Yahtzee!!

We had another boy!! His daddy said, "Yahtzee!" when we met him for the first time. Still crazy that I now am the mother of 5 sons, but I LOVE LOVE LOVE it!!! Bring on more snakes and lizards and frogs and dirt. ok. Maybe not the snakes. I could do without those.

Anders Oriel Bench was born on October 19, 2020. 7 lbs. 7 ozs. Took us forever to decide on his name but it fits him. We tapped into our Norwegian heritage to find it. His brothers adore him and are so happy he was a boy and not a girl. Haha! Started labor on my birthday, but he decided to follow in his daddy's footsteps and come the day after his (Anders')  mom's birth day. Walked into the hospital dilated to a 7 and he came three or four hours later. I did make us walk to the floor of the baby center twice because I couldn't bear the thought of only being dilated to a 4. Haha. Guess that worry was needless. You'd think this being the 5th time I would have this down, but the truth is...you just never know when it's time to go in. The head triage nurse said, "even if you're not very dilated you are not going home because you're 40 weeks and 6 days." Music to my ears. And then she asked if I was the natural type, when I hesitated she said, "If I were you I would just get the epidural. Why not be comfortable?" Or something to that effect. Then they all were taking bets (just for fun) at how far dilated I was. Most fun I've had during labor triage mostly because everyone was so nice. But after getting that blessed epidural and feeling my legs go numb, I was just excited to enjoy the peace and quiet until baby came and not have to endure the agony (yes agony) of labor. I've gone natural labors 3 times and 2 with an epidural and I can now recommend both ways. There are blessings and miracles to both. He came out with the cord wrapped around his neck and a bruise because of it, but when they placed little Anders on my belly the whole world stopped and I just held him and loved him. I am grateful for modern medicine and priesthood blessings and a healthy body and my darling husband and my beautiful boys. I am also grateful my mom and brother Adam could be here to help me. And for my neighbors and ward members and and and...the blessings and reasons to be grateful just keep piling up. Amazing how life can seem full and wonderful and then BAM! another baby comes and I wonder how in the world we survived without this new, little person...who demands so much time and sleep. Amazing, really.