t h e * s m i t h * f a m i l y: He's Here!

Benjamin Sloan Smith

July 7, 2014

10:17 a.m.

8 pounds 6 ounces

20 1/2 inches long

Our sweet baby Ben is here! I am beyond happy that the day finally came to deliver him. This pregnancy has been so so hard on me and I honestly was starting to think that it was never going to end! And then the day finally came, and I can't put into words how happy I am that my sweet baby is here and that I can hold and snuggle him. It was definitely a great day!

My official due date was July 15, but, like my other pregnancies, I was set to be induced one week early. And it's a good thing too because he was a good size baby for being one week early...he could have gained close to a pound more if we had kept him cooking until his due date! So, July 7 was the day that we were set to have our baby. I got a call from the hospital on the day before (Sunday) and was told that I was first one on the on-call list. I wasn't too thrilled about this, because the last time I was on the on-call list, I wasn't called until 7:30 at night (with Isaac). I expressed this to the nurse, and she assured me that I'd most likely come in before 8:00 a.m. I told her that I was going to hold her to it and that I was looking forward to getting a call *early* on Monday morning!

I ended up waking up at 5:30 on Monday morning to get ready for the day. As I was drying my hair, my phone rang! I was SO excited! The nurse asked if we could be there at 7:30...to which I said YES! I finished getting ready and woke Doug up to do the same. I was really happy that we were leaving so early because I really wanted all of the children to still be in bed when we left. It was hard enough for them to go to bed the night before...there were some tears shed...and I just didn't want to have to say goodbye again! My mom was so great and came to stay with the kids while I was away. Once we were ready to go, I snuck in to where my mom was and told her we were leaving. Thank goodness, we were able to leave without waking up a soul. Mission accomplished.

Once we arrived at the hospital, they took us to our room and had me get all ready. I started to get a little panicked because reality was setting in that I was getting ready to have my last baby! But at the same time, I was just SO excited to finally be done with this pregnancy! Our nurse was so amazing and made me feel so comfortable...I seriously LOVE the nurses at that hospital...they are so amazing! Around 8:30, my doctor came in and told me he was going to break my water. I was NOT happy with this at all because we had talked about the fact that when my water breaks, my labor gets kicked into high gear. In the past, I got my epidural after they broke my water....and then the epidural didn't work because my body progressed SO fast. He assured me that I was going to get my epidural as soon as he broke my water. He promised that it would work. So, I put my trust in my doctor and let him do his thing. The anesthesiologist walked into the room moments after he broke my water...thank goodness. By the time I was done answering all of his questions, I was starting to feel some pretty painful contractions. It had only been 10 minutes since my doc broke my water...TEN minutes!! Everything went well with putting the epidural in and I could actually feel it working within minute! I was told by my nurse that this anesthesiologist was one of the best and that she rarely sees anything go wrong when he administers epidurals. This made me feel great! But, then after about 10 minutes, I started to feel some pain on my right side. I started to panic, yet again, that this was going to be another painful delivery! My nurse gave me another dose of medicine and had me lay on my right side to get my right side numb. I started to relax and then all of a sudden I realized that I was having some pretty big contractions and I couldn't feel a thing! I was grinning from ear to ear that my epidural actually worked this time! I kept telling Doug over and over..."Look...can you see that contraction?? I didn't feel anything!!" I was really so thrilled! I'm not one for pain, so it was nice to have this thing actually work!

Around 10:00 I was feeling SO much pressure. I didn't think that I was close to delivering, so I just tried to relax. Doug was sitting on the couch and got a call from work, so he was helping his co-worker figure out a problem. Around 10:10, my nurse checked me and said that I was completely dilate! NO WAY! I was shocked that I was ready to have this baby! Doug was STILL on the phone at this point, and I started to yell at him to get off of the phone!!! He pretty much hung up on his co-worker when he realized that it was time. And at this time I was feeling so much pressure and felt the need to push. My doctor walked in the room at 10:15 and got all prepped to deliver. Then...on the next contraction...he had me push, and let me just say that it hurt so so so badly! I could feel everything! But I'd rather deal with this pain instead of all the pain of actual labor. I just shut my eyes and did what I felt was impossible at that point...I pushed so so hard and it was taking everything out of me. I felt exhausted when my doctor told me to stop. I honestly didn't think that I could finish this...I had no energy! Then he told me one more push and he'd be here. I didn't open my eyes at all and just gave it all that I had. Then, all of a sudden, I felt this huge splash hit me in the face. Apparently, there was more water stuck in there with the baby, and it came out full force when I finished pushing the baby out. Everyone thought it was hilarious...I honestly could have cared less. I was just SO happy that with that last push my baby was here. All of the pain and pressure was GONE...and I was so happy that I wasn't pregnant anymore. My doctor even said that to me. I know I keep saying that, but this pregnancy was not fun one bit and I was just so so happy that it was done!

After he was born, I covered my face with my hands and just started to sob. I felt the weight of the baby on my chest, but I was so overwhelmed that I couldn't open my eyes! I don't know why, but I just needed a moment to catch my breath! Then, after a few minutes, I opened my eyes and saw my new baby for the first time! My heart was bursting with happiness at this point. I was in love, once again. This precious little angel was going to bless my life in ways that I don't even know yet...just like his siblings. He was the perfect fit into our family from the first time that I saw him. He was meant to be a part of our lives and I was just so happy that he was finally here. My first thought when I saw him was that he looked just like Isaac. Yes, he has changed since he was born, but he resembles Isaac so much! It was crazy looking at him and having deja vu of when Isaac was born. It was pretty crazy!

He was great when he was born and they didn't have to take him to the nursery right away, which was so nice. The nurse put him on my chest right after he was born and it was so nice to snuggle with him and just stare at his precious face. After a while, they took him and weighed him, measured him, and did all the necessary things that they do when they are born. When they were done, they brought him back to me to snuggle, and I was able to nurse him for the first time. It was a great moment for Doug and I to just bask in happiness of this new babe! I honestly didn't want that moment to ever end...there is something about those first moments of bonding with a baby that is just priceless. About an hour after he was born, they took him to the nursery to give him his first bath and do all of the other tests on him. Doug stayed with him while I stayed in the labor and delivery room. A while later, I was taken down to my other room and Ben was brought in to me. I'm all about keeping the baby with me the entire stay in the hospital, and it was so nice when they finally rolled him in to me. Doug and I just sat and gushed on our precious little baby for a few hours. It was the BEST!

Words can't describe how in love I am with our precious Ben. He has changed us all for the better in the short time that he has been here. We love you sweet boy...to the moon and back!!!

One of the first pictures of Ben. He has such a quiet little cry...it's so sweet.

Snuggling with Mommy minutes after he was born.

Getting weighted :).

Back in Mommy's arms after being man handled by the nurses ;). It was honestly so so wonderful to just sit and snuggle with my sweet babe.

I was really nervous about bringing the kids to the hospital to see the baby. The idea of having 4 kids running around a tiny little hospital room did not sound like fun to me. Doug and I decided to bring the boys to see him, and then maybe we would bring the girls the next day. The boys were great coming and meeting their new brother. They both sat so well and loved holding Ben for the first time. We then realized that it would be in everyones best interest if we just left the girls at home while I was in the hospital. Kate was already having a hard time with me being away, so I thought that it would make things harder if she came to see me. Plus, two days isn't that long to be away.

Oh how I LOVE Doug! He is the best daddy to our kids. Ben is lucky to have him!

I was able to take some pictures of Ben during our hospital stay. He's pretty precious!

Me and my boy.

Here we are getting ready to go home! I was SO excited to bust out of the hospital...it was pretty boring just sitting there. Yes, it was nice to just have time to snuggle with Ben, but I was so ready to go home and be with my people and sleep in my own bed!