Let us introduce you to Ayden James Ho!!!!!!!

Well... I was planning to post about two weeks another picture of my belly at 37 weeks, and well my plans were changed as our son arrived a week or so earlier than expected!! We are more than blessed to announce Ayden's arrival on November 19, 2008 at 7:49pm, that is East coast time. :) We have had a wonderful ten days so far getting to know Ayden and love him to pieces as we figure out what it means to care for e newborn. Min has been INCREDIBLE, and I don't mean that lightly. While we were in the hospital I didn't change one diaper, he has been amazing as a husband and a dad from the time that he knew I was beginning labor. Okay so I guess the story of his arrival is at hand... FYI there will be things shared that are personal so get ready :)

I think, for being a rookie at labor and delivery, that I began the process of labor on Sunday night, November 15th. That night I began to lose my mucus plug. I won't share too many details it was just very apparent to me that things were different and I felt different than before. Can't really say how, but I felt like man maybe he could come any day now. I told myself though that it couldn't be and that I didn't want to psyche myself out and it all be false labor. So Monday, Tuesday and Wednesday I worked as usual and did normal daily things like grocery shop, etc. Wednesday morning I felt very different, like crampy and achy, but not bad, so I went to work for the day. As I drove I just prayed and asked the Lord to get me through that day by His strength! I took the girls to the library, doing the normal daily things that I would usually do with Elizabeth and Sarah, the girls that I nanny for. As the day rolled along I began to have cramps, like period cramps, around 1pm. It struck me as funny but again I was like okay this could be false labor, and really I thought I don't know what labor feels like. Well I drove home at 2:30 and the cramps were stronger and five to six minutes between them. I called Melissa and asked her what a contraction felt like... and she told me to call the hospital. LOL!!! I did call the OB nurse at the hospital and she told me that I was probably in early labor. So I checked my email, and did things around the house, having cramps all throughout and laboring and breathing through them in the most comfortable ways I could find. Min got home at 4:45pm and I greeted him at our garage door saying that we probably were going to have a baby in the next 24 hours. He jumped into the shower and began packing things we would need. I told him that I needed to do laundry, so I threw a load in and then I wanted to take a bath before we actually made our way to the hospital. I guess I was just not wanting to rush to the hospital and them tell us that I was 2cm dilated and then we had a long night ahead of us walking the halls of labor and delivery. So I ran a bath and got in, this was the most comfortable way for me to go through contractions. While I was in the bath my water broke and this was the last straw per se that told us we should head to the hospital. Also Min said while I was in the bath that he felt my contractions were closer than five minutes apart. I agreed and in the next 20 minutes or so we made our way out the house and headed to the hospital.

We live about ten minutes from the hospital and as I had contractions during that drive, I counted then every two minutes as I tried to concentrate through them. As we arrived at the hospital we parked the car and headed to the second floor labor and delivery. Min checked me in because right away the nurses scooped me into a room and had me change and lay down to monitor Ayden and my contractions. The checked me and said I was 6 to 7 cm dilated. Min came and was again right by my side through every contraction, allowing my to grip his hand and sweatshirt as I went in and out of contractions. I told the nurses at this time that I felt the urge to push and they checked me again and I was already at a 10 in dilation. They told me that I was ready to push but we had to wait for the doctor to get there. Dr. Fishburne was the doctor that delivered Ayden and he was on call that evening. He got there within minutes of me reaching full dilation and he checked my charts and began to allow me to push as my contractions came. He was a good doctor and told me to use all of my energy to push and not yell. I was letting all my steam out with yelling. LOL!! I was embarrassed after the fact, but during you really can't get through without making any noise. But with what he said I had something to focus on and Min was a great coach to me as I would push Min would remind me not to yell but push with everything in me. Within five contractions, which accounted for about thirty minutes of pushing, Ayden James Ho had arrived!!!! They placed him on my chest as Min cut the cord and we admired the miracle that God has blessed us with and trusted to us!! Shortly after they cleaned him all up and weighed him, measured his length and head. He was 6 pounds 9 ounces and 20 inches long!!!

We spent the next almost two full days in the hospital with many visitors who came to meet Ayden and celebrate with us; we were blessed by time spent with friends and family during those days! Min and I hardly slept the entire time; we found ourselves overjoyed and just in awe of what God does when He creates life!!

We have been home for 12 days now; Ayden is two weeks old today!! We have taken him to the pediatrician once and came away very encouraged about his progress in gaining an ounce since leaving the hospital and just his overall health was great!!

We hope this finds each of you doing well and we can't wait to introduce you to our son, whether that be here in NC or when we arrive home to California in February!! Thanks you for your prayers for Ayden's labor and delivery, they were all answered in great ways, and I personally praise the Lord for His presence and strength throughout!! We hope you enjoy these photos of Ayden!! They are just a few of the many that we have taken throughout the past two weeks!!! Love,

Min, Kimmy and Ayden :)