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)