Granger Kenway Haun Arrives

Wow! What a day... It goes like this:

The night before the big day, I was only still having Braxton Hicks contractions, so between prayers and declarations to my body and baby to come, I was dealing with some disappointment. I really didn't want to induce - I really wanted to go into labor on my own and do the whole birthing experience naturally. Jett spent the night with Honey and Tatu and we finished getting ready for our hospital stay.

We checked into the hospital at 5 AM and they started my pitocin drip around 5:30. Mom met us there at 5 and Jen came around 6. It was great to have people we love with us. More friends and family came throughout the day and I was so grateful. I think the hardest part of the day was that I was SO HUNGRY! But we had great worship music playing all day, which was awesome. I labored until 3, trying to move by my bedside without moving the monitors and making the nurses come in to find baby's heartbeat. My pain level was at a 5, I was dilated to 6 cm, 70% effaced and stuck there for 4 hours. Granger's heart rate was fine, but there were some signs that concerned Heather, so we decided to get an epidural to see if that would move things along. It didn't.

I did not care for the effects of the epidural - I preferred the contractions! Since nothing changed, we decided to go ahead with the C-section. They gave me WAY TOO MUCH medication in my epidural and I was essentially out (despite my best attempts and protests) for the surgery and Granger's arrival. Casey and others have had to fill me in. I just remember that I kept saying "I can't keep my eyes open. I really want to."

He arrived at 7:54 PM and he was 21" long and 8lbs 7 oz. He looks like both of us, but he looks more like my baby pictures to me. He nursed great, even though I was OUT!

I am very grateful that Kim flew out from California to stay with us and she arrived just in time to see Granger as he made his debut in the hospital nursery :) It was awesome to have her and Jen looking out for us in addition to our parents, family and friends. Thanks, y'all!

Casey sprang for the Luxury Suite in the hospital, since he had to spend his once-every-four-years birthday there, and we quite enjoyed it! We had 2 dozen Sprinkles cupcakes to celebrate our Leap Day babies. I stopped being sleepy enough to scratch myself silly (after effects from the epidural).

As expected, not all the details were our "ideal" but at the end of the day, we held a beautiful, healthy baby and that's all we REALLY wanted. Thank you, Jesus, for all of the answers to so many prayers. So glad to have gotten the privilege of this day.