Special Delivery...

Its a BOY!!!

Through Nicole's Eyes:

Its Tuesday July 20th and I am anxiously waiting to go to my doctors appointment so I can see about getting approval to go to my family reunion that happens to be in Zion. At my appointment everything checks out, I don't even have any protein. My levels look awesome. So I ask, "May I have approval to go to my family reunion?" His response is "Well, I can't tell you yes or no but if you go and I get a phone call that you had the baby in Price..." I laughed and said deal. I hurried over to my parents house so that we could head out. I figured I was really changing in my progression to be ready to deliver and hadn't changed for a few weeks now so if anything I was likely to deliver late. My mom also agreed so we jumped in the car and headed out. My dad made it very clear that if anything happened to not hesitate to say something, even if we had only been there for three hours. (That is exactly the time frame he said too...it comes into play later.)

I should have been reading the signs before I even left but my heart was so set on going that I kept pushing them off and not giving them much thought. The signs included things like me thinking that maybe I should take the car seat with just in case and thinking that I needed to pack my hospital bag. I even told myself that it wouldn't hurt to take the diaper bag and my hospital bag with me, just so I was prepared. My reasoning for not doing any of these was that I was "digging a hole" of faith that God would allow me to go and see my family and enjoy myself. Also that I would make it home before I even started labor.

Well, we got to Zion at midnight (So the morning of July 21st) and we hurried inside to get some sleep. At about 3a.m. I woke up due to my dad's extreme snoring. I use to be able to sleep through it but ever since I moved out any time I do something with him I can't sleep because he is os loud. Anyway, I got up to use the restroom and I had a contraction. This was nothing new or out of the ordinary. I have had a few in the last few weeks. They come and I have a couple and then they stop, thats the extent of it though. So in my head I was just irritated and thought "Really? Anything else want to try and keep me awake too?" I figured the contractions would stop so I just went out and laid back down to try and go back to sleep... While the contractions didn't stop. I had about 6 in 30 minutes. So at that point I woke my mom up and told her that we needed to head home...sure enough, we were only there for about 3 hours. We packed up and headed out. I kept watching the phone and as soon as we had reception I called Spencer to tell him to get on the next available flight. I had to laugh because when I told him he asked if i was sure this was the really thing. "Really? Have I called you any other time and said to get on a flight...I don't think so!" We drove into Cedar City and got gas. My dad asked me if we needed to stay there and go to the hospital or if I thought that I could make it all the way home. I told him that I had to make it home. As we came to each city that had a hospital my dad would ask if we needed to stop and I just kept on pushing through. I felt like I did so well at staying positive and making the best of the drive. It was about a 6 hour drive home and I didn't get sick to my stomach until we were exiting the freeway near the hospital. Once at the hospital, I got sick to my stomach one more time. The nurses called my doctor to find out if he wanted me to stay or not. He asked what my protein levels were and, of course, they were through the roof so he had me admitted. They did blood work to make sure my kidneys and liver was okay and sure enough, just like the other two times, the blood work came back perfect. My amazing dad brought over my belongings. I then sat back and listened to music while fighting through the contractions. I tried to keep updated with Spencer on his where abouts the whole time. He informed me that he should be landing in Utah at about 4:15p.m. and his brothers would be waiting to bring him to the hospital. My beautiful mom waited with me until Spencer was able to get there. I was trying to go natural but my contractions were getting stronger and closer together without having any other type of progression. The other problem was that we didn't know if it would change in an instant or not. So in order to keep things just slow enough for Spencer to make it back I decided to get an epidural. I was so proud of myself at the end of the night... though I had not gone natural I had gone 11 hours without any medication. Plus my mom was so relieved that she didn't have to see me in pain anymore. She stated that it was becoming too much for her and she was happy to see me comfortable again. The nurses did state that I could try again on my next child to go all natural and that they could actually see me succeeding. Now, they may have just been saying that to make me feel better (I was really disappointed with myself for giving in at first), but it did help my spirits. By this point it was almost 2 o'clock and I was getting anxious to see Spencer. Spencer called as soon as he landed and said he was on his way. It seemed like it was taking him forever to get to the hospital and so I called to find out where he was... just so happened that I called him as he was pulling up to the hospital door. My mom gave me her love and then let Spencer and I continue our journey, just the two of us. We kept our families updated over the phone as often as we could.

I ended up delivering at 12:06a.m. on July 22nd. I was in labor for 21 hours total but was not upset about it because we had been praying for a longer labor. My grandma had 5-6 hour labors, my aunt (on my mom's side) had 6-7 hour labors, and my mom had 6 hour labors. So we were concerned if I was anything like them then Spencer wouldn't make it back in time. Praise God for answering prayers!

Happy that Spencer made it and I don't
have to use 'Spencer Bear' anymore.

Through Spencer's Eyes: (This first part is from my journal.  When I was waiting at the Denver airport I thought it would be cool to remember this exact moment.)

I wanted to write a journal entry while I was in the moment, I thought it might be kind of fun to look back on and remember.  Well I received the call today that Swady was contracting and ready to go to the hospital.  She left for Zion's National park yesterday with her mom and dad.  She went to the Dr. before she left and found out that she was still dilated to a one and just about the same that she has been for the past three weeks, needless to say I was kind of disappointed, I thought that I was going to get some better news and maybe even fly out that night, but no go.  I tried to talk Swady out of going to Zion's, but at the same time I felt bad and wanted her to see her family and I honestly didn't think that she was going to have the baby anytime soon, in fact they lined her up for an induction the next Thursday, which would be a week and two days away.  We contemplated doing the induction tomorrow, or this Thursday and we were going to call today to see if it would be possible for us to change it.  We did kind of decide that maybe we would just play it by ear and play the waiting game and let the baby come when she/he wanted to come.  Anyway back to today the 21st, I woke up this morning in CT and got ready for school and literally had about fifteen minutes until I needed to leave when my phone rang, the caller ID said Steve Leonard and I knew it was Swady because her phone had died the previous day.  I went to answer and thought, wait a second it is only four thirty a.m. there and she is calling me.  I answered and she said to go buy a plane ticket and head for home, I hesitated because I couldn't believe it was really happening.  In a crazy mess I took a shower, called Cam and bought a plane ticket, but not before buying one and then cancelling it because I found an earlier one on SouthWest for the same price.  Cam went to anatomy lab and got it cleared to leave and come pick me up and take me to the airport.  We left for the airport and after hitting tons of traffic, I was waiting to board the plane.  The flight actually went pretty fast and I was able to study for about two plus hours.  Now the long part hits, I am currently at Denver International Airport sitting in a chair with my phnoe, I-pod and computer plugged in, while my wife is with her mom at Intermountain Medical Center in serious pain.  The pain was so bad that the last time I talked to her, she was getting an epidural.  The pain wore her out and made her physically sick!  I feel so bad that I can't be there, I feel like I have been waiting at the airport now forever!!! And I still need to board the plane, take off, fly, land and wait to get off the plane before I'm officially in SLC and then I have to still get a ride to the hospital and I just found out that she is dilated to just barely a four and the pain is under control.  The airport is not too busy and I am just patiently waiting...patiently.  This is the last place I ever thought I would be when my wife was in labor with our first child.  I really feel for her, she sounded like she was in so much pain and her song to me just came on over the I-pod (Five For Fighting, I Just Love You).  I feel so helpless right now. At least I just got a text message from her telling me she loves me, right during this song, how weird.  I will write more later, because at that point I will be a dad and her a mom, I really hope I can just make it before the baby is born, I am praying that I can.  Well it is time to pack-up because it is 2:21 and the plane leaves at 2:50.
Well that is as far as I got at the airport.  Once I landed in SLC I was the first one off the plane, just because I had sat in the front. (No one even knew my situation.)  I ran out of the airport calling my brother in one hand and dragging my stuff in the other.  He said it would be about five minutes, so I made it outside and waited...and waited....and waited.  I couldn't believe it, the one day he is late and I am in the biggest hurry of my life, not to mention he had got a new car while I was gone and I didn't even really know what I was looking for.  He finally arrived and then we were off full speed.  We were in and out of the lanes and the funniest thing is when we were about to get off of the exit my brother Preston said to me,"don't you think it would be nice if you stopped and got her some roses or something like that."  I said, "that sounds like a great idea but I think that she would rather have me there then have some roses."  We finally pulled into the hospital and my parents were waiting there, I had completely forgot that no one had seen me for months, my mind was somewhere else.  I ran into the hospital and finally found her room.  It was so refreshing to see her laying there, I hadn't seen her for about two months and she looked so beautiful!  Her mom was waiting in the room with her and was very emotional, what a day it had been for her mom and dad.  She left and it was just Swady and I.  I MADE IT!!!!!!!!! She hadn't progressed too much since I last heard and her pain was actually under control, she was just hanging out, it felt so good to finally be there with her and be able to experience everything.  We talked and made pre-baby videos and even got on Facebook.  In fact the baby didn't even come for seven hours after I arrived.  I kept the family up to date through the whole process, and she s..l..o..w..l..y made progress.  Around eleven p.m. things started to really progress and it was time.  They did have to induce her just a little bit, but it was going to happen.  Let me tell you I had so many emotions going on all at once.  I couldn't wait to see this baby, but at the same time I felt like maybe I wasn't ready to have a kid, how was I to be a dad when I still feel like a kid myself.  Can I do it? Am I ready? I can't wait to see this baby! What is the sex? Who does the baby look like? AAAAHHHHHHH!!! I was SOOOOOO excited!!!!!!! The coolest thing happened, since the whole Labor and Delivery floor knew of our situation of me coming from P.A. school, our nurse asked the Doc if it would be ok if I helped with the delivery and once he okayed it, they asked if I would like to. I said,"Sure, that would be awesome."  I had never even thought it was possible. I was just going to hold her leg and hand. This was a chance of a lifetime.  We were finally ready to go, the Doc came in and we got everything ready and he helped me gown up.  This was it, I was going to be a Dad, I am tearing up right now writing this.  We got everything in position and she started to push.  The baby was pretty much just ready to pop out, so he had her give a big push to show me where I needed to put my hands and the push was so good that the baby almost came out and he had to say, "Hold on."  He showed me where to put my hands and said, "Okay, give me a really big push." So MUCH emotion going on, the baby started coming and fell right into my hands, I was tearing up and I couldn't believe I was a DAD!!! I couldn't see what the baby was, I had to hold the baby up and show Swady because of the way the baby was turned.  She said,"it's..it's  a BOY."  I couldn't believe it, everyone said we were probably having a girl and so that's what we assumed, nope it was a beautiful BOY!!! I was scrambling around trying to take pictures of everything, I was all over the place, it was so AWESOME.  It was the best experience ever!!! He was born six minutes into July 22nd and he was 7 pounds 2 ounces and 21 inches long,  He was and is soooo perfect.  I Love You Ethan!!!

Proud To Be A Father

So there you have it... both sides of the story. One more detailed than the other but both a part of the story nonetheless. He is handsome and healthy and we couldn't have asked for a better blessing. We praise God for watching over all of us and making each part of this story possible. We thank God for blessing me with a smooth and healthy pregnancy. We thank God for taking care of me and watching over me as I made my way down to Zion and back. We thank God for allowing me to make it back to Salt Lake. We thank God for allowing Spencer to have a safe trip back to Salt Lake and for helping him to make it home in time. We thank God for allowing Spencer to be able to play such a big role in the birth. We thank God for a safe and healthy delivery. We thank God that he blessed us with a perfect little boy that he created in his image. Praise you, God! Praise you for your faithfulness and your goodness!!!

Thanks be to God for his gift that is too wonderful for words.

~ 2 Corinthians 9:15 ~