Parker's Story.

My wise sister in law said it perfectly: When you have another baby, your love isn't divided between two. It just grows enough to love them both equally as much.

That is exactly how it felt when I saw Parker for the first time; my ability to love just expanded. I don't know, I don't want to make it sound trite, so I'll stop trying to explain and just say it is an amazing feeling, really, really amazing. I feel blessed beyond measure to be a mother again, and especially to this precious little boy. He was definitely supposed to be part of our family. AND after this labor experience I told Bryan that I'm going to keep my baby trend going in 2010 (Caden '08, Parker '09)...he asked if I was getting remarried.

But seriously, I never want to leave Utah because I had the most incredible experience here. I knew I'd love my doctors and they didn't fail me whatsoever. The nurses were so kind. The anesthesiologist was heaven sent after my first epidural not working. This epidural made my blood pressure drop to like 50/35 which was pretty scary--okay, really scary, but this man, in his Christmas tree suspenders over the scrubs glory, saved the day with oxygen masks, and another IV drip. After 35 years of service this man knows his stuff! Phenomenal. He made sure to inform me that all red heads are big trouble makers for the health care profession. Sorry folks. I didn't choose this hair color. Oh, and I forgot the best part of my experience...THEY GIVE YOU FLAVORED ICE!!! I'm talking snow cone style. Like I said, I never want to leave Utah.

So here's the story, more for my memory than anyone elses. We got the call to come into the hospital at 8 AM. I wonder if I will ever know what it's like to be surprised by labor...probably not. We got there around 10 AM. I was hooked up to the machines and IV's and then the fun began. At this point my anxiousness had subsided and I was just excited to meet our baby boy. I tried to let the pitocin really start working before requesting suspender-man's services. I lasted about 2 1/2 hours before the waterworks started. I think I was emotional more because my nurse said I was only dilated to 1 cm after all that pain. This was especially odd since my doctor had told me the day before I was at 2 cm.

Either way after being at the hospital for about 7 hours I had only progressed 2 cm. I was a bit panicked, thinking I was going to be in this hospital bed for the next two days at this rate. Then, this awful pain set in. I'm talking, my pelvis bone is going to break in half, pain. Apparently in less than an hour I went from a 4 to a 10, and was completely ready to push. I was not expecting that. Either was my anesthesiologist who quickly came back and gave me the best drugs mixture in the universe. Parker's head was turned to the side which was also making the pain worse. My fabulous doctor was able to move him into position and after only 20 minutes of pushing he was here. The whole thing was a whirl wind. I was nauseated from the speed of it all. But more so I was amazed. Having a baby really is just that, amazing. After they handed me Parker I just kept thinking, I have TWO kids. How lucky am I?!? OH-and I looked at the clock when he was born. It was 6:26 PM...they say 6:23. My question is...when is he "born"? When the heads out? Shoulders? When the body is all out?!? Seriously, there has to be a science to this.

Anyway, Parker got a 9-10 on his apgar test. Be impressed. :) Then they took him straight to the nursery for his bath. I missed him immediately. What a blessing...he was mine to miss! The next thing I know they are wheeling me to my mother-baby room, and I see Caden at the nursery glass pointing and smiling. Nothing in the world could melt your heart more. That moment will be with me forever.

So between having such a wonderful second experience with labor and being so overwhelmed by my love for two children, I totally understand Michelle Duggar and her 19 kids. :) My New Years Resolution this year is to get my own reality show.

We are home now. Parker is perfect. So content. Caden is lively as ever. Life is definitely exactly how it should be. We are enjoying today--since tomorrow begins the last semester of law school. It all goes so fast.

And Janelle to answer your question :)...
We had debated back and forth my whole pregnancy over names. I was having commitment issues. Mostly we went between Tanner, Beckett, and Logan. We were 90% going with Tanner when we went to the hospital. Then when Bryan held him for the first time he looks up at me and says, "He just doesn't look like a Tanner." Suspender-man's advice was: Pick a name you love and the boy will make it his own. We got the baby name book back out and I had to listen to Bryan's ridiculous suggestions: Horatio, Jedidiah, etc. I dreamt about names the first night at the hospital. Well, I've always LOVED Parker...we almost named Caden Parker, but it had gotten so popular on the baby charts that I just forgot about it. Well, our Parker looks like a Parker...so my boy will make the name his own. :)

...Let my life surrounded by THREE BOYS begin. :)