Brayden Kole

Brayden was born October 21, 2003 via emergency c-section. I had lost my mucous plug the night before and was seeping fluid for most of the day. I went in to see my dr. and he tested me and then told me to go pack a bag and get up to the hospital for monitoring. It was indeed amniotic fluid. My mom and I went shopping for a take me home outfit for the baby. I wasn't due til November the 4th, so I wasn't totally prepared. My husband, Joel was out of town working, so we called him to tell him to start heading home. We got to the hospital around 1 something, if I remember right. I started having some contractions shortly after that. Around 3 pm my water broke fully on its on. The pains started to become more intense. I was unable to talk through them. At some point later that afternoon, my dr. came and said that the baby was experiencing fetal stress, and that he was going to operate. From that point on everything started happening so fast. Nurses came and went, prepping me. My mom was there, but Joel was still on the road. No cell phone, no way to get ahold of him to let him know he'd be missing the birth of his first son. :o( They wheeled me back to surgery, gave me my spinal. I remember laying there, scared to death. Repeating the Lord's Prayer over and over again to myself. Finally, he was out, 7:11 pm, and I finally heard him crying. He weighed in at 8.2 lbs. (my biggest of the three.) They stuck his little head around the sheet that was up in front of my face, and he was so beautiful and precious. Had little plump cheeks! She put him by my face so I could give him a kiss and those cheeks were the softest thing I've ever felt. My mom went with Brayden, and they sewed me up and sent me to recovery, where I remained for an hour and a half. After returning to my room, I found it empty. My mom came in about 5 minutes after I got there, and she went and got the baby for me. The first time holding him was just wonderful. I didn't want to set him down ever! I don't remember what time daddy got there, I just remember the look on his face when he saw me and the baby, realizing that he had missed the birth. He just kept saying, "Uh-uh, no." Then he cried. My mom snapped a pic of him holding Bray and looking at me. It will forever be one of my favorite pictures. I was so sad for him that he had to miss the birth. But, it all worked out in the end. :o)

One of my biggest joys in life is my son, Bubba as we call him. Or Boobah, as mommy calls him. Bray is funny, so smart, adoring, adventurous, and independent. He's the sweetest little boy and gives the best hugs hands down! I will miss him when he goes to school. :o( His greatest love in his life since birth has been his big sister! He is so crazy about her, and has been her shadow since he learned how to crawl. She enjoys him some of the time, but I think it mostly just drives her nuts! lol

So that is the "short" story of how my middle child arrived in this world. He will forever be his "Momma's boy." ;o)