Collier's Birthday!

I can't believe that I'm finally writing this post!  We've been waiting to meet baby Collier since July 27th, when that little pink line showed up, and now he's in our arms.  I thought I'd offer a little run down on his arrival (don't worry...skipped the gory details! :).

We arrived at the hospital on Wednesday night, March 21st, and started some medicines that make the induction more favorable.  The actual labor began around noon on Thursday.  This time was a lot of waiting around, walking the halls, reading, and visiting with family.

Before we got all hooked up to the monitors Wednesday night.  Exactly 38 weeks and ready to become a  Mommy!

Thursday morning, ready to get things rolling!!!

Once labor began on Thursday, things progressed pretty normally for an induction; meaning slow and steady.  By about 7:00 pm, I had my epidural (Which was sent straight from heaven, by the way.  Maybe Eve's way of saying she's sorry?) and we were able to rest some between late evening and early morning.  Around 4:30 am, our doctor made the call to go ahead and deliver by c-section.  She told us, "I'm not having any warm fuzzy feelings about him fitting,"; the official diagnosis was "failure to descend".

Once we knew that we were looking at a c-section, the nerves kicked in pretty heavily.  Chris and I both did some serious praying for peace and safety to cover all three of us in the coming hours.  One verse stuck with me while we were waiting to head into the OR:  Isaiah 46: 3-4 "Listen to me...whom I have upheld since your own birth, and have carried since you were born.  Even to your old age and gray hairs I am He, who will sustain you.  I have made you and I will carry you; I will sustain you and I will rescue you."  This was such a clear message to me...God had been with us every step of this journey.  From conception, every development milestone, cravings, through the gestational diabetes diagnosis, mood swings, growth scans, and all during labor, we were not alone.  This was such a comfort to me.

I was in the OR for about 20 minutes before Chris was allowed in, and everything is now kind of a blur.  I know that I was hooked up to lots of machines, given several different medicines, made small talk with our doctor and nurses, and prayed some more.  Things got started pretty quickly once Chris got in the room, and about 10 minutes later, our baby boy was here!

He started crying immediately, which meant I did too.  I've never heard a more beautiful sound!

Chris took this picture and showed me behind  the sterile drape.  My immediate reaction, "He's gorgeous!"  

It took about 45 minutes for the team to fix me up, and they had given me a lot of  "something to help me relax" (That's what the anesthesiologist told Chris.  What he really meant was that he was going to make me go to sleepy-land).  So, Chris went with Collier to the nursery to be checked out.

Official Stats:
Collier Nathan Cowan
Born 5:50 am on Friday, March 23rd
7 pounds, 10.6 ounces
20 inches long

After I was all stitched up, it was finally time to hold my baby boy for the first time.  It was such a sweet moment, as I looked him all over, inspecting every inch of his perfection.  I was in such awe:  this was in me,  Chris and I made this, I have done nothing to deserve this, and God is so good. 

My first chance to hold our sweet miracle.  I couldn't believe he is really here!

We were having our first conversation here 

Daddy is pretty excited to meet Collier too! :)