Our Beautiful Baby Boy is Here!

I have been avoiding my computer and my blog for the past several days just knowing that I have so much to post about and so many pictures to sort through. I'm apologizing now for the picture overload. We take about 20 pictures a day and Drake is almost 2 weeks old so I am having a hard time deciding between them all- to me every one of them is perfect! People keep asking me about my Labor & Delivery experience and what happened so let me tell you all about it. (I will post updated pictures of Drake over the past 2 weeks tomorrow)

A few weeks before my due date, my OB informed me that he would be leaving on vacation a few days before my due date and he would consider inducing me if I was progressing on my own by that time and if I wanted him to deliver me. Well, of course I wanted him to deliver me- that's why I went to him in the first place. He knows my husband too so we really wanted him to be the one to deliver our baby.

At my dr.'s appointment a few days before he was leaving, I was dilated to a 3 and 70% effaced so he offered to induce me the weekend of the 19th and 20th. I told him I wasn't sure about it and needed to think about it and we left the office to decide. Rob and I prayed a lot about it and I was having a really rough time deciding what to do. Rob felt really good about being induced, but I just didn't know. Inductions can be a little risky when it's your first baby and I really wanted to have the experience of going into labor on my own. I worried that the baby might not be ready or I might end up having to have a C-section. On the other hand, I really wanted my doctor to deliver me and if we did the induction our baby would be here before Christmas and wouldn't have a Christmas b-day. Also, Rob would be able to spend a whole week with him (his boss offered to give him the whole week off if we had the baby that weekend since they would already be closed a lot for the Christmas holidays. Also, it was moratorium for basketball and there were no games that week- Rob could spend an entire week at home). I also had the feeling that we would either end up having him on Christmas day or I would end up going overdue and having to be induced anyways. I was seriously so torn on what to do. I kept telling Rob that our doctor had given the hardest decision in the world to the most indecisive woman on earth.

Two days before my dr. was leaving, I still wasn't sure what to do so I went to the place where I can think straight and receive the best guidance- the temple. I had an amazing experience and felt such peace that whatever we wanted to do would be just fine and the baby would be okay no matter what. My worries completely disappeared about having a C-section or a premature baby. So with those concerns out of the equation, Rob and I talked and decided that we felt the best thing to do was to do the induction. So we called the doctor and scheduled it for Saturday morning.

Rob snapped this picture of me the day before we went in.

Almost 40 weeks:

Saturday we woke up at 6 am and called Labor & Delivery to find out if we could come up. They told us to wait and they'd call us when they weren't so busy. Well hours went by- we were going crazy! I started cleaning the house like mad because I couldn't stand to sit and wait for someone to call and tell me I could finally come have the best day of my life. Finally at 2:00 pm (8 hours later!!!) they told us we could come in at 3:00. We got to the hospital at 2:45 and they got me hooked up to the monitors. By 3:30, my Dr. had come in and broke my water and by 4:00, I was started on Pitocin. They informed me that it would probably be a long labor and delivery because it was my first. I wrote in my baby book and relaxed while Rob watched TV and tended to my every need. He was seriously so amazing. He took such good care of me!

My mom and day came over and hung out with us while I was in labor. My dad loved to watch the monitors. He kept trying to beat me in telling me I was having a contraction before I started feeling it. I won. My mom crocheted a blanket for the baby and relaxed on the couch. Rob sat right next to me and held me hand through it all.
Then the contractions started getting a lot worse. I hadn't decided yet if I was going to have an epidural or not. Once again, Miss Undecisive. I probably waited way longer than I needed to because I was in a lot of pain by the time I asked for the epidural. I'm so glad I did though. I was nervous about the needle and it was such a cinch- I couldn't believe it and I felt SO much better after and was actually able to enjoy the rest of my labor. I watched the monitors and would just smile as I saw a huge contraction and all I felt was a little pressure.

It took me a while to start dilating and moving along but eventually I started dilating about a centimeter per hour. By 12:00 am, I was dilated to a 6+ and we now knew our baby would be born on December 20th. I relaxed and planned on several more hours of labor. At 1:15 am, my nurse checked me and was shocked to find out I was dilated to a 10! What! That was so quick! (Funny thing is, that's exactly how my mom's labor would go. She would go straight from a 6 to a 10.) The baby wasn't quite low enough yet to start pushing so my darling nurse, Michelle said we would "rest and descend" for a while to let him move down. Well, the baby's heart rate started dropping so she decided it would be better to just get him out. I was so excited and so nervous- I couldn't believe the time had finally come to have the baby! For 9 months, it had felt like this day would never come and now it was time!

Getting ready to start pushing-

Michelle told me the average pushing time for first time moms was 1 hour, so I geared up for it. My parents left the room so Rob and I could have this special moment to ourselves. We let them listen at the door though. Rob was right by my side- he was seriously amazing. I wondered how he would handle everything and he was the most attentive, most supportive husband. I started pushing and about 5 minutes later she immediately stopped me saying that I was going to deliver the baby without the doctor there. I was shocked! I couldn't believe everything was happening so fast and so nicely. So we waited for about 10 minutes and then Dr. Noorda arrived. I ended up pushing for about 10-15 more minutes and then at 1:55 am...

Our baby boy arrived!

I learned so much about myself and my life in those seconds after he was born. I learned that I can experience happiness beyond anything I've ever dreamed of. I have never felt such love for my husband and I never knew I could love something or someone as much as I love my baby. There are so many thoughts and feelings I had when he was born, but I really can't put them into words and they are so personal and close to my heart.

Holding my little guy for the first time was the most amazing thing I've ever experienced. My wedding day was the best day of my life and I will always cherish it, but this was even better. Bringing a child into the world- a small, innocent baby straight from our Heavenly Father's arms, knowing you created him, and he's yours to love and to raise- I don't think there is anything better. This is what life is all about.Rob and I spent several minutes just staring at, loving, and cherishing our little boy. It was the happiest we have ever been. We were both so emotional and so in love with him.

Then we invited my parents in and they were instantly in love with their first grandchild. Such a special experience and I'm so happy they were able to share it with us! Rob's parents were in California at the time and we greatly missed them! They came and met him a few days later!

Our first family picture

Our first impressions of our baby boy was that he had LONG, skinny arms and legs just like his daddy. (We actually have video of Rob calling him a "skinny little freak" after he was born- thanks a lot dad! haha) He was 20 1/2 inches long and only 6'11"- Pretty long for that weight. He also had big, beautiful eyes. He was so alert! We all thought he looked most like Robert, but had some of my features. He hardly cried at all- it was such a sweet little cry. He just looked wide-eyed around like "What in the world just happened to me!"

Then he settled right down and fell asleep on mommy.

He was a little cold so they put him under the warmer and he loved it. He stretched out like he was basking in the sun on a beach. Look at those long legs and arms. Such a skinny little guy. Rob's mom said this was exactly what Rob looked like when he was born. He also has such big feet. If you bend them back, they almost reach his knee. They are wider than his calfs as well. They are so cute. He also has long skinny fingers. Hands for both basketball and playing the piano- just like his papa!When they moved us from Labor & Delivery to our room on Mother/Baby (where I work), we were met with such love and kindness from all my co-workers! They decorated our door and our room with balloons, crete paper and decorations all over the walls. It was so adorable and we felt so spoiled! I wondered what it would be like to stay on the unit I work on. It was wonderful! Everyone took such great care of us! We felt like VIPS! Thanks so much gals for all the visits and gifts- you really made our experience so special!

DRAKE ROBERT HUNSAKER

Named after his daddy!

Enjoying our special celebration dinner together and

drinking sparkling cider provided by the hospital.

Rob wanted his little buddy wrapped in a basketball blanket right away!

Drake had jaundice so his pediatrician had us put him in the sunlight in our room. We thought it was so cute how he grabbed onto his binki in this picture.

Going home outfit.

He stretched his legs completely out- I think he loved his warm outfit and boots!

The best present under our Christmas tree!

Thank you so much to all of you for your texts, emails, calls, and thoughts. I wish we had had time to reply to every one of them, but know that it means so much to us! We are so blessed with wonderful family and friends!

I can't express the gratitude I feel that our labor & delivery experience went so well and I know I have my Heavenly Father to thank for that. He's always watching over us. We are so happy and so in love with our little bundle of joy- our beautiful Baby Boy!