He's Here!!!

On Thursday, July 26th, at 6:17pm we welcomed Gresham Luke to the world! 

It was quite a day and one that I will never forget. 

I was pretty discouraged by this point in my pregnancy because I was 11 days overdue. I had no idea the mental and emotional struggle it is to go past your due date! Naomi was two days early so I thought this little guy would definitely be early as well!  I was also getting worried because we were working with a midwife and she is not allowed to deliver beyond 42 weeks. I wanted so badly to go into labor naturally. At 11 days overdue, I was having a hard time believing a natural labor would ever take place.

On Wednesday evening {July 25th}, Peter and I attended our life group and I started to have a few contractions. I didn't want to get my hopes up or anyone else's so I didn't really mention them. 

That night, I went to bed and woke up around 1am to more contractions. I knew I needed to sleep as much as possible if this was the real thing so I slept in between contractions for a few hours. Around 4am, the contractions seemed more intense and they were about 5 minutes apart. I was still so afraid of a false alarm that I still hadn't even told Peter! I finally woke him up and had him page the midwife. Well, for some reason, we weren't paging correctly because we couldn't get a hold of her! But, the contractions seemed to slow down and by 6 am they had died down quite a bit. I was pretty upset because I felt that it must be false labor again! I continued to have contractions off and on, but I wouldn't let Peter tell anyone for fear that this wasn't it! 

My mom packed up some things and took Naomi to a friends house. Peter and I ran some errands. Peter read up on how to coach me through labor (he's a good man). We watched a little TV. I walked up and down our hallway over and over and over to try to keep labor going....the day seemed 

insanely long. 

family photo the morning of July 26th

Finally, around 2:30pm, I asked Peter to call the midwife and ask if she would check if I was dilated at all. I was in tears by this point because I felt like I had been in pre-labor forever. The contractions seemed a little more intense, but they weren't consistent. They would even die off if I sat down. I figured I was dilated to maybe 1 or 2 cm, but I was sick of not knowing. My midwife had an appointment so she said she couldn't be there until 4:30pm. She also told me to stop walking because it sounded like I was wearing myself out trying to go into labor. So, for two hours, I napped and just relaxed. 

My midwife arrived and told me that it seemed like I was in pre-labor, but that it was normal to be in pre-labor for quite awhile with the second. 

So, then she checked me.....and all she said was, "oh wow...oh wow...you are at 7-8 cm!" 

I was shocked! I didn't even think I was in labor and now I was about to go through transition! 

A short time after that, my water broke. they immediately aired up the birthing tub, and I had the little guy at 6:17pm in our living room! Can you imagine if my midwife had not have come when she did?! I am so thankful! Everything flew by that last hour and a half. I pushed from 6:13pm to 6:17pm! 

right when he arrived

I look back on those 11 long overdue days and realize how beneficial they were. God was strengthening my faith and trust in Him to a new level. He kept saying to me over and over, "Is anything too hard for me?" 

I wish I could put into words how much I love this little guy. Children are such a blessing from the Lord and I am beyond humbled to be a mother of two kiddos.

Peter weighing Gresham in at 8lbs 4oz

He measured 20 1/4 inches long.

Naomi meeting her little brother for the first time.