Sweet Little One

Thursday morning at 3:13 am Dewey Emerson Hansen was born on the second floor of our little apartment. He weighed 8 lbs 12 oz and was 20" long. It was a home birth, just like Rachel always wanted. Since then I've been using paid time-off at work and have been Rachel's personal (and full-time) caretaker. Today is her fourth day of recovery and she is able to walk around without assistance and is getting better every hour.

As for the little guy, he is doing well too. He latched onto Rachel within 10 minutes of leaving the womb. He takes up all of Rachel's reserves by feeding every chance he gets. We all love him so much and so happy he is part of our family.

Labor

After feeling jipped with Olives birth, I was so excited and ready to labor and work for the coming of my child. And after two false starts, it was so excited to actually be in labor this time.  Few moms could have been as excited as I was to be in labor.

Hours Before Birth

I was so grateful to have my baby here at home. I felt more relaxed and able to cope with the challenge of birth. It was such a blessing to have the strong and loving support of Talmage, my mom and the midwives.

Talmage supporting me through a contraction.

Alex,  one of the two midwives checking babies heart beat

I felt the support of angels and my Savior. I felt the strengthening and enabling power of Christ's atonement especially strong when I was going through transition.

So happy to hold my baby in my arms

The atmosphere was so positive. I could not have asked for a better birthing experience. I can't express how happy I felt.

Welcome Baby Dewey!

Final Days of Pregnacy

Me on My Due-Date, Three Days Before Labor

Challenges

• Dewey flipping back and forth from breech to head down. I was kind of paranoid after having to have a c-section with Olive because she turn breech in the final weeks of pregnancy. I really did not want a c-section.
• Having strong contractions close together often but not going into labor for weeks.

A bit blury, but shows how big I got.

Blessings

• Having my parents here made the final two weeks fly by. It was nice to have the companionship. I felt like I was able gain strength and prepare for labor better because of them. It was nice having my mom here to help keep the house clean especially when my nesting urges kicked in.
• My mom really wanted to be here for Dewey's birth. The sweetest and most loving thing was witnessing my dad fast so I could go into labor just all for my mom. So my mom could be here before they had to return back home. That is selfless love he has for her.

Just Another Day at the Park

Super Capes

Every couple of months the kids remember how cool their capes from Aunt Amanda are. For a couple of days in a row they wear them a lot and talk about how strong they are. The funniest thing is seeing them wear them at the pool with nothing but a bathing suit and a cape. I guess that is kind of like what superman does.

What's in a name?

Dewey's Pregnancy

We decided to name our little guy Dewey Emerson. I know Donna, my bestie from Virginia, is going to kill me! She wanted me to have the babies name set in stone months ago. And we kept changing our minds. We were settle on Dewey Dane for the longest time but changed our minds one last time. Dewey Emerson  feels even more right.

Heber & Hannah's Pregnancy

Olive's Pregnancy

 Dewey is Talmage's great grandfather's middle name. I know what your thinking, "Dewey? ...Dewey Decimal System ...Huey, Dewey and Louie". Well that is what I was thinking when I first heard it. I wasn't crazy about it at first but let's just say I warmed up to it quickly. One night when I was tucking Heber in, he told me he loved me, I leaned down to hug him and he proclaimed, "We should name our baby Dewey!" The next day he was naming all his toys "Dewey". The next day I heard him say over and over "I should name this toy... what was that name again... oh, yeah, Dewey!"  (I found out later that Talmage had prepped Heber to do all of this and apparently it worked). I love the name Dewey now!
Emerson is Talmage's grandpa's middle name. I have always liked the name Emerson and it has been our "name list" since the twins. But shied away from it at first because it is too long and EmerSON HanSEN sounded like too many SON and SENS. But it just feels right.
Talmage feels a little guilty with so much of the name being influenced by his side, even though I was the one who proposed Emerson. He promised me that the next _____  kid(s) will have a name from my side.