The night of Thursday July 27th started like any other-I was having my usual contractions [which seems to be the norm for me in the last month or two of pregnancy] so I tried to just ignore them, as I still had 3 more weeks left to go. However, after several hours of timing them, and realising that they were only a few minutes apart [anywhere from 2-6 minutes] Lester and I decided to go in to the hospital to see if this was the real deal. Once there, they confirmed that they were in fact real labour contractions, and that I was dilated to a 3-but that they couldn't admit me unless things progressed. So, they wanted to monitor me for a few hours and check again. After walking around for a while, and losing my mucus plug [TMI, but it is what it is!] and no progression, they gave me a shot of morphine to help w the pain and sent us home. I was extremely discouraged, especially when I woke up the next morning with the same contractions. Then, out of no where in the middle of the day, all action completely stopped. For the first time in months, I wasn't having any kind of pain. Which on the one hand was great-but on the other hand made me feel 10 times worse bc that meant I could potentially be pregnant for basically a million more years [no I'm not being dramatic, you are ;)]! And not only was I ready to feel myself again, but I was ready to meet my son.

So the next morning, I went to my prenatal appointment and expressed to my Dr that I absolutely did not want to go beyond my due date. He laughed, and told me that although he had been wrong once or twice before, he didn't foresee me making it to my next prenatal appointment, let alone to my due date. I tried to take his word for it, and lo and behold, 3 days later I found he was right. After a normal day of church and visiting with friends, I was making dinner when I felt something gush and thought maybe it was my water breaking. When I checked, it wasn't, but I was confused and I had been having lots of blood, mucus and amniotic fluid-so I called and they told me to come in. After hesitating and not wanting a repeat of last time, Lester and I decided it was better to be safe then sorry. So we got the kids situated and headed to the hospital again. On the way there, the contractions started, and from there, they began mounting. Sure enough, I was at a 4 this time, and the contractions were stronger. After monitoring me for two hours and walking around, trying to coax him to come, I had dilated to a 5, so they admitted me. I actually cried tears of joy/exhaustion when they said this.

So from there, they moved me into a delivery room, hooked me up with my epidural [which they only had to do once-hallelujah!] and we were off. After progressing a bit more, I got stuck at a 6, so they suggested starting some pitocin. From there, it literally took less then an hour till I woke Lester and told him to get them in there immediately, bc I needed to push. They checked me, and said I was right and at a 10 and to hold it until they could get set up. This was unlike my other experiences-it was weird bc I wasn't necessarily in hard pain, but I have never felt so much pressure in my life. They kept telling me to hold it, but my body didn't seem to want to listen. Then, once they let me get to it, I pushed for about 10 minutes hard [this is the longest I have ever pushed] and then-the world stopped turning.

And my son was born. And he cried. And I cried. And everything and everyone else except him, Lester and I in that moment, melted away. People talk about how special it is when their children are born-I believe that it is one of the few times in our lives where the veil between heaven and earth get that thin and we get to see the love our Heavenly Father has for his children. Our little family has always felt right-but each time we add another unique, beautiful child to our home, it feels impossible to imagine life before them. Like we didn't realise we were missing a piece to the puzzle until we found it.  The staff was all amazing throughout the whole experience, [especially our initial nurse, Jaime] and they helped me feel confident and safe throughout the whole experience.

Joshua Bear Pineda was born on July 31st, at 6:03 [at 37 weeks and 4 days] and was 6 lbs 8 oz, 19 inches, and extremely healthy. He is handsome like his Daddy, and goes between my colouring and Lester's. He very rarely cries, and if he does, he soothes easily. He likes to cuddle, and curl his little fingers around you. He has been eating like a champ from the second he was born, and likes to concentrate on the world around him with his beautiful, serious little face. He is better then anything we could have ever imagined, and his sisters adore him almost as much as we do.