Hannah's Birth Day:

November 18, 2000

5:30am - Donna wakes Kristo up and says she feels contractions.

6:30am - Kristo learns an important lesson about pregnant women:  There are right responses and there are wrong responses.  If it is even remotely possible that your spouse could be in labor and she says, "Honey, I think I'm in labor," don't respond with, "It's probably just gas."  Save that phrase for use with the baby later on in life.  In fact, never use it with your spouse again.

10:00am - Donna feels stronger contractions and learns that the ones an expectant mother can't smile through or walk through are the real thing.  Kristo starts timing the contractions.

3:00pm - Contractions have moved from 12 minutes apart to 3 or 4 minutes apart in the space of an hour.  Donna can't smile or walk through them anymore. Donna and Kristo head to the hospital.

3:30pm - Donna is dilated to 5cm and is hooked up to a magnesium sulfate drip to prevent complications from high blood pressure.

7:00pm - At 7cm dilated, Donna's water is broken.  Both attempts at giving her an epidural fail.  Donna ranks the pain of getting an epidural administered right up there with labor.

9:00pm - Donna is fully dilated and is allowed to start pushing.  The Labor and Delivery nurse does a great job coaching Donna.  Kristo is very impressed with Donna.

10:30pm - Hannah Frances Sween enters the world.  Mom says she's beautiful.  Dad cuts the cord.