Family of 4!!

Bryton Harrison Bradshaw

09/28/2009

1222 p.m.

7 lbs 12 oz

21.5 inches long

Well we did it!! Bryton came as a big surprise and when least expected. I have been having contractions since I was about 4 months along. On Thursday I went to the doc and was dilated to a 2 and about 50% effaced. Trevor was out of school and so I was walking a ton and doing everything that I could do go into labor. Finally on Sunday afternoon I gave up and decided to rest and relax until Tuesday night so that Trevor didn't have to miss school and he could be there after.

I usually have great plans, but unfortunately Bryton is already disobeying. On Sunday night I was laying in bed watching TV just relaxing as planned. I wasn't even contracting or anything and my water just broke. What a weird feeling! I called downstairs to Trevor and he said "you gotta be kidding me, are you sure?" Since I usually don't go around peeing my pants, I confirmed to him that I was sure. That was around 1130. I called my mom and she came over to stay with Kolten. We went to IMC hospital and they hooked me up to the monitors and checked me. They told me that I was going to be admitted to have the baby. I was only dilated to a 2 still but about 80% effaced. I was starting to get hard contractions, but nothing to bad (little did I know). I figured that it was going to happen fast now that my water had broken (again, I am so uneducated on Labor and Delivery). They kept checking me and at 4:00 am they put me on pitocin. I had heard that if you get an epidural that it can prolong labor and I figured that if I didn't get one until I had to that maybe it would help this little one arrive quicker to Trevor could still go to school. (If he misses 2 days he fails the semester...that's why it was so important to me) The nurse kept asking me if I was ready for my epidural. Contractions were getting painful but I still thought there was a chance. Well soon the contractions started to become very painful, to the point that I didn't care about Trevor and his schooling or anything else at all. I was definitely ready for the epidural. The epidural went fine except when he was inserting the tube and hit a nerve, it sent a huge shock down my leg and it jumped so hard. Not a good feeling or one that I ever want again. Shortly after the epidural I was much more comfortable. He made it so that I could still move my legs and move around a little in bed. At this point, Trevor was sleeping on the couch (so easy for men), and I should have gone to sleep but was just very anxious. I had no idea what was coming or even happening at the time. The doc came in several times to check me and we were progressing!! Around 11:00 am they started having me push. Before pushing the contractions were getting pretty painful, so pushing actually was nice. Well about 90 minutes later he was out and screaming! There is just no way to describe the feeling of hearing your child for the first time. It was so overwhelming. It is such a miracle! Bryton was a whopping 7 lb 12 oz. I was only 37 weeks along, so thank goodness he made his arrival early. He looks so huge in these pictures, he was so swollen and had such a nice conehead from hanging out in the birth canal. We are so thankful that he is so perfect! He looks so much like Kolten did when he was born (once the swelling went down).
Kolten is just loving his little brother. He came just as I was delivering, came into the room once the baby was out and first thing he wanted to do was give the baby a "high five" for making it here!

Now we are excited and scared to see how having a toddler and baby will be. :)

Trevor and I arriving at the hospital! So excited and anxious. (we obviously had no clue how long or painful of a process this was going to be.)

Our wonderful little boy with his conehead. Thank goodness they don't stay like that for long.

7lb 12 oz! Looks so chubby!

This is our only hospital family picture because Kolten went with family to be taken care of shortly after. I of course am just babbling away while the boys are admiring the new baby.

Trevor is such a good father!

So precious!

Thanks to all of our family members for your help throughout this process! We seriously have the best families!