Introducing......

Terry James "TJ" Shoemaker!!!! He was born on October 12 at 3:09 am. He weighed 6 lbs 8 oz. This is my first baby that I went into labor naturally. It was interesting. I started having some contractions Monday morning. They continued throughout the day sporadically. I had been told that Braxton Hicks contractions get worse with each kid. Also you had to have four in an hour for it to mean anything. At eight that evening they were occuring frequently but I thought nothing of it and they tapered off for awhile. Jeremy thinks that I just wasn't feeling them cuz I was distracted reading a book. At 11 I could tell they were less than five mintues apart and they were getting progressively worse. So I called my mom to come stay with the girls and we thought we would be sent back home.

We got to the hospital and I was dialated to a five! I dialated rather quickly and got an epidural at a 6. With the girls I always got the epidural at a 3. They funny thing is I was breathing how they told me to and it did actually help!! Of course I was still in pain and wanted the drugs but it helped until I got them. From the time we got in the hospital and all checked out it was about one am. So the labor at the hospital only lasted about 2 hours. That was really nice!! It was also the easiest labor all over out of the three kids.

After he was born they rushed him into the other room so neither Jeremy nor I were able to hold him and still haven't been able to. He was about 5 weeks early so he is in the NICU. He is on a ventilator and has a couple iv's. Tonight they are going to put a picc line in. He is so adorable and a good looking baby. I can't hold him until he can breathe on his own. I hope it is soon! They said he is a very active baby and gets mad at being poked and prodded so they have to sedate him often.

The girls were able to visit him for a little while today. I think Sariah was worried but like being able to see him. Emily was really cute. She would touch his foot. She was looking at the other babies and she would say this my baby brother. Then on the way back to the room she kept saying her brother like she was a proud older sister.

So sorry this is such a long post and if I added a little too much info!