Well, the news you've all been waiting for. . . Baby Becky is here!! Rebecca Ann Barnet was born on Monday, June 4th, 2001 at 8:17 a.m. after 10 hours of labor. It started to get really serious Sunday afternoon, as Misti was having regular contractions that didn't go away when she walked (like they had previously done). We took 2 walks around Mira Loma Park (approx. 2.5 miles total) to help with the contractions and to help the dilation progress. Last Thursday Misti was dilated 2 cm, but when we went into the hospital on Sunday night (about 10:30 p.m.), she was up to 6 cm (out of 10). Between when we got there Sunday night to when Becky was born Monday morning, we went through 3 different nurses and two different doctors. The doctor that delivered her was Dr. Klaich, who is an associate of Dr. Pollock, our regular OB/GYN doctor (who was out of town on Monday).

I have to say that I'm really impressed and proud of Misti because she did the whole thing without an epidural. She went into the pregnancy knowing the plusses and minuses of epidurals, and she decided early on that she didn't want one. When we got to the hospital, they asked if she wanted one, and she said no, even though the contractions were getting pretty painful. All she received was some general painkillers (Nubain and something else) through an I.V., but even they didn't really help much more than to make her sleepy in between contractions. The contractions kept coming closer and closer together and getting stronger with each one...

Just when she was ready to give up and call the whole thing off, however, they checked her and said that she was fully dilated and it was time to push!

-- stay tuned for more... --