Welcome Cohen Nathaniel Potter!

Born April 22nd at 1:03pm

9lbs 1oz 22 inches long

WARNING! Several of our lady friend have requested a telling of the birth experience; so if you would prefer to stay innocent, do not read on.......but if you just want the highlights, scroll to the bottom.

Before I tell you about the actual birthing, there are a few things you need to know:

1. Our baby was due on Monday, May 3rd.
   
2. Cami and I wanted this be as natural of a process as possible, uninterrupted by human convention or unnecessary 'standard' medical procedure.
3. At our last visit the doctor told us that if my water broke to call him immediately and that he would induce labor because without the amniotic fluid the baby's risk of infection increases.
4. My mom worked as an OB nurse for 25 years, so we really listen to her wisdom.
5. All the books we read encouraged us to stay home through the first part of labor, as we would be more comfortable at home than at the hospital.
6. On average, first time labors last 12-14 hours, with the majority being fairly light while the uterus dilates.
7. Our doctor is wonderful and was excellent through the whole process, so understand that most of the negative things said below were a result of my emotions not my satisfaction with him.
   

On Thursday morning I awoke at 6:15am to warmth spreading down my legs and quickly ran to the bathroom yelling to my husband, "Cami, my water just broke!" Luckily I made it to the toilet in time for most of the amniotic fluid to make it in. Cami quickly made his way to the phone and called my mom who was on constant standby. As I sat on the toilet, I heard him respond to my mom telling him that we had 24-48 hours to get the baby out. In addition to that, based on what I had read I knew I probably had several hours before the baby would come. So I opted not to call the doc and got in the shower (let's be honest, my legs were covered in fluid).

At about 7am I started having contractions but was doing a horrible job of telling Cami when they started, so we were not really able to time them very well. Cami decided to shower as well and I tried to finishing packing our hospital bag. As he was in the shower I found myself running to the bathroom every 3 minutes because with each contraction more fluid would leak out. That is when I realized, these are really close together.

Now out of the shower Cami started putsying around the apartment, also expecting several hours of labor at home. However, my contractions were very intense, very close together and I was experience immense back pain that did not give me much relief between contractions. At one point I was laying on the kitchen floor, but eventually made it to the couch. At 7:30 my husband reluctantly called our doctor and left a message. Within the next ten minutes I was telling my husband that I was really scared and didn't know if I could make it through. I was just thinking, this is really hard and I have so long to go, how am I going to make it. Even though I had read a lot, I was really scared and didn't understand what was happening. We were going to wait for the doctor to return our call before we left for the hospital, but Cami remind me that everything we read said the stages can come so quickly that you might not see them pass. If it was time to go, it was time to go. So he took a load of stuff down to the car as I laid on the couch. I asked the Lord to let the pain subside long enough for me to make it down our 47 steps to the car. Almost instantly all the pain was gone and I headed out the door. Once in the car (about 7:45) our doctor called and chastised us for not being on our way to the hospital, but I assured him that we were.

We arrived at the hospital some around 8:20. They wheeled me up to pre-labor room and a nurse began to get me all checked in. Although we had preregistered, we were not in the system. In addition, she could not find any doctors. Honestly I think they really weren't in a hurry because it was my first labor and I wasn't screaming or complaining too much. A couple of residents showed up in the room about 8:45 and informed me that they were going to check to see if my water was broken and if I was dilated at all. The next thing they said was, "we see the head." I was fully dilated and plus 1 (basically the baby was quickly entering the birth canal and I was less than an hour from needing to push this baby out). The feel of the room changed very quickly and I was immediately transported to a delivery room. I just remember being annoyed that my doctor chastised me for not rushing to the hospital immediately and he wasn't even there yet.

At about 10 am the pushing contractions began and my doctor was there (he is actually a very kind, sweet man and I am glad we had him as our doctor). I don't really remember much of the next several hours, besides lots of pushing. I remember feeling like nothing was happening and getting really discouraged. Earlier in the morning one of the nurses had commented that I was near the end (apparently most women push for 30-60 minutes) so I thought, "okay, I can do this until noon." However, I was pushing with all my might every couple of minutes, but there was no crowning. My doctor and nurse were not constantly at my side, so I knew that the baby wasn't coming anytime soon. Everyone kept telling me that there was progress, but I didn't feel it.

Noon rolls around, and our baby is still in the birth canal, not yet past the pelvic bone. At this point they realized that he is posterior (face up) and that is another reason why this is taking so long. I have to lay on my left side and start taking oxygen between contractions because they are worried about the health of our baby due to the length of time. I am discouraged and tell my husband I don't know if I can keep doing this if nothing changes. The nurse informs me that they will only let me push for 3 hours before they intervene. At the end of each contraction my doctor is chanting, "stay, stay, stay" to the head, but it keeps retracting back in. Then my doctor disappears again for several more minutes and although my coaches (nurse, husband and friend Tracey) are super encouraging, I know not much can be happening if my doctor is not even in the room! Moments later he returns and explains to me that even though I don't want an epidural, it is looking like he might need to use forceps to get the baby out, at which point I will need an epidural. He had been out talking to anesthesia and they were going to set up a port, just so we would be ready in case forceps were needed. Yet with the next contraction our baby was through the birth canal, crowning and I was up in stir-ups. And for the first time, my back didn't hurt! Relief!

More pushing and more pushing and more pushing! I don't remember him saying anything, but apparently, the 3 hour mark came and my doctor asked for the forceps. Yet again, the threat of intervention was all we needed. With the next contraction the head was out and we were done! Because he had been in the birth canal for so long, the nurse called in a team of pediatricians to check out our baby, but he was fine and healthy 9lbs 1 oz. Because he took so long to come out, his head was REALLY molded and his face swollen. My doctor did end up giving me an episiotomy, but I still ended up tearing the rest of the way :(

Later we discovered that baby Cohen had so much trouble getting past the pelvic bone that he actually has a scab on his head due to all the friction. They also ran a bunch of extra tests because he was so big and his head so molded, but he is healthy and fine. We have experienced no troubles with breastfeeding and I am actually not sore at all (well not in the breast, the tear is definitely painful).

Water broke at 6:15 am Thursday morning
Fully dilated and +1 by 8:45 am
Started pushing at 10 am
Cohen Nathaniel was born at 1:03 pm without the assistance of any medication
He is a happy, healthy, beautiful delight to have around

Pictures Galore!

Here are a couple of pictures of how our "nursery" has turned out.
That B-E-A-UTIFUL crib is just another one of the many gifts our Father has blessed us with.

And because Ro so politely asked, a picture of me at 38 weeks.

And finally, of the 4 years Cami and I have lived here we have had the privilege of going to the Long Beach Grand Pris 3 times --- all for free!!!
Here are a few pics from the race.

Recent Hiking Pics

Wasteland

So we have reached that point in the semester, a very familiar point that we reach each semester but always seems to catch me off guard. It is the point when:

1. I wonder why our staff still need our guidance so many times through out the day.
2. I have to daily remind myself that our most veteran-ed staff have only been working with us for three months.
3. many of our students have decided to give up on the semester's work.
4. many students have given up on learning because the material requires just too much thinking.
5. Cami and I spend hours each night discussing how we can do what we do better, but eventually try to intentionally distract ourselves from work so that it doesn't become all consuming.
6. we both begin to wonder if what we are doing is actually making any difference at all.

It's a rough point, but a very familiar point. The point when I begin to wonder if I have the energy to keep bailing buckets in order to keep this boat afloat.

It is my desire to affect change, to help this organization run more effectively and efficiently. But I have reached my limit. There is not much more change I have the authority to make. And unfortunately, I work for such a large organization that my voice is not loud enough to be heard by those who really hold the power. Add to that the fact that they are so far removed from us, they don't understand the impact their decisions have.

This is the point when Jesus reminds me that if I spend my life serving at the Dream Center because He wanted me to meet one person, to love one person, to be His hands and feet to one person, that is a life well spent. I may not be able to build an excellent residential program or develop a good alternative education system for inner city teens. I may not leave any impact on the Dream Center as a whole, but I will have fulfilled my purpose and His call. It is at this point that I remember why it is that I do what I do everyday. Not to leave a legacy, not to influence change, not to make an impact, but to love like He first loved me, to pour out my life in response to His call.

Hosea 2:14-16

"Therefore I am now going to allure her;
I will lead her into the wasteland
and speak tenderly to her.

"There I will give her back her vineyards,
and will make the Valley of Achor a door of hope.
There she will sing as in the days of her youth,
as in the day she came up out of Egypt.

"In that day," declares the LORD,
"you will call me 'my husband';
you will no longer call me 'my master'."