Beckham Joseph Graham

Beckham Joseph Graham

8lbs. 21 inches

Our sweet little guy came very peacefully and uneventfully into the world on February 22, 2013.

This is EXACTLY what my Dr. and I hoped and planned for.  After each checkup he'd say, "this is just your boring, normal/typical pregnancy and we are going to keep it that way."  My Dr. never once seemed worried but was always reassuring which was good because I think I did enough worrying for us all.  I DID NOT skip one day of taking my prenatal vitamins, I stopped running at 11 weeks, gained more weight than I wanted to, truly did not lift anything heavier than 25 lbs. and at 36 weeks I parked it on the couch except to run simple errands.  I wanted no reason to blame myself if something were to go wrong.  It was so worth it!  We can not get enough of this sweet & 100% healthy little man!!!!  Now brace yourselves, what you're about to read is seriously the BEST birth story EVER!

The Thursday before my planned c-section I was instructed to have only liquids and then no food after midnight.  Has anyone else whose had a c-section been told this because a lot of people I had talked to who have had c-sections haven't been told this?  Anyways, my sweet friends got together  and surprised me with a "juicing brunch".  My friend has a juicer and we juiced all sorts of fruits and veggies and came up with some yummy concoctions.  Then later that afternoon my Mom came in town and helped me finish getting everything ready.  All during the day I received sweet texts and emails from friends wishing me the best.  Before I went to bed, Joey gave me one of the sweetest blessings, and the girls prayed that the baby would come safely out of Mommy's tummy.

Friday morning I woke up, got ready, left the girls each a note on the table, kissed my Mom goodbye then headed to the hospital with Joey.  Its kind of scary going into the hospital for what you know will be surgery.  But just as we pulled into the parking lot and I started to get more nervous, I got a sweet and reassuring text from my cousin (yes, at 5:30am my time so 4:30am her time) she has a 3 month old she was up with.  It was just what I needed at the most perfect time to bravely walk in the hospital.  Upon entering labor and delivery we were greeted by the EXACT team of dr.'s and residents who delivered Ansley.  While we were checking in they came over and asked if we had delivered there 2 years before.  They all remembered that crazy night and kept telling me that "Today is going to be nothing like that!" It was a nice reunion and they could not wait to see Ansley!  I told them I couldn't believe they remembered us and they said they don't have many incidents like ours and it would be hard to forget!

Here is Dr. R (his name is too hard to spell and pronounce) & Ansley

He was a 4th year med student when we had Ansley and is now a 3rd year resident!

So after I checked in, had my blood drawn, and iv put in, I was taken to the OR.  Then I simply got my epidural, that took amazingly, and about 10 min. later I heard and saw my sweet baby boy.  Dr. Wendel (my dr.) delivered the baby but other residents and students were there too.  No pain, just a lot of pressure when they were pulling him out.  Joey said it looked like they turned my stomach inside out.  Thank goodness for that sheet; I don't think my stomach could handle watching that!  The anesthesiologist was awesome, telling me what was going on the whole time and prepping me for what was coming (pressure etc.).  I don't know why I was so scared of c-sections.  (I know they are not for everyone) BUT of the 3 deliveries I've had I'll take this one over the other 2 ANYDAY!

Joey & I had a hard time agreeing on boy names, but had finally narrowed it down to 2 the night before my c-section.  We both really like Collin and Beckham.  When we went to bed, we both were leaning more towards Collin.  We decided we'd make the final call when we saw him.  While we were checking in, the Dr.'s kept asking what his name would be.  We told them our top 2 choices.  When he was born they all kept calling him Beckham and even the nurses too!  Joey and I couldn't call him Collin after all that, plus they did play a part in saving our lil Ansley.  So, the staff basically named our lil charmer for us & we think it suits him nicely! Plus, the way Ansley says, "Baby Beckham" is the cutest thing EVER!

We are all so in love with him!

& I can't believe I have 3 little blessings!!!!!

I've been so overcome with gratitude these past few weeks!