Austin Everett Pettingill

He's finally here and we're all sooo happy!!!

I had been scheduled to get induced Monday 9th Aug which I was happy about but at the same time I was still hoping I would go into labour on my own. After a fun Johnson reunion with lots of laughs and yummy food we went home Sunday night and started getting everything ready to go for the morning. While I was washing my face I thought I felt a contraction but I had been feeling pains all the time so I wasn't sure. It was almost 10pm at that point and I was tired so I went to lie down and the contractions kept coming every 10-15 minutes. I was REALLY hoping these weren't fake like the ones the week before so I didn't tell Steve for a while. After a while they started coming closer together so I thought I would walk around for abit which made the contractions even closer.

Just before 1am I decided we should probably go to the hospital so I woke Steve up and we got ready to go. I never know when to go in, I don't want to be too early or too late but this time more than anything I just wanted to go because I was having a v-back and I felt more safe at the hospital than at home. We left Mom with the kids until we knew if we would really be having the baby or not (that didn't take long so Sherisse picked her up and Steph stayed with the kids). We got there at about 1:30am and I knew I was in for a long night. The nurse checked me and I was already close to 7cm which I was surprised about. I had kind of decided to get an epidural at that point, not so much for the pain, just because I felt safer if anything crazy would have happened due to trying a v-back. Dr Leavitt got there a little while later (at about 2:30am) and told me I was already at 9cm and he also broke my water so I wasn't sure whether there was really any point to get an epidural because we thought I would be having the baby pretty quick but that didn't happen.

I stayed at 9cm for a while, the contractions were still coming but not very fast anymore so they ended up giving me some pitt which was NOT fun :( It didn't take long for it to kick in and when it did it absolutely killed and I was in LOTS of pain and wishing I had got the epidural but it was too late. It took about 30-45 minutes and it was time to push . I was in so much pain at that point I was excited to push but when I finally did it was even more painful but I just wanted to be done so I pushed as hard as I could and as close together as I could. The doctor had asked Steve if he wanted to help deliver the baby but I think Steve was too worried about me because I was having a hard time so he said no. At 4:46am I was done, it took about 6-7 pushes and only a few minutes and as soon as he came out I felt a HUGE relief. It all just seemed so unreal but also so amazing. I remember thinking "maybe this really should be the last baby" when I was in so much pain but now I think if there is any more little Pettingill's to come I will FOR SURE be getting the epidural next time.

It was so great to be able to hold our little squished up man as soon as I delivered him, he looked just like the rest of my kids. They took him off to clean him up and weigh him but it was so nice to be right there while they did all of it this time. We had been thinking maybe he would be 7lbs something but we were wrong. He weighed 8lbs 9ozs and was 21.5 inches long so he's my second biggest baby and my 4th baby to be born on a Monday. Syd was born on a Friday and was 6lbs 6ozs, all the others have been 8lbs or more on a Monday, kind of funny. It was so nice to have my Mom and Steve's Mom there this time. Sherisse has been able to be there each time we've had a baby but this time my Mom made it, what a great blessing that was.

Once all the excitement was over Mom and Sherisse went back home to get some rest, the nurses took the baby (we hadn't named him yet) to get all cleaned up and checked out and Steve and I went to my new room and had a nap for about an hour. We were both SHATTERED!!! There wasn't too much time to rest though but we were excited to see our new little man again. He wasn't so squished up so we were able to check him out more and figure out what we wanted to name him. We pretty much decided on Austin Everett but we wanted to make sure the kids felt like they were deciding too so when they came we asked them what they thought about it, they all agreed so that's when we really made the decision. The kids came just after lunch with my Mom, Sherisse, Brad and Steph it was a bit of a mad house but that is just how it will be when we get home too :) The kids were sooo excited to see their new brother, Hadley wasn't too sure about it and really didn't want to sit with me on the bed, I think it all worried her abit. They all had a few turns to hold him and had lots of questions about everything. Later in the day Trish came with her kids and Sherisse, Grandma Johnson came down for a minute from her room (she's still in the hospital), Arin and Kristy came (Alan for a second too), Natalie popped in for a minute and then Val, Karen and Bryce came too after seeing Gma. It was so nice to see everyone and receive everyone's messages on facebook so THANKS. By the end of the day though I was exhausted so I fed Austin and let the nursery nurses take care of him while I got some sleep. He came back in at about 2am and then again after 6am so I was able to get lots of rest which I was VERY grateful for.

It's now Tuesday morning and I'm all ready to go home :) They just bought Austin back in and he's fast asleep. He's just sooo lovely. He fits right in our little family, lots of the same features and blond hair. We'll have to see whether he has blue eyes or hazel like me and Hadley. What a miracle it is to have this new little baby, it's always so crazy and amazing to me to think that I actually had him inside me all this time and that he actually fit :) I feel so blessed to be a Mom and to have this great privilege to raise my children. I feel honoured that Heavenly Father has such trust in me, that he would let me be a Mom to 5 amazing children. I'm not the most patient Mom but I do love my kids. They mean the world to me and I feel so blessed to have my little family. I have an amazing husband who works so hard to provide for our family which lets me stay home with the kids. He's a FANTASTIC Dad and would do anything for any of us. Austin will love getting to know his Dad and his crazy older brother Spencer. Just thinking about my family makes me smile, it's unbelievable sometimes to think I have been married for almost 10 years and that Steve and I now have 5 children.

I'm just so happy, a little uncomfortable but EXTREMELY HAPPY :)