The Miracle of Birth

Anyone who has had a baby or witnessed a birth knows that it truly is a miracle. Especially when a 9lb 10oz and 22 1/2 inch baby is born! It is a long story, but I will try to keep it brief. For months now I have been having Braxton-Hicks contractions (aka false contractions). In the last few weeks of my pregnancy they were getting more frequent every day. Starting Monday 11/22 they were getting very frequent, and I woke up in the middle of the night and they were 5 minutes apart for a few hours. So Joe and I packed our hospital bags, I jumped in the shower at 2am, and then the contractions stopped! So we went back to bed after being up for 5 hours in the middle of the night. The next few nights the same thing happened, I would have them for a few hours and then they would stop, so I got NO sleep all week. Joe's parents came up for Thanksgiving, and we made a big wonderful dinner here (since we couldn't travel home to Madison like we always do because my due date was so close). They left Friday morning.

Well, Saturday morning the contractions continued all day. Not painful, just annoying and uncomfortable. I called the Midwife and told her about my week of contractions and false alarms, and she said this could go on for days or even weeks. I was very bummed to hear that. Later, I told Joe I just wasn't feeling well and I didn't have an appetite all day. So he took Cameron to do some errands, and I baked pumpkin bread (nesting maybe?). When they got back I said the contractions were getting painful and crampy. After a few hours of that, and they were still about 5 min apart, I called the Midwife. She said come to the hospital for a check. We packed up at 8pm and brought Cameron with, thinking it was another false alarm and we would be sent home. We got there and I was 5cm! So I was admitted and going to have the baby tonight (almost 2 weeks early)!

Joe RAN home and put Cam to bed, and called the sitter (his boss's wife) to come over to watch Cam. I walked around the room in labor, the contractions still were not that bad. He ran back, and soon after that I was 7cm. I got in the tub for an hour, and that really helped (they call the tub "nature's epidural"). I got out and was 8cm. The Midwife broke my water, and things started moving very fast after that. It got VERY painful, more than I remember when I had Cameron, and the contractions were nonstop, one after another with no break. I said I wanted drugs (even though I had planned to go natural again). They said I was 9cm and things were moving too fast so it was too late. By the time the epidural would be started the baby would be here. They just kept telling me I could do it. Soon after that I was 10cm and started to push. I think the whole hospital heard me, I was not happy! After about 8 hours of regular contractions and 30 min of pushing, our big bundle of joy came out and I couldn't have been happier! I guess I didn't need the drugs after all, because I forgot all about the pain as soon as he was born.

Full head of brown hair, and looked nothing like Cameron! When they told me the weight I seriously thought it was a joke. But he is perfectly healthy, and I guess big babies run in the family on the Biller side. Cameron came to visit in the hospital and was so cute, he wanted to hold and kiss the baby. We sent home after 36 hours.

Owen Kenneth Biller (middle name after Joe's Dad) has been the best baby. He is so happy and content, and sleeps a lot! At first he had his days and nights mixed up, but that seems to be getting better now. We have had Joe's Mom and my Mom here to help for a few days each, and Joe took a week off of work, so that has been a lifesaver. The baby is not much work at all, but Cameron has been a handful!!! He is great for the most part, but sometimes when I am holding or feeding the baby he starts to act up.

Owen already had his 1 week check up and is healthy. He eats a lot, but I was told big babies need more calories to maintain their weight. He barely cries, but I know it is only week 2 so I am trying to enjoy this quiet time while it lasts, because I know it doesn't last long.

Oh, and I kept telling everyone at the end of the pregnancy that I felt huge, and my ribs were being crushed and my back hurt constantly, and I felt like I was carrying a 10lb baby. But nobody believed me! Owen has already changed so much in the past 10 days, so I will have to get some more pics soon (these are from the hospital). He has my hair and mouth, and Joe's eyes. We are so blessed that we have such a happy healthy family, we couldn't ask for more.