HE'S FINALLY HERE

Wow, what a long nine months this has been. Ali has had such a healthy pregnancy, the baby and Ali have both been extremely healthy and seem to have enjoyed the process (from different perspectives, obviously).

I have been eagerly waiting and anxiously anticipating a phone call each night when I go to bed...waiting to hear the words "We're on our way to the hospital, Ali is going into labor!" However, things came a little unplanned when we got the phone call that they were going to induce Ali into labor the next day, Wednesday June 2nd. We were overjoyed at the thought of us having a nephew in just 24 hours.....we jumped up and down!

Wednesday morning, June 2nd - we all started to head over to the hospital around 9:00am. Ali was admitted and they induced her at 9:30am. We were ALL allowed in her hospital room which was INCREDIBLE! We got to coach her through her contractions, pray over her, laugh with her, be silent with her and wait for the arrival of Caedmon with her. It was so special to witness the love that she and Kurt experienced through this time of change...boy oh boy do we serve an awesome God!

The doctor came in and Ali was finally dilated to 4 centimeters...2 hours later...still at 4 centimeters. We could tell this was going to be a LONG day. Then the doctor came in again to double check the last dilation measurement....to find that she was in fact at 7 cm!!! Praise the Lord!!! We got so excited because we realized that often times the last few cm progress rather quickly. We buckled up for the ride...they did another reading around 8pm to find that she was at 9, then 9 1/2....it was really happening. So we made our way out of the room to await the arrival of our precious man, Caedmon. She started pushing at 11pm. Those of us not allowed in the delivery room camped out, piled up at her delivery room door so we could hear everything...we wanted so badly to hear Caedmon's first cry. So we waited outside, with the door slightly a jarred (with a box of nature valley granola bars of course)...we thought we were being so sneaky. Then the incredible wish of Ali for Melissa and I to join Kurt, my mom and Catherine in the delivery room was vocalized! Melissa and I got to go inside and see everything!!! What a miracle!

Caedmon Ryan Blake arrived just a bit later at 12:03am Thursday June 3rd. What an emotional and spiritual experience this was! To think that God designed women to care for babies for 9 months in the womb and when they are ready, He gives us the strength to deliver them to this world! Ali did so incredible. The look on Ali and Kurt's faces when Caedmon was placed in their arms for the first time was priceless. The tears of joy that streamed down Ali's cheeks was such an immense expression of innocent love...it was the most incredible thing I have ever been able to witness....what a blessing!

Caedmon was born 8 lbs 8oz 21 inches (smaller than the doctors predicted) and so healthy. Alison is doing remarkably well and they should be arriving to their home with the new man in just a few short hours!!! Praise the Lord!!!