June 27

It was early Monday morning, I couldn't sleep all night because my stomach was hurting. I was only 32 weeks so I wasn't really thinking much about it. 5 am came and the pain was getting worse so I started timing them. 2-3 minutes apart. I still wasn't thinking too much of it because my water hadn't broke and again I was only 32 weeks. An hour went by and I was still in a lot of pain, I started to get worried. I started thinking about how I went into labor with Ty at home and how quickly he came. Dan got woken up from a deep sleep with the spirit telling him we were going to have a baby today... that was enough to rush us to the hospital! I think we ran every red light. My mom met us there at 6:30 am. She took Ty while Dan wheeled me up to the Labor/Delivery Floor. They checked me and I was dilated to an 8! An 8!! I really was going to have a baby today.

My dad came and took Ty so my mom could be with us. They started the IV, they asked a lot of questions, made me sign some papers and then finally I get the epidural. I love epidurals. Once it kicked in I started panicking about work (I was supposed to work that day) and my calling (I was supposed to teach that Sunday) and a million other things. It's so funny how worried I was about so many things that really didn't matter. I think that I was just really nervous so I was trying not to think about what was happening. But it was happening.

I remember suddenly feeling like it was time to have him. They called the doctor in and the Life Flight team and the NICU nurses, and anybody else that wanted to... just kidding but there were so many people in that room! I started pushing and felt a lot more pain than I wanted to, the epidural was wearing off but it didn't last for too long. It only took about 15 minutes and then I heard a cry, it was the best sound any of us could hear.

Gabe was born around 9 am weighing 4 lbs 6 oz and was 16 1/2 in long. Everyone in the room clapped when they weighed him because he was a lot bigger than what they were hoping for.

They rushed him downstairs, hooked him up to the ventilator and got him ready to be transfered. They waited for me to come down before they took him so that I could spend a few minutes with him. I am so thankful that they did.

Those were the best minutes I had in the whole 48 hours I was at the hospital. I will never forget holding him and feeling so overwhelmed with gratitude for everything. When the doctor delivered my placenta there was a huge tear in it. If Gabe hadn't come early he probably wouldn't have made it. I know that everything happens for a reason, Gabe is here right now for a reason. He was supposed to make it and I am so thankful that I get to spend my life figuring out why he did.