Benjamin Daniel Hamman

So our baby boy decided to come into the world! It is a really good story:

Friday September 26th at about 9pm I started to have contractions. I had been having them for a while but nothing consistent. These were ten minutes apart for about an hour. I was nervous because Daniel was flying home the very next day and I didn't want to go into labor and have him barely miss it. I lay down and tried to sleep that night and they finally went away! I had called Daniel and it scared him so he called his brother who was to pick him up the next day at the airport. We didn't want to scare anyone else if it was a false alarm...thank goodness it was.


Saturday September 27th - I got up early to finish organizing my area for when Daniel arrived. We were also going to celebrate my brother Chase's birthday after Daniel arrived, so I was busy making a pinata and the food. Daniel arrived at about 12pm and I was so relieved to not have to worry about the baby coming early. At 12:30 I had my first contraction and they stayed at five minutes apart for 1/2 hour and then went to four minutes. When they got to three minutes apart I started to get anxious, but it was party time, so we started. I called the hospital and my doctor and finally decided to go have them check me to see how dilated I was. I wanted to eat the red velvet cake first, all the while I have a big yoga ball that I am bouncing on to relieve pressure. After that we packed up and Daniel, mom and I drove to the maternity ward at the Hospital. While mom parked Daniel and I walked into the front door and the clerk said, "I bet I know where you are going! I will call them and tell them you are on the way up!" When we got there they asked some questions and led me into a labor room. I changed into a gown and got into the bed. Mom came in shortly after. Daniel had called his mother and she also was on the way into the hospital. She came in about twenty minutes after we got there. Next they checked to see how far I was and I came to a three dilation and 80% thinned, and a -2 for where his head was engaged in the pelvic area. I was excited that we were having the baby soon! So I got on their bouncy ball and was just bouncing away! They wanted to wait an hour to see how I progressed and I had gone to a four dilation 90% thinned and -1. They started my I.V which blew one vein and just about killed me with the second one. I progressed about a 1 cm dilation an hour until I thought the pain was getting a little rough and should probably get my epidural. My doctor does his own epidurals so as soon as he got in he put in my epidural. It didn't hurt anything like the horror stories I had been told and I was just in heaven without pain. At about 10 pm it was decided I was ready to push! I was doing really good at the pushing thing. I finally asked at one point how much farther and my nurse said about two inches. My water never broke, but when they started to feel his head they said he had hair! I was so excited. Well, so back to pushing... i kept asking how much farther and it never got closer. They finally told me he was sunny-side up (his head was facing up instead of down...I was the same way and had a squished nose). I turned on my side and pushed really hard for a while and then turned to my other side. This really hurt, because I had to push my belly and pull my leg up while being twisted on my side. I threw up four times during labor, because I was pushing so hard. I just really wanted him out and I knew the harder I pushed the faster he would come. After the side pushing I was put back on my back and we pushed again. After a few tries my nurse said she had to talk with my doctor so I waited. They both came back and told me that either I was too small or his head was too big, so I waould have to have a C-section. I knew it was a possibility, but never doubgted I could do it on my own. So I broke down crying feeling like somehow my body had let me and my baby down. I was so restless after that and finally the team came in and it was time to go to the operation room. I was wheeled into the room and lifted by just a sheet to the table. They said they had never had someone so small before and usually get big Arkansas girls. They put a partition up and brought Daniel in. I was so exhausted by this point that I could stay awake. I slept through most of the operation. The process wasn't long at all and I didn't feel a thing. The anesthesiologist was so wonderful during this whole ordeal. He was talking to me and calming me down by brushing my hair away from my face. Daniel was there the whole time holding my hand. They finally pulled him from me and everyone said, "Look at that hair!" The doctor brought him around the partition and waved his little hand at us and said, "Look! he can already wave hello!" He was so cute! I love my baby! He looks just like a little Daniel. I fell asleep while they fixed me back up. The incision wasn't very big and I have healed very well. I had my staples taken out today! I attribute it to being in shape. Anyways, so after a was all fixed up I was wheeled to a recovery room to be monitored. I threw up twice during recovery. I did so well there that I got to hold and nurse my baby right away. He was a starving baby bird and took to nursing right away. I have not had any trouble and he has it down pat now that i don't have to try very hard. After we nursed they took me to my new room. It was early and I got to eat some soft and liquid foods. They took Ben to the nursery and Daniel and I slept. He slept for four hours and has never slept less than that. He is a good eater and only cries to let us know he has a gas bubble. When we start working on the gas, he quits! We have such a good, healthy baby! We are so very excited and proud to be his parents! Here are his stats:

Benjamin Daniel Hamman
7 lbs. 1.9 oz
19 1/4 in. long
13 1/2 in. head
Born at 4:34 am
September 28, 2008 (Uncle Chase's birthday)

6 quirks

I have been tagged by my sister-in-law Michelle! I have to list 6 quirks about myself:

1. I peel the skin around my finger nails off. gross I now.

2. I can't sit still. I am too hyper active!

3. I have a collection of dogs and still want more. I love them all, but I am a sucker for fat and/or funny looking dogs.

4. I have to be on time. By on time I mean early in case something goes wrong or I just need a minute to prepare for what is about to happen. I get anxious when I am late.

5. My closet is usually separated into categories. Sweaters, shirts, skirts, ect. Then it has to be color coordinated according to the rainbow.

6. I am indecisive. So if we go out to eat don't ask me, I don't care. Food is food and I love all of it.

Now I have to tag 6 people:
Amanda Farnsworth, my dad, Kathy Tayrien, Mary Beck, Lizzy House, and Rachel Kerr

He dropped!

Chase and my mom
Tayrien Family
My bellies

So this past weekend I spent with my mother and aunt Celeen in St. Louis, Missouri at a womens conference. There were LDS speakers and music performers. My favorite was Michael McLean. I laughed so hard my belly hurt all night long. The chairs we sat on were not comfy at all and I was having baby issues. During one of the breaks the director came up to me and said "You know you are just the cutes pregnant lady I have ever seen! You can't even tell your pregnant unless you look down at your belly! How are you feeling?" Well, I didn't waste any opportunity and said "These chairs are killer!" She then had a great idea and said that she could pull in a much better chair for me. So off she went and I got to sit in this nice comfy leather chair for the rest of the conference! I was so much more comfortable! I was really grateful to her! So anyways, the bed we slept on at the hotel was divine! I had forgotten how much I love great fluffy beds. After the conference we had a three hour drive to Springfield, where my aunt lives and another hour to Branson. I was SO swollen I guess from all the salty foods I ate on the the trip that my feet started to ache on the trip home. My ankles turned into cankles, and I kept feeling this pressure on my belly. I had had a sour belly all weekend too, so I thought it was just from traveling and eating junk food. So the next day was Sunday and I was still swollen and it was uncomfortable to sit through three hours of church. I walked around during Relief Society, becasue they turned on the heat! I was trying to pay attention to see if I was waddling more than usual, but I didn't fell like it. After church my brother Chase and his family came over to celebrate my moms birthday. I took their family photos and had my mom take one of my tummy. So today I was editing the photos and put last weeks photo next to yesterdays and you can definitely tell that Benjamin has dropped! So I posted this wonderful photo of me checking my shirt out and last weeks photo together so you can all see how different they are. Let me know what you all think!

36 weeks

This week I had another check up at the doctors. He is so wonderful! He answered all of my questions before I asked him. It is like he knows what I am always going to ask. This week is 36 weeks, but my photo was from 35 weeks. I gained six pounds it two weeks. That is four extra pounds, but as you can tell in my photo, I have retained water. My doctor said it was fine though and that I was doing just great. He doesn't check to see if I am dilated until my water breaks or I am having consistent contractions five minutes apart. It is getting so close now. Daniel comes home in less than three weeks. He is getting excited to have this baby. The doctor also asked if I have been having "gotcha" pains. He explained that when I am walking or standing every once and a while this random pain shoots down my leg. I said yes! He said that it is the baby's head pushing on my cervix and thinning it out. It kinda feels like when you turn your head wrong and it pops and burns for a second. Anyways, my mother-in-law was able to attend this appointment with me. It is fun to share the experience with people. You get to hear the baby's heartbeat and such. I have been having "real" contractions lately. They radiate through my belly and down. I am trying to hold on to this baby until Daniel makes it home!

Silas

This past weekend I baby sat for my brother Chase and sister-in-law Aliona. Their baby's name is Sials and he will be one year old this November. He has the most gorgeous blue eyes! i had so much fun with him and he was such a good baby. Never cried or fussed the whole 4 hours! I hope my baby is as cute and well behaved as my nephew!

Teddy bears & salt

This week I finally finished the coat I was making for baby Ben. It was supposed to be a prqupine, but I didn't like the way it looked, so I turned it into a teddy bear. I think it is much cuter as a teddy and I know Benjamin will love it! I am so glad to be done. It is just one more thing to check off my list before the baby comes. The other joy in my life right now is salt. If I have even the tiniest bit of salt I blow up like a puffer fish. It is really painful too. It feels like my skin is expanding and will explode. I get really hot and uncomfortable. I don't like it one bit. Everything has salt in it too! I guess I shouldn't be complaining, at least I can still have sugar. I think I would die if I couldn't eat that!

Daniel in the Big Apple

I thought it was time for an update on what Daniel is up to in NYC. He is still working at the United Nations! In his free time he eats a lot of pizza, tours the city and visits various sightseeing places. This past weekend he went to the Central park zoo, Top of the rock, LDS Temple in Manhattan, and times square. He also found a little community that had a Brazil Day festival and he had so much fun there! He sees dogs every day and loves it when he comes across a pug or two. I have to admit they are adorable dogs at any age! He is also in the process of looking for an apartment for our little family after Benjamin decides to come out. I am so proud of him and can't wait to be with him in New York!