Boden Derek Miller

Our baby boy arrived on February 21, 2012, so it seems our boy is already obedient following my request to come.  Here is the story of that day...

I woke up and headed to the doctor at 9 to get my membranes stripped.  I wasn't too confident in it because I did have it done twice with Brielle with no success.  When I went into the doctor I was almost a 5 so that was some change compared to the previous 3 weeks.  I got home and tried to move around as much as possible to help get something going.  Around 11 my back started aching so I called Derek and told him I thought we should head over around 1.  He responded with "I'll believe it when I see it". I was hoping it was so I was trying to soak up my last few hours with Brielle. We went outside and played but slowly my discomfort was becoming more than discomfort. I called Derek again at 12:45 and told him it was time.  He headed home but on the way called and said, "should I call my Mom, is this for real?" I assured him it was.

We headed in to the hospital by 1:30, I was contracting so they took me right back and I made friends with what would later be my angel, the CNA/Doula.  The nurse checked me and I was a 6 so I was officially admitted.  They came to give me my epidural, I wasn't in a lot of pain so I wasn't sure if I should get it yet but the nurses said it would move quickly so I should get it then.  I got the epidural and started hanging out.  We had quite the gang at the hospital, Derek's parents, my parents, Brielle, KC, Tawni and Salli.

 I told them I wasn't getting very numb but they said it would start working.  I still wasn't in terrible pain so it was fine. The doctor came in and broke my water once I was almost an 8.  At that point I started hurting. I kept pushing the button to get more relief with my epidural, it just wasn't happening.  At that point we had the Doula come back in and starting helping me.  She was changing my positions and using pressure points to try to help deal with the pain.  She was the best thing EVER, she made the experience so much better for me. Every time I would start to get overwhelmed she would refocus me and I could keep going.
Derek was so great and supportive.  I couldn't let go of his hand.  I just needed him right by me.  He can strengthen me whenever I need it purely with his presence, I guess that is why we all need a good help mate. We also had our Mom's there and it was so reassuring to have them with us. I know our bonds as a family have grown by sharing this experience together and I'm so grateful for that.     

Once it was time to push we realized he was posterior which explained the back pain/burning.  She turned him on the first push and the second he was here.  And at that point nothing else mattered.  We had our boy and we were so happy.  We had a good laugh about the fact that they had been telling me I was going to have a small baby.  At 5:46 and exactly 2 weeks early, he was 7 lbs 3 oz and 20.5 inches long.  He was perfect.  

My lovely friend Salli took pictures for us during delivery.  The pictures are fantastic and I am so grateful to have them.  It also allowed us to enjoy the moments with our family which will be treasured forever.  

Of course one of the best moments was when our family was reunited, my heart grew so much.  I just can't believe how much I love my family. I feel blessed beyond words.  Moments like this bring you back and make you realize how important families are, how sacred it is to be a husband and wife to bring  these sweet children into the world.  My belief in eternal families was strengthened yet again.

Brielle seemed a little hesitant at first but warmed up quickly.  She looked at him and said "he's so little, oh my goodness!" Her reaction to him was very important to me.  Thinking about having another little one and feeling like I wouldn't be able to give her enough has been something that has caused me to shed more than a few tears.  You just want all your children to know how much you love them.  Once our family was together and she was happy, just made me that much more happy.  These moments can really only be described as pure joy.  

He has been a GREAT eater and sleeper since the second he was born.  Already putting himself on a great schedule.  The hospital stay was great, I felt a lot better then I did with Brielle.  It is funny how our bodies just remember what to do.  Womanhood is truly sacred.  

My parents kept Brielle for us for a few days.  It was so great to have her be somewhere that she loves so much but it was a lot harder than expected to have her away.  My mom would bring her to the hospital to be with us during the day which was exactly what Derek and I needed.  She wanted to hold the baby a lot and it was just more of those moments when our hearts were overflowing with love.  

When we had Brielle I think the thing that struck me most was how much I could love another person.  This time I knew that I would love him but what has been the most overwhelming emotion to me this time has been peace. Peace that I know his little spirit is meant to be in our home.  Peace to enjoy every second with this newborn.  Peace to know that the sleepless nights pass quickly.  Peace about how our family has grown for the better.

Watching Derek with Brielle stole my heart and that happened just the same. He went to the store when I was at the hospital and bought a basketball hoop and a baseball mitt for him.  I hope Boden is ready for the plans his Daddy has in store for him because I have a feeling Derek is not going to miss a moment with this boy.

(i'm not putting in a ton of pictures on this post because we have some AMAZING pictures to show but I am going to wait till I get the edited ones from Sal)