Our Berry Amazing Journey: 1 week old....

It's hard to believe that it's already been one week. It has absolutely flown by and we've enjoyed every moment of it. Little John Channing is such a precious gift and we have waiting so long on the Lord for this blessing that it makes it a bit easier I think to embrace all the changes that are taking place in the Berry Household. John & I talk about how we've longed for these long nights, dirty diapers and sweet & precious times of just gazing at him. It was so worth the wait.

The story of his birth....

On October 14 we woke up and discussed our day. John felt like we should put all of our bags in the car for our afternoon doctor's appointment. I was fine with that but hadn't planned to put in my bathroom stuff but he was persistent. I guess I just didn't want to get my hopes up that they might say it was time. I was so ready to meet the little guy! I went & taught preschool that morning and John worked in the office. After preschool we headed to lunch at On the Border. We love their lunch specials & we had been encouraged to try spicy food to help progress our little fellas arrival. We were up for anything. So we both had the lunch fajitas and they were scrumptious! Probably not the meal I would have chosen to eat if I had known the rest of the days events but it actually wasn't a problem at all. Maybe that salsa did help progress things!

We headed to see Dr. Lewis. As she checked me I was quite uncomfortable & she kept apologizing because she knew it was painful. After her exam she said with a smile " Well you're at 5 cm & I'm sending you to the hospital." I couldn't help but yell out a REALLY????? to which she laughed and headed out to write up our paperwork. We immediately looked at each other and just SMILED. It was so exciting yet so surreal. We immediately started calling family because she said our little fella would be here before the mornings light & we wanted everyone to be able to share in our joyful event. John got the Berry family called & B & Coley just happened to be right there with Mama Nissi & Papa John so they were on their way & so was my family!

We headed to the hospital and sat in the parking garage taking care of important things at church that needed to be covered...Caroline, worship practice, feeding the football team, the worship set for Sunday & everything that falls in John's list of responsibilities for a weekend. He wanted to be able to have everything taken care of so he could give us his full attention. I was so grateful for his plans he had made prior to this time. He was prepared just in case we did have Channing on a weekend. Gotta love that about him!

We headed in, had to register because we had planned to do that after our doctors appointment and they took me back. I was immediately taken to my room & got skip triage. So grateful. I had met a girl at the doctors office who was a labor & delivery nurse. She had called & gotten a friend to be my nurse. Love provision from the Lord. I had prayed I would get a wonderful nurse that would help comfort me during this uncertain time & the Lord provided not one but TWO!

I laid in bed watching Channing's heart rate & my contractions from 4:00-6ish never feeling any pain. I was having a good time getting excited with John. His grin went from ear to ear & it gave me so much joy to see him finally getting something he had desired for so long. At about 6 they started pitocin to help regulate the contractions. They kept asking me about the epidural but I just wasn't in pain and didn't feel the need to get it yet. The contractions began to increase as the pitocin was going in and I started having to breathe through contractions about 8:00. My family was there & brought John something to eat so they headed out to the waiting room & I finally got the epidural. I was terrified of that needle. Why they make you watch the video I will never know...I would have been so much better off without seeing it! I sat there on the side of the bed & prayed as tears streamed down my face out of fear for that stupid needle. I hate those things! Before I knew it, Christina my nurse was there encouraging me as I prayed & it was over. Within 20 minutes was at 7 1/2 cm. She said we would definitely see this little guy before midnight.

About 10:30 I started pushing and John was such a cheerleader! Many times I was so excited about it being time to meet him that I wouldn't be able to hold the last of the three breaths! I was just beaming with JOY!!!! Dr. Lewis and John had the best time singing songs & playing with one another. It made it such a fun time! As the big light came down John broke out in song " Blinded by the light...." & Dr. Lewis joined in saying she loved "that JAM". Such peace & joy filled room 2 as I 'labored' for Channing. Dr. Lewis at one point turned to John and asked him if he was ready? John was then given a suit & gloves & told he would deliver Channing! OH HOW I WISH I HAD THE PICTURE OF HIS FACE! It was priceless & is forever embedded in my memory!

Not 20 minutes later a sweet baby boy entered this world by the hands of his father. He was handed to me by John & I loved on him. It was so amazing. He needed a little 'roughing up' as Dr. Lewis said to get him breathing good, but the moment that God breathed life into him was so precious. His lungs were filled with air by his heavenly father and he began his first series of praises! It was glorious!

They checked him & and said he was perfect. We spent an hour or so with him by ourselves and enjoyed the newness of being a threesome! Our family came in and we were able to share him. It was so great to see our journey to parenthood be completed and to be able to share it with our loved ones.