I would have to say that my labor started early Friday morning around 3am, when I began experiencing what I thought were braxton hicks contractions. Up until this point, I hadn't felt any contractions, so I thought that's what they were. I was thankful that I had an appointment first thing that morning as I was anxious to see if I had dilated. Well as you know from reading my blog, I had dilated to 3cm. However, I was sent home. I spent most of the day at my friend's house playing backgammon. She taught, and I won most of the games :) Ok back to the story...on my way home, I stopped by the store to get a gallon of milk as we were going to need it for breakfast, or so I thought. Damien fixed a spaghetti dinner as I was still having these pesky BH contractions. After dinner, we watched 27 Dresses, that my friend loaned me, as it was due back the next day and she had already watched it. Throughout the movie, I was having the contractions and even started timing them and writing them down. (Oh yeah, I failed to mention that at one point I was hurting and Damien laughed at me....he got yelled out and I threatened to not let him witness the birth of his son if he was going to be that way. He apologized and said he didn't know that I was having contractions because I didn't say anything. Well I didn't know I was having them either...still thinking BH contractions.) Sorry to digress, back again...After the movie, we started getting ready for bed. I tried to lay down, by it seem to intensify the contractions, so I decided to go and sit in the chair and ottoman in the living room. Turbo and Sophie must have known something was up as they got up from bed and followed me. Usually once they turn in, they are in. I continue to track the contractions, and as they got stronger, I had to use the bathroom after each one as there was so much pressure. During my last trip, after I completed the transaction (hehe), I felt a pop and then a gush of water. I thought that had to be my water breaking, so I called the doctors office. The on call DR called me back within 2 minutes, thankfully, and I was told to head on in. Damien and I rounded up our things and jumped in the car, but we had to make a pit stop at blockbuster to return the movie. That, my friends, is called dedication. We arrived at the hospital at 1:30am where we proceeded to check in. Wouldn't you know it, I got the room that I had hoped to get. During our hospital tour, a few weeks back, we noticed the corner room #233 was very large and nice. I got it! This is a good sign. By the time I got naked and checked, I was 5 cm. REALLY! However, my water had not broke, but they decided to keep me anyway :) I started the pesky questionnaires and lab work to make sure I could get an epidural. (something about platelets) Then my friend, the CRNA, came in with the drugs. It took her several tries to find a place for the epidural, 3 to be exact. She said that I had the tightest ligaments in my spine that she had ever seen and insisted that I must have been a belly dancer. After 30 minutes of trying, she finally got it in. All along, I am having to bend over, relax my shoulders, drop my chin and not move, and through contractions mind you...there were no breaks. After she administered "the stuff", I was checked again and was at 6cm. Within some time, the stuff worked, mostly on the left side, so they had to maneuver me around to ensure the right side got it too. I was informed that the doctor was on her way in, so we waited. Now, my water had broke. We were right on track. I was informed that the doctor was on her way in, so we waited. An hour or so later, the nurse came back in and checked me, I was now at 9cm. Where is that doctor? Still on her way in. 30 minutes or so go by and I feel some pressure down there like something might be coming out, so I paged the nurse. She came in and said yep, you are pretty much at 10. Hopefully the DR will be here soon. I asked her if she was coming from Pulaski. They were scared to even get me ready and put me in stirrups as they thought Dylan might come on out, and since we did core blood banking, they wanted the DR to be there. Finally, she gets there and they start prepping me and the room. At 6:45am, I started pushing and Dylan arrived at 7:14am. The whole time I was pushing, I was praying that I could do it and do it fast. I think 30 minutes isn't too shabby. They put him in my arms immediately and I just looked at him. He was so cute and I loved him already. Damien was a trooper and cut the cord even though he said he wasn't. He said it was it bit tougher than he anticipated. The delivery was easy peezy, but the first trip out of the bed to the potty, was by far the worst part. I thought I was going to die on the toilet just like Elvis. I was faint, light headed and nausea. Damien said he was really scared because I looked so bad. My advice to others, hold out on the potty as long as you can.
We can't wait to share with you all, the experiences we are going to have as we go through life as a family of 5. (Turbo and Sophie included.)
