Kaden Dalton Hafer

We welcomed Kaden into our family on August 10, 2013 at 11:22 p.m. It was a very long week and labor, but it was all worth it when I saw him for the first time. On Monday I went in for my regular doctor's appointment and my blood pressure was high. They decided that I should do a 24 hour urine test to see if I had protein in my urine to determine if I was preeclampic. I decided to put it off a few days because Spencer was going to San Francisco that Thursday through Friday for the 49er game. I knew that they wouldn't be able to do anything until he got back. I did the urine test all day Wednesday and went to take it in on Thursday and it spilled all over my back seat. When I took it into the lab that were grossed out (as I would be also), but I had gone to the bathroom and cleaned it off before taking it there. They said they couldn't take it and I almost started crying right there. I was not starting over and doing that for a whole day again. She took it and said that they would call my doctor when she got in, but she might have me redo it. I had only lost a cup and it there was so much pee still I just didn't understand. 

I got a phone call on Friday morning from my doctor at 8:30 in the morning saying that they needed me to go to labor and delivery at 10:00. I told her that Spencer didn't fly in until around 10 and we would get there as soon as we could. We had a good lunch at Apollo Burger and headed to the hospital. Good thing I wasn't actually in labor we had no idea where labor and delivery was located in the hospital and it took us awhile to find it. They checked us in at 1:00 p.m. and started the pitocin. My doctor wanted to start it slowly so I could go natural like I had already planned on. I was in labor all night and all the next morning. At that point I was dilated to a 4 and 90 percent effaced. 

I changed rooms so that I could get into the tub and relax a little so I could get my mind off of the pain and help my body relax. After I got out they checked me again and I was at a six. Then active labor started after about 25 hours of labor. After three hours of intense pain I was so tired I didn't know how much longer I could go without eating and my energy was running really low. Spencer was also getting very tired from doing counter pressure for all the back labor I was having. I started to cry and didn't know what to do at that point. Spencer called my doctor in so that we could talk about my options and figure out what we should do next. I just didn't want it to end in a c section because I ran out of energy. She told us that on average with pitocin you will dilate about a centimeter every 12 hours. That was about the rate I was going seeing how I came in when I was 2 centimeters and 80 percent effaced. She said why don't we go ahead and check you again and see where you are at. If you are still at a six what do you want to do? She said something that has stuck with me ever since: The prize is the same no matter what you do and you can always try going natural again with your second baby. At that point I said he is going to be an only child I am never doing this again! We decided that if I still had a long time to go I would get the epidural so that they could break my water, up my pitocin, and see if my contractions would become normal if my body could relax a little. I was still at a six after those three hard hours and did all that work for nothing. 

They gave me the epidural and within three hours I was ready to push. I was in charge of how much I could feel and made it so the epidural just took off the edge so I could still be a part of my birth and know what was happening. I pushed while falling asleep in between contractions for two hours long hours and he was here. The second they put him on my chest I was in love! I think after 34 hours of labor I was so happy to see him and had an instant connection with him. I thought that I would for sure sleep that night, but I still couldn't. I was so excited to spend time with him and just held him most of the night. He was 8 pounds 10 ounces, 21 and a half inches long and had his mom's and dad's big feet! He is such a sweet baby and I can't imagine my life without him now. We love you Kaden!

All ready to go home in the nice, warm car seat!

On Friday I went to the doctor for his check after three days of being home. They sent us to the hospital to do a check on his level for jaundice. He was at a 17.8 which is pretty high for how many days old he was. It was back to the hospital for us. We had to go to Primary Children's Hospital and he had to be under special lights from Friday afternoon until Saturday morning. I was so scared that he was going to hate it, but he actually loved it! It was hard to feed him because he was so relaxed and couldn't wake up because he was so warm. I was so done sleeping on hard beds and wanted to go home. I was so happy we only had to stay there one night. There were several babies there that had been there for a long time because they were very sick. I just needed to count my blessings that Kaden didn't have anything serious that would make us stay there long term. We so happy to be home and just love every day trying to figure out new things together. His cute little smile makes everything worth it.