so I requested an epidural before they broke my water.  Once that was done I couldn't leave the bed.  Which made my legs feel very numb like if they fell asleep. So even though I could no longer feel the contractions I still had bad back and hip pain.  Then later on that night they saw that I was still at 6cm so they suggested Pitocin to induce labor since the contractions were not strong enough to initiate labor after they broke my water. 

Then more waiting...

By around 7AM the next morning, 12/17/14 I was finally at 10cm, fully dilated and ready.  So shortly after that the nurses came in and coached me on what to expect and how to push.  

The pushing was a slow process, not at all like you see in the movies where they only push twice and the baby pops out.  So slowly with each contraction I pushed for 1 1/2 hours.

Then out comes Jeriah!  Andy got to cut the umbilical cord.  

When Andy and I both saw Jeriah, we both cried with joy.  

We couldn't believe that this was our baby!

Born almost at 9AM the following morning.  Almost 24 hours but worth the wait.

Andy praying thanking Jehovah for this gift.

First diaper change in the hospital the next day.

12/18/14 Finally home!

With the Grandparents

Even Romeo got some loving

(Can you see him next to Grandpa?)

Good night!

We will be putting up pictures as he gets older. 

Month by month.

Also thank you to all family and friends for all your support.  

We see how Jehovah has really taken care of us and shown us His love.