Birth Blog: Benton's Birth Day (Dad Version)

May 25, 2010-

Jen wakes me up at around 1:30am to tell me that she thinks that she is having contractions. After a couple more contractions, I suggested that we start timing them. For the next 15 minutes she was having contractions between 3 and 5 minutes apart, so off to the hospital we went. I had always pictured myself scrambling to get Jen to the hospital, but because we were already scheduled to be induced that morning there really wasn't much left to pack. I think that really helped us to stay calm and relaxed instead of rushing around.

The drive to Baptist was a little surreal. There was absolutely no one on the road at 3:00am on that Tuesday. Jen and I couldn't believe that the next time that we would be going home, it would be with Benton.

We arrived at the hospital and were checked into our room at around 3:30am. You never would have guessed that Jen was in labor. It was not what I was expecting at all...Jen was always making me watch Baby Story on TLC and the women in labor were always screaming like crazy and in severe pain. Jen was so relaxed that I thought that she was going to fall asleep in her hospital bed. I was begining to think that either my wife was the toughest girl in the world or that those ladies on TLC were just a bunch of drama queens!

The rest of the night went by very quickly with the two of us just resting and our nurse Sylvia coming into check on us occasionally. At about 7:30am they started pitocin so that things would start progessing a little more quickly.

At about 8:15am Dr. K come in to break Jen's water. That's when I realized that while my wife is still pretty tough, those ladies on TLC were not exactly pretending to be in pain for the cameras.

For about 20 minutes Jen was in serious pain while we were waiting for the epidural. I was pretty sure that she was going to throw something at me or at the very least give me a pretty good cussing (which she has never done before)! However, true to her form, she very politely told me to sit on the couch, not to touch her, and not to say a word until she gave me a head nod indicating that the contractions were over. Needless to say, I didn't argue and was very compliant!

At about 9:00am it was epidural time...this was the part that I was most stressed about! I absolutely HATE needles! So when it came time for the epidural, I did what any man's man in my position would do...I closed my eyes and waited for them to tell me when it was over! Thankfully, I didn't pass out and Jen felt relatively great and was able to relax.

At 11:00am the nurse came back to check on us and I jokingly stated that I thought that she was dialated to a 9...little did I know, she was actually dialated to a 9! This was about the only time I started to get nervous...my mouth kept getting dry and I kept drinking water. The only problem with this is that I had to go to the bathroom what seemed like every 5 minutes.

At around noon the Dr. came in and it was showtime! They started preping the room and around 12:15pm Jen started pushing. I guess that I got caught up in the moment and forgot that I was supposed to be supporting my wife by standing next to her side and holding her hand, because somehow I ended up standing right next to the Dr. watching the whole thing! As Jen was pushing, the Dr. thought that Ben was sunny side up, but after a couple more pushes he said "Oh, nevermind, that is his head still coming." (On the ultrasound his head measured in the 98.6th percentile.)

Moments later the little man arrived. He wasn't what I had pictured at all...I was expecting to see a perfectly round chubby baby that was either bald or had a little blond hair. Instead, Benton was lean, had a huge conehead, thick dark brown hair, and a face so wrinkly that he looked more like a Shar Pei than he did of the little Gerber baby that I had pictured in my head. I was then able to cut the cord and the nurses took the little guy to his mother.

I will never forget the look of pure elation on Jen's face as they plopped him on her belly! It was litterally love at first sight! This little runt accomplished in 1 second what it took me 2 long hard years to do! I must say that I could have never dreamed that I could instantly love something so much! We were both overcome with joy at the sight of our little guy!

A few minutes later the nurse came to clean him up and to take his measurements...I followed her over to the table to inspect him for myself! As she was taking his hand and foot prints I noticed a large black mark on his butt cheek, so I asked the nurse if it was a birthmark. She told me that she thought that she accidentaly sat him down on the ink pad when she was doing his feet. A couple of minutes later she started to clean him up, but was having a lot of trouble wiping the ink off of his bum. Sure enough, Benton has a birthmark in the shape of Tennessee on his right butt cheek! From that point on, I felt very confident that we wouldn't have to worry about him getting switched out with another baby at the hospital.

Roughly an hour later the family came into the room to meet the little guy. I am one of the luckiest guys in the world. I'm married to the most amazing women who was a rockstar throughout the whole process and I had the cutest coneheaded baby in the world!

Thanks to everyone for all of your thoughts and prayers! Jen and I talk daily of how belessed we are to have such amazing family and friends! We are continuely humbled by how generous and thoughtful everyone has been and how loved we have felt.

Landon