Welcome to our family blog. We've started this space to be able to easily share photos and videos with family and friends who are spread across the country and even the wider world. Life with a newborn can be crazy, so I can't promise how often updates will come but we will do our best!Aaron William Bengtson came into the world on Sunday, January 8, 2012 at St. Luke's Hospital at 1:32 AM. Labor began at home at about 4:00 AM on Saturday January 7th and progressed slowly but steadily all day. We were glad to be able to stay at home through the majority of the early labor stage and passed the time watching Star Wars movies, reading, and resting. Around 7:00 PM that evening contractions had been coming less than 5 minutes apart for over an hour so we decided to head to the hospital. Once we got there they checked me out and decided to have me walk the halls for an hour or so, since I was not very far dilated and they wanted to see if labor would stop or progress before admitting me. By 9:00 it was apparent (to me at least!) that things were not going to slow or stop so into a hospital gown I went and we got checked into the hospital room. Things continued to progress slowly but surely and without complication. We really lucked out in that the doctor on call and my labor and deliver nurse were very supportive of our wishes to avoid unnecessary medical interventions and to let labor and delivery progress as naturally as possible. By 1:00 AM on Sunday the doctor decided that it would be best to break my water since I was nearly fully dilated and it hadn't broken yet. After that things went fast and furious and Aaron was born without medication or need for interventions after about 4 hours of active labor and 30 minutes of pushing at 1:32 AM. It was an exhausting, exhilarating, amazing, difficult, and emotional experience bringing him into the world, for me, for Jon, and for my sister Gretchen who was there with us through the whole thing as an additional support person.
