We have had quite a week. I will try my best to cover all the details.

Here’s our week . . .

Me at 38 weeks. I was so ready to have a baby. Everyday seemed like a trek up a mountain. It was time.

I started to have contractions on Tuesday that would be 10 to 20 minutes apart and last for an hour and go away. Then on Wednesday I had contractions for 10 hours and stopped around 11 pm. I was so disappointed. I was 39 weeks but my midwife was leaving town and so was my mom. So I really wanted things to start happening. Plus I was tired of walking. I tried so many things along with accupressure and exercise.

Thursday morning I woke around 2 am with contractions 10 minutes apart that turned into 6 minutes to 2 1/2 minutes apart in about an hour. It was time. I woke up Mark and my Mom and headed to the hospital. We got checked in by 5 am and at 5:30 I was in so much pain I asked for the drugs. And then they checked me and told me I was already dialated to an 8 (I was a 5 when I checked into the hospital). I was not expecting that. I was expecting to have a babe in my arms by dinner since my other labors were about 10 to 12 hours. Within an hour, I was begging to have an epidural. I was told I didn’t have time for pain relief and it was time to push. A few quick pushes later, our little guy was born at 7:33 am. I was not surprised that it was a boy. I thought it the whole time. But it still was a shock that I was holding my baby boy. I kept thinking, I have three sons – what a tremendous blessing. He was 7 lbs and 8 oz and 19.5 inches long.

The boys have done great with him. Besides wanting to constantly touch and kiss him. I think Brooks would love for him to wake up and play.

Silas was happy that his new brother has his nose.

One of the nurses wrapped him in three blankets including one around his head. He slept really well in this position. I need to figure out how she did it.

It was around this time that we finally gave him a name. We decided on Jonas Barrett. Even though we wanted to give him a family name, none seem to work. We heard the name Jonas and both thought it may be an option when I was around 37 weeks pregnant. I wrote it down and kept it in the back of my head. At the hospital, we looked up the meaning (“gift of God”) and also associations with the name. Everything checked out, so we decided it was perfect. Barrett is a family name on Mark’s side. We both liked the name but not for a first name. Naming a child is such a difficult process which is why it usually takes us a day or two after the little one arrives.

Like I said above, the boys love him.

An astronaut and his brother.We feel so incredibly luckily that we have been given the gift of raising another little boy. As a mother of three little boys, I feel so blessed. I can’t wait to see our family of five to grow. Please pray for us (Me) as we raise these guys. Happy Father’s Day! See you next week!