Introducing...

Inara Mary Behrend

Born: Jul 18, 2008

Birth Time: 10:18 am

Weight: 7 lbs 6 oz

Length: 20 inches

We are so excited to welcome little Inara (In- ah- rah) into our family! Already we feel so blessed to have such a sweet and happy little angel.

Labor and Delivery:

It seems she was in quite some hurry to get here. I felt my first contraction about 5:40 am but stayed in bed waiting them out. They were ten minutes apart and never got any closer together, just more intense. So at 9:00 when Spencer got up to get ready for school I asked him to call the hospital to see if they might take me and give me some pain medicine. As soon as I got up out of bed the contractions jumped on top of each other. We got to the hospital and the nurse took us in to check and see how far dilated I was. Spencer helped me into the hospital gown and the nurse asked me to lay back on the bed. As I was doing so I screamed (literally!) "She coming right now!" Spencer looked and goes, "Oh ya, she really is." in a very calm almost surprised voice. The nurse had him hit the panic button and about six more nurses came rushing in. I panicked! I stared at Spencer and kept saying over and over, "I don't have any drugs! I don't have any drugs!" (I'm the epidural's #1 fan!) Two more contractions and out popped Inara. I never even pushed. I don't remember anything put screaming and shaking like there was an earthquake. Next thing I knew they were asking Spencer to cut the cord and saying "Time of birth 10:18" 8 minutes we had been at the hospital.

What an adventure! Apparently word got around fast because when I was walking to the recovery room three different nurses said, "oh are you the 10 minute girl?" And the other new dad that Spencer saw in the nursery asked if it was his wife!

Hospital Stay and Going Home:
Hospitals are really no fun, but I love being waited on so I always try and stay as long as they'll let me. We had a ton of visitors! So many that two different nurses commented on it. It was so fun. This is our first family photo.

The proud big sister. (Isn't she gorgeous!)

Leaving the hospital was a nightmare. (They thought there was a teeny tiny chance that something might maybe possibly be wrong (they sound sure huh?!)) We thought we got to leave at 11:00 so I got up and packed in the very early morning. The nurse then told me my discharge time was 2:00 so we kept on waiting. Aliah found ways to keep herself busy.

Finally at 3:00 after two pages and a phone call to the doctor at home with no response we had the nurse call the on call doctor to give us permission to leave. Back at home Spencer's family came and cleaned up my kitchen and bathroom (Thanks so much guys! You're awesome!) and brought over the cradle Spencer had made me.

Isn't it amazing! Spencer's mom and my sister made the bedding for it.

Next Time:

I've decided to have my baby at home next time. I figure, clearly I don't have any trouble having babies, doctors don't do anything a nurse can't do, (Thanks again to the awesome nurses who delivered Inara! Go Amy and Kristy! I hope you think it's a good story to tell!) and I know you can still have an epidural at home. This way I can ask for the drugs when I feel ready not when someone says I am, and I don't have to bother with pushy nurses that Spencer has to tell to back off. As for natural birth, it's just not for me. And let me make sure and get it out there that the tale of the pain not getting worse after you've dilated to an 8 is a flat out lie! It's some totally made up thing that they've been telling us all our life to try and trick us into natural birthing. The pain gets a lots worse, but it changes totally. Its a good pain, honestly it feels good! It's like working out, or getting a message. It hurts, but in a good way. Looking back at it I'm incredibly proud of myself though! And you know something funny, it's an unbelievably satisfying feeling. I can now say I've had a natural birth. I don't know why I think that's so cool, but I fell like I want to make a list just so I can check that one off. That's how excited I am about it. I think I would actually encourage my friends to do it. Just once! If you were mentally prepared for it, instead of panicky like me, it would be great. You truly feel like you can do anything afterward. If you can have a natural birth you can take on anything life hands you. It's a strange yet wonderful euphoria.

So welcome, welcome little Inara into this crazy world!