Introducing...

Aiden Kent Knuckles

arrived Thursday, November 17, 2011 at 1:08 p.m.

weighing 7 lbs. 5 oz. and measuring 21 inches

His name came about simply because we liked Aiden. Trent laughs though because in Holland, where he served his mission, it means "duck", but it's spelled "eden."  So we're thinking for Halloween little Aiden (he won't be quite so little by then) will have to be a duck :) And Kent is a family name on both sides.  Trent's dad's name is Kent and my dad's middle name is Kent, as well as his dad's (my grandpa).

Towards the end of my pregnancy Trent was totally rooting for Aiden to come on November 17 because it's exactly a month after his birthday.  And a week after mine!  And he came!  Crazy!

Now here goes the whole labor story.  Feel free to just skip to all of the pictures if you want because this will probably be long!

So last Wednesday, the 16th, I went to my weekly prenatal appt.  The doctor checked my cervix as usual (which is SO uncomfortable by the way..ha) and we found out I had dilated to 3 cm, which was a cm more than the week before, and I was 90% effaced.  Once he took his fingers out though, I knew something was up because the pelvic pressure didn't let up.  And I continued to have that pressure for the rest of the evening.  I still went babysitting for 2 1/2 hours that night and really couldn't figure out if I was having contractions or not.  By the time I got home around 9:30 p.m. I told Trent I was packing my hospital bag (I had been meaning to for a few days) because I really thought this could be it. He was excited and surprised, but he still went to bed because he was subbing in the morning.

I spent the next few hours packing my bag and the diaper bag and cleaning our place up, and by now I knew I was having contractions. I went to get in bed around midnight, but it was clear I wouldn't be getting any sleep.  The contractions felt so much worse laying down. So now I tell Trent to pack his stuff because we're heading to the hospital that night.  In the mean time I was bouncing on an exercise ball and rocking in the glider trying to time my contractions.

My contractions were pretty sporadic.  Sometimes they were only like 3 minutes apart, but other times they were like 7 minutes apart. We stayed home as long as we could, but decided to head to the hospital around 4 a.m.  It was pretty crazy to be heading there!  We listened to Taylor Swift's Christmas c.d. on the way :)

We headed to triage where we filled out some paperwork and they took us to a room where they monitored my blood pressure and contractions and did a pelvic exam to see where I was at.  I got really discouraged because I was still only at 3 cm - the same from my appt. earlier in the afternoon.  I was so worried they'd send us home.  I didn't know what I'd do if we had to go home because my contractions were feeling really painful.  They kept us in triage another hour monitoring me and when they came back to check again I was at about 4 cm.  THANK GOODNESS!  They admitted us!

We headed to our delivery room, they stuck me with an IV (which really hurt! Maybe I'm just wimpy, but I hate needles), and they made me sign a bunch of paperwork.  I was hurting and feeling very frazzled so Trent did it for me and forged my signature..ha.  It was now about 7 a.m. and Trent called up both of our parents to let them know we were in.  We held off telling them anything until we knew it was the real thing, so it was probably pretty shocking to them that we were already in our delivery room!

My dad was already at work in Phoenix, but I wanted him there with Trent to give me a priesthood blessing so I endured my contractions for the 40 minutes it took him to get there.  Trent gave me a beautiful blessing, which I don't remember much of unfortunately because I had a big contraction during it, and then my dad asked Trent if he could give me a father's blessing, which I thought was so sweet.  Although I don't remember too much from either of them, I do know they were both extremely comforting.  I am so grateful that I grew up in a home where my dad was a worthy priesthood holder and that now I'm married to a worthy priesthood holder.  What a blessing.

Literally right after my dad finished, I asked for my epidural (around 8 a.m.).  And I cried.  I was TERRIFIED!  But I knew I didn't want to endure any more pain.  I really wanted to hold out until I was at least 5 cm, but I think they gave it to me around 4.5.  After about 15 minutes I couldn't feel anything from my waist down, which was SO nice.  I was able to finally rest.  It kind of stinks that I didn't get any sleep the night before.

Jill came to visit before she went to work and Jen and Mom were there the whole time.  I don't know if I slept at all because I was pretty anxious, and Jen and Mom kept wanting pictures, but mostly I was just anxious ;)

Around 8:45 Dr. Huish, my OB, came to check on me and I was at 5 cm and still 90% effaced.  He broke my water to help things progress. At 10:30 the nurse checked again and I was 7 cm and 100% effaced. And by 12:15 I was 10 cm dilated and ready to push.  We were all so shocked!  It seemed like everything had gone so fast!  And suddenly they were telling me I was going to start pushing!

It took them a little bit to get the room prepared for delivery and what not. The left stir-up didn't work so Trent had to hold up my leg..ha. And Mom and Jen stood back behind me.  Everyone was a great support while I was pushing.  I was so surprised when Dr. Huish told me while I was pushing that he was seeing a lot of dark hair! Where did that come from?!  It seemed like I didn't have to push very long at all. Trent and I both think it was only about 15-20 minutes.  

And cute Aiden was born at 1:08 p.m.!  I didn't tear at all, which I was very surprised about because I thought I would for sure.  I think it's all because of Dr. Huish.  He's awesome! And everyone was so surprised that Aiden was 7 lbs.  Even Dr. Huish guessed 6 before he was weighed.

Baby Aiden was really quiet at first, just kind of making little noises and not really crying, which had the nurses a little concerned.  When babies cry a lot in the beginning they are able to get all of the amniotic fluid and what not out of their little lungs.  They gave him to me and he pretty much started to nurse right away.  It was pretty crazy!

We stayed in the delivery room until about 3 p.m. and soon Aiden's vital readings were much better and my bleeding slowed down.  Then they moved us to our postpartum room and the visitors, aka family, showed up pretty much right away :) 

Our sweet baby Aiden!  I just LOVE his hair!

First family picture!

We seriously can't stop kissing his little cheeks :)

We stayed in the hospital 2 days.  Friday we just kept getting the hang of things and Aiden and I worked on mastering breast feeding. He also passed his first test - the hearing test!  GO AIDEN!!  The nurses discovered he was a bit jaundiced in his face.  They tested him again on Saturday and he looked great so we headed home around 12:45 p.m.

Just waiting to have Aiden's security anklet cut off so we could get him dressed and head home.  

We meant to have a nurse get our picture, but ended up just having a stranger take a picture for us in the parking lot.  

Headed home with our newest addition!

Little Aiden looking so teeny in his car seat!

Daddy and son!  We made it home!

That evening Trent's parents brought us dinner and we had Tanis give Aiden his first bath at home.  She is a nurse (used to be a neonatal intensive care nurse) so she's had a lot of practice ;)  Aiden LOVES getting his hair washed!  We crack up every time because he makes the cutest facial expressions!

Sorry the lighting's so bad.  I'll have to get a better picture :)

Baby Aiden in his huge crib!  And he is just swimming in his sleeper nightgown!  He only uses his crib for naps - we have a co-sleeper in our bedroom for the evenings :)

Sunday morning I stuck Aiden in his bouncer for the first time while I ate breakfast.  Don't worry, I put a blanket over him :)

That afternoon we took Aiden on his first walk and he was so alert! We just checked our mail and took the "long" way home around the lakes :)

And Monday evening our cutie boy discovered his thumb! We thought it was so cute :)

Aiden is a week old now and last night he let me sleep 6 1/2 hours - 3 1/2, then I fed him, and then another 3.  Such a good boy!

All I can say is we are absolutely in love with Aiden.  I never knew I could love someone so much, so fast. (At first I didn't have "so fast" at the end of that sentence and Trent read it and was like, "What about me?"  I had to think about it and realized I fell in love with Aiden instantly and it took a little bit of time - not too much - to fall in love with Trent :) Obviously we had to date a bit before I fell in love!) Trent and I can't stop saying to one another, "He's just so CUTE!" and "He's such a good boy!"  I can honestly say I have never been so happy in my entire life and at times it makes me want to burst into tears, happy tears of course!  I LOVE MY BOYS SO MUCH!!

P.S. Just yesterday we realized that Aiden's birthday, November 17, is the same day Trent proposed to me 4 years ago!  Man, he has a great birthday!  I just love that little guy to pieces :)