Reflections on Parenthood

We wanted to take a chance to write you all with our feelings of what has just happened. Well it's been a couple of days now and we're finally getting around to it. So here we go:



Nick:



If I could fill a 50 gallon barrel with all of the things I never knew I was going to feel I could fill up that bucket and then some. You always hear people talking about unconditional love and it's true. For me I was so overwhelmed within seconds with such a feeling of love and devotion I couldn't help but cry. I was so proud of April and I, and the more and more time that passes by the fact that I can see her and myself in him is awesome!



Also a couple of things that I have learned that have really helped me is partly from classes that I have attended or have heard from April.



1.)Mommy is the best---he has been with her for 9 months, he knows her smell and her voice. She can soothe him like no one else. It was frustrating in the hospital that I couldn't soothe him the way she could, but it wasn't because I was jealous, it was because I felt so bad that April couldn't rest as much as I could.



2.)Being a good Dad for right now is a balancing act---A household has many components, we have pets, chores, laundry etc. Right now I find that I am trying to juggling several balls for several minutes at a time. Do a little from coulmn A, B, C, 3, 4 and 5. I don't get to spend as much time with him as April does and I can never provide for him the way that she can but I get to provide for April and in doing so, supporting and providing for her I support him as well which is awesome! I love running out for little odds and ends for him because it makes me feel needed.



3.)Good things come to those who wait---we waited until we were ready and then when were ready we tried for a year. At last now we have him and he's the best gift ever. God's little miracle! I'm the luckiest guy on earth!



Anyways, that's all for me I'll turn it over to April.


April:


Well his due date came and went last Sunday and then Monday morning came and I had a couple contractions around 7:30am. Then nothing happened till around 8:30am when I started having them about every 7-10 minutes apart. We still did not think much about it at this point so we tried to go on with our day. Then they were about 5-7 minutes apart and so I thought I would call labor & delivery just to see what they thought. They said that until they were 3-5 minutes apart for 2 hours I should not bother coming in. So we decided to go walk around Publix and Walmart just to keep moving and keep our minds off things. To be honest at this point I was still not convinced that I was actually in labor. We then made our way back to the house and I would say around 3:00 pm they were starting to pick up even more.

By the time 3:45pm rolled around and knowing we lived about an hour way and being sure something was happening, Nick said we should wrap things up and start heading to the hospital. When we arrived I was in a lot of pain and they said I was at 5 centimeter and 70 % effaced. So they admited me and while I waited an hour for them to run blood test I dilated to 7 centimeters and 80% effaced. Finally they showed up with results and the sweet relief of the epidural---Ahhhh!!

So a few more hours go by and they said I was ready to push. An hour into it and about 30 minutes from delivering him his heart rate drops drastically a couple times and when this happened a team of 8 people rushed into the room trying to move me around frantically with no success at raising the heart rate and keeping it there. At that point they then decide to do a c-section. This was disappointing to hear to say the least but I wanted him to be born safely.

So they got me ready and Nick came in all gowned up and we waited what felt to me to be an eternity. And finally there it was.... the sound we had been waiting to hear for months now and nothing has ever sounded better to me in my while life. He was here and he was perfect! They showed him to me briefly and took him and Nick away to give him his first bath and check him out. It seemed like an eternity while being sewn up but eventually I was pushed back down the very hall I was so terrified going down just moments before only this trip was full of joy and excitement to meet him.

It was now my turn to meet the person who was changing the rest of my life. I held him for the first time and and I was in love, in awe, in shock. He is our son and we will love him and take care of him till the day we die. I have never in my life been happier & we have both been floating on cloud nine ever since.

As each moment passes I love him more and more and thank God for the amazing gift he has given to us.

Thank you to all of you for all of your words of support and advice, your gifts, and love you have given us in this time of joy. We plan to continue to share our stories and photos with you all as we expand our family and our lives.