Harrison is here!

Okay so I know he is a week old and I am just posting this but it has been a delightfully busy week. I learned something during this whole process and that is everyone wants to know all about the day they were born so since I hope to publish this blog into a book for Harrison, I thought it would be great to document it here.

Harrison, this is how you arrived into this world.

On Wednesday night, August 19, I began with contractions. Like we had learned in our class, we began timing them with no regular consistency. At about 2:30 Thursday morning, I woke up with more intense contractions that were coming every 4-6 minutes apart. I was hesitant to go to the hospital but sure didn't want to wait until it was to late so at about 5am, Dad got our stuff and we went to the hospital. We didn't want to jinx ourselves so we didn't even bring in our bags. They were in the car but we knew that if we brought them in that they would for sure send us home. After I got to a room, they hooked me and you up to the monitors to see how we were progressing. After about an hour of monitoring, I hadn't progressed any even though my contractions were coming every 2-4 minutes. So guess what, we were sent home.

When we got home, I took a nap while Dad went to his office to tidy up a few things and then he came home a little before lunch. We decided that we would try and walk you out that afternoon. We went to the mall in Collierville and bought you a bunch of cute clothes and then went to Mamaw and Pop's so Dad could get a haircut. You see that morning when we were in the hospital, I joked with Dad that he better get a haircut before he met his son.

That evening, Dad made pizza for us and my contractions were much stronger and still about 5 minutes apart. Mimi and Papa kept calling to check on me. I really didn't want to go back to the hospital and they send me home again but at about 10pm, Papa said the one thing that made me swallow my pride and go to the hospital. He said "Tiffany, if you don't go and something happens to Harrison, you will never be able to live with yourself." It finally sunk in that my pride was standing in the way of making sure that you were okay.

Dad again packed me up and off we went. Again, I was given a room and hooked up to all the monitors. Funny thing was that they wanted to put me in the same room that I was in that morning and got sent home from. I thought, oh no, this is an bad sign! Luckily it wasn't ready so they showed me to a different room. They checked me and again I hadn't progressed any further than I was that morning when I left. The pain at this point was pretty intense and I knew that I couldn't go home because I would never make it with all the pain. Everyone kept asking me on a scale of one to ten, how was the pain. I had nothing to compare it to so I didn't know.

After checking me, my nurse called in the doctor on call. As soon as she walked in the room, I had to let her know one thing. I told her, "If you are going to send me home that is fine, I trust your judgement but be prepared that I will bust out in tears." I think she understood. It was decided that they would go ahead and admit me and if I hadn't progressed by 3 am, that they would start me on Pitocin to help me progress and meet you.

Dad got to sleep in a chair all night long. Poor guy but I know that he was just as excited as I was knowing that no matter what, we would have a baby boy sometime on Friday. I got an epidural at about midnight and then at 3am, the nurse started my Pitocin. At about 7am, Mimi and Papa came to visit us and then a little latter, Mamaw and Pop and Uncle Matt came to visit too. At about 10:30 on Friday morning, the nurse said that we would begin to push. The thought that in a matter of time, I would have a baby boy to love and raise and be responsible for really began to set in.

Your Dad was a great help to me. He was very encouraging and helpful and understanding. It was so sweet to look at him and to see the compassion that he had for the work and pain I was going through. You could just see the love for me in his eyes and I will never forget it. After a short time pushing, you were born at 12:10pm on Friday, August 21, 2009. You were 8 lbs, 8oz. and 22 and 3/4 inches long and you had HUGE feet. Dad and I were so overjoyed to meet you. You let out this little cry that was the most amazing sound I had ever heard.

God is amazing!

After we got to hold you for a little while, Mamaw and Pop and Uncle Matt came to see you, Mimi and Papa and Auntie Em came to see you too. Auntie Em, drove in from Oxford that morning so she could hold you.

You had so many visitors that day and all were so impressed with you, none more than your Momma and Daddy. Your Daddy sent me the most beautiful roses and gave me a diamond bracelet to celebrate your birthday. He is so kind and was so excited to meet you and hold you and kiss you.

Your first night in this world, you slept in the same room at the hospital with us. You were so good and we couldn't hold you enough. It is amazing that as soon as you entered the world, a little person that we didn't know, that we could love you so much. Dad and I were and are so grateful for the blessing that God put us in charge of.

On Saturday we got to go home. I was a little nervous to bring you home. I didn't and still don't know much about babies but I knew that if I put my faith in God, he would lead me and he has. The first week with you in our lives has changed us immensely for the better. God is good!