The Beecrofts: Cole Daniel Beecroft

Where to start.. the last month has been surreal.. I was told by many friends that I may forget some of the little details of that day so.. this is what happened April 20,2013.

On April 19, 2013, Danny and I were at home watching the Hobbit with some of our friends. At about 11:00 pm, I started having contractions (Towards the end of my pregnancy, I kept asking moms, "how will I know I am having contractions? What do they feel like?" They would just laugh at me and tell me I would definetely know.. well,they were right). Our friends went home around midnight and the contractions continued. Every 5-7 minutes, all night long.. Danny was a trooper.. He stayed up with me all night to breath with me and coached me through each contraction.

The morning came and we were both EXHAUSTED. Niether of us got ANY sleep. I wanted to go to the hospital but Danny reminded me that in our birthing class, they told us to labor at home for as long as I could and wait until my contractions were 3 minutes apart before coming in. Danny and I went to a couple furniture stores and tried to pass the time.. Even while we were in the stores, I would have to sit/lie down on the furniture every 4-7 minutes to make it through my contractions.. At about 11:00 am, our friends (that we watched the movie with the night before) text us, they had just had THEIR baby! 3 weeks early.. It didn't seem fair, they had their baby early and with, what seemed to be, no problems! What were the chances that their baby would come 3 weeks early and ours would come 2 days late, to be born the same day.. not likely.

Finally, my contractions were 3 minutes apart! At about 12:00 NOON on April 20, Danny FINALLY OK'd going to the hospital! YAHOO! I was close to death, I swear it :)

We arrived to St. Marks Hospital and my doctor checked me to see how far I was dialated.. (I had already gone past my due date by 2 days, PLUS I had labored through the night for about 12 hours, so I just KNEW I was dialated to at least an 8). "Well, you are a ONE," she told me. I could have just bawled. All that work for NADA! They told me to go walk for an hour and come back. Danny and I then began wandering around the hospital. Every 3-5 minutes we would stop and Danny would coach me through my breathing.

An hour later, I reported back to my room to see how far I was NOW dialated.. I HAD to be an 8!! NOPE.. "You are a TWO." Oh. MY. GOSH!! NOOO!

I plead with my doctor.. "Please don't send me home!" She told me that since I had progressed they would let me stay! YAHOOOO! Little did I know, my day was not even close to being over.. A couple hours passed and I was still progressing slowly. My doctor then came in and broke my water.. At that point the contractions got stronger.. One of my nurses recommended that I didn't get the epidural until I REALLY needed it because it can slow down labor and there would be a possibility of a C-Section, which I didn't want. At about 7 o'clock, I couldn't take the pain any longer.. I was bawling at that point and BEGGED Danny to get me an epidural.

The doctor came in to give me the epidural and even after being numbed, I could FEEL the tube going up my spine. PAIN! After the epidural kicked in, I could still feel the contractions but this time, contractions were pressure instead of pain. HEAVEN! At 10pm My nurse checked me again.. I was still only at a 5. So around 10:45 pm Danny decided that he was going to get some food. As he was walking out the door, my nurse decided to check me again... "You are a 10! Time to push!" It was surreal in 45 minutes I had progressed so much.. My doctor had gone home for the night because I was progressing so slowly.. She thought it would be the next day before the baby came.. They called the doctor and 15 minutes later, she was there and at 11:18 pm, we had a baby boy!

He was perfect! Born on April 20, 2013 at 5 pounds 12 ounces 18 inches long.. He was born on the same day as his 2 cousins (only 8 years later) and on the same day my sweet mother in law left this earth (only 12 years later).. Making April 20th even that much more special to our family. It was the most amazing experience. Such a miracle to watch.. Such a miracle to be a part of.. I feel so lucky. 2 days later, it was time to go home and we still had not named the babe.. Danny and I sat in our room for about an hour.. The nurse had come and gone several times to see if we were ready to leave.. & finally, we decided.. Cole Daniel Beecroft.

These pictures were taken at the hospital when Cole was 1 day old by his aunt Amy.