Mac Kenneth Finkbeiner!

Mac has arrived! We now have a beautiful baby boy added to a small but growing family! Mac was born on Saturday at 5:42pm weighing 6#4oz and measures 20 inches long. He arrived after a short and rapid labor of only a few hours. Here's the story!

I had an appointment on Friday with one of my midwives, Ronda, and everything looked good: 3cm dilated, 75% effaced and a minus 2 station. She told me she could see me that night or the next week, it could be anytime.

On Saturday morning, Holly and I walked to the post office, to the church cafe, and to a friend's house, them came home and had lunch. Both of us needed a nap, so about 1pm we each lay down on our own bed for a snooze. I had a few contractions during my nap that were a little firmer and more painful than the Braxton-Hicks I'd been having but I didn't think much of it since it was a long nap. I got up around three and started having contractions more regularly. I went downstairs with Kieth and was folding some clothes and asked him several times what time it was, and realized the contractions were 5 minutes apart. This was at about 3:30. I went upstairs and played a game with Holly and the contractions were getting more painful. At 4pm I decided it was time to find someone to watch Holly because I felt like I probably needed to head to the hospital. I called the midwife, told her what was going on and about my contractions, and she said I could labor at home a little longer or I could come in, whatever I felt like. I told her I felt like they were getting closer together so I would come in, and she was going to call and let the hospital know I was coming. At 4:55pm, we had dropped Holly off with Carol and were leaving there for Kootenai Medical Center. On the ride over, Kieth and I discussed our new shed, and how we were hoping this was the real deal and we didn't get sent back home. At about Wolf Lodge (10 minutes from the hospital) the contractions were getting pretty close together and very intense with lots of pressure. I had not been planning and epidural but told Kieth as we were getting off at the exit  that if we got to the hospital and I was only at a 5 I was getting an epidural! We pulled in and Kieth grabbed me a wheel chair. I had several contractions as we were escorted up to labor and delivery and wheeling into the room. The nurse didn't even get me fully undressed (I still had my t-shirt on from home) and she said I'd like to check you before we do anything else. At this point the contractions hurt like crazy and were coming VERY close together! She checked me and I was already fully dilated. She told me she hoped I didn't want an epidural because there wasn't time. Several other nurses came into the room and they started telling me not to push, and to just blow the air out if I could and wait for Faith, one of the midwives, to arrive. The lasted all of about 2 minutes and then there was no stopping Mac's arrival. One of the nurses, Sara, who was in her street clothes and had been ready to leave for the day, delivered Mac, and Faith arrived several minutes later and did all the rest. There were four nurses, Sara, Melissa, Kathy, and Jackie, that were all awesome and made it a great delivery! They said we were in the room 8 minutes before Mac was delivered! Crazy. I'm just glad we made it. We had no idea I was that close to delivering!

So anyway, that's our crazy birth story. He's here now and he's adorable and we love him so much we want to burst! Here are some pictures for your viewing pleasure. :)