After 41 weeks of gestation, 48 hours of labor and 1 hour of pushing we have a BEAUTIFUL baby boy--Levi Westray Koehn. Next to my wife, I have never loved someone so much! He is absolutely perfect in every way! As most of you know, we purposefully did not want to know the gender prior to arrival. Upon delivery, I was ECSTATIC that I have a SON! I get to raise a little man! I am so in love with him it is not even funny.

I cried many tears through my wife's long and strenuous labor and bawled with JOY when my son was born! Katie was in labor for 36 hours at home, and the baby's head was not engaging properly--thus not progressing labor. I am head over heels in love with, and flat out PROUD of my wife and amazed at her strength to endure 36 hours of unmedicated labor at home. After frustration, many tears and prayer we decided to proceed to Richland Memorial Hospital. My wife, the home-labor Queen, was absolutely exhausted and fatigued, in need of pain management and a contraction boost from Pitocin.

We were told by a tactless OB/GYN Attending that Katie's dilation was digressing and our baby was possibly in "deep transverse arrest" which basically means the baby's head is deep in the pelvis, the face is pointing transversely from L-R, or R-L and the labor will not progress and we should very much consider a C-section... How depressing!

Again, with many many tears, prayers and deliberation we decided that if Katie got checked one last time... if she was not dilated any more and the baby's head was the same that we go ahead and get the C-section because in the end all I want is a healthy momma and a healthy baby. She got checked again and the OB said "Hmm... well... you are now fully dilated and the baby's head is OA (occiput anterior--basically the best possible position). Do you think you want to push..?" Uh... yeah!? The LORD turned the baby, perfectly in position.

Katie pushed for an hour and gave birth to a beautiful baby Levi! I screamed around the room,unable to see because of my tears, screaming "IT'S A BOY! WE HAVE A BOY!" I am in awe of God's awesome providence, control, mercy, grace, love and faithfulness in the birth of our son. Levi is a true miracle!

Levi Westray
8 lbs 6.7 oz
20 3/4 "