Porter Deven Stephens

Our sweet baby was born Sunday 10:47pm.  7lbs6oz.  19.5 inches.  Named Porter Deven Stephens.  Tons of brown hair - and a cute little dimple like his brothers.

After a hot, miserable week (with very painful hemorrhoids - tmi), super swollen ankles, and a fear of a very fast progression, the doctor said to check into the hospital at my 39 week date.  We headed down to Hoag in Newport Beach right after church.  My mom and also Deven's parents came into town.  We checked in at 2:00pm.  Had 2 very sweet nurses that just left me alone - which I thought was great.  We had a great ocean view, and cranberry spritzers.

They started the meds to induce labor at 4:00.  The first IV didn't work - it was a clogged line or something.  It was such an unfortunate side effect.  Every time the blood pressure cuff whet off it hurt my hand so bad! Deven got some dinner, I tired to rest a bit - without much luck.

I started feeling pretty hard contractions around 8:00 and started to bleed (like I did with the other 3 kids near the end).  I'm glad I asked for the epidural when I did (right around then).  I finally got the epidural at 9:00.  The nurses stopped the pitocin at that point.  The epidural went fine, but he had to poke me twice.  The on call doctor broke my water right after that.  Only about 30 minutes later I started feeling so much discomfort and pressure. The nurses thought there must be something wrong with the epidural (because when they checked me before the epidural I was at a 5).  I remember Deven trying to talk to me about something deep in an effort to distract me and just shaking my head at him (which makes me laugh now). He just held my hand after that and cheered me on.

The anesthesiologist came back in - checked all the lines, and wasn't sure of the problem. The head nurse came in and said, "its because we are ready to have a baby!" The fear of a very quick progression was true! I was at a 10.  If I had waited at home until I was a five (I had been at a 3+ for weeks) or until my water had broken (like it did with Remy and Kasen) we wouldn't have had time to even get checked in!  The doctor rushed down to the hospital while I labored waiting for about an hour. I pushed 3 time: once to flip him over, once for his head, and once for his body.

He had the cutest little cry right away. Deven cut his umbilical cord, and then they handed him to me while they finished delivering the placenta. He was so pink and had so much dark hair!  He wanted to suck on something so badly.  I just enjoyed the new from heaven moment with Deven. I got the shakes post baby - but not as bad as I had before.  They got me cleaned up pretty quick (by this time it was Monday)- and then up the the mother baby floor to recover for the next day.  

My view while I labored.  It was a long, but quick day.

 Your First picture.  I loved being able to hold you immediately.  You have the cutest little cry and were so pink.  We were both shocked by all your hair!  

Deven and Porter

 Brand new baby Porter. Straight from Heaven.  

 Porter: Your siblings couldn't wait to meet you.  I think they were all a bit shocked at how little you were, and how you couldn't "do" anything.  They all took turns holding you, and looked at your tiny hands and toes.  

 Grandma Sundberg and Porter

 Cute dimple!