.Labor Part 2.

We get to the hospital after I call my doctor at 6:00am Friday May 1, 2014. 

I remember the drive and walk up to the hospital. I called Brit because she was in town but she didn't answer. I called my mom when we arrived. 

We signed the papers and I got to go into room 2! My favorite number. 

I got dressed in their robe and a nurse checked me out. I hadn't slept all night from being so excited so I just wanted to lay down. 

They hooked me all up and I was all set. 

Brit and Kyle came in. Caleb wanted to take pictures but when I'm feeling giant, fat, and ready to hold my baby, I do not want to take a picture smiling looking at an angle to show my 58 chins! Let's be honest!

Laying in that bed was so relaxing. Just the comfort of knowing pregnancy was about to be over (I didn't love being pregnant). My parents came in, Caleb's brother and my sister-in-law came in. That was actually the only time I got mad! The three of them thought it was okay to bring in-n-out into my room when I'm not aloud to eat! We all know how much I love my #3 with no onions and a dr. Pepper, and I can't have any... There's a waiting room for you guys to stuff your faces! 

Other than that, I didn't want the TV on, I just wanted to relax. Poor Caleb was probably bored out of his mind! 

Around noon is when my doctor came in. Doctor Senior. She was the dr I had for my very first appointment. She's very good and very nice. 

I've had major anxiety about labor. My doctor new about this anxiety and told me that she saw the baby coming out quickly so I should consider the epidural. The epidural would calm me down so that I didn't freak out from my anxiety. My nurse was so for me and told me that if I don't want to, then I shouldn't. I looked at caleb and he said, "I think you should!" So I ask to talk to the anesthesiologist to find out if I needed to know anything serious. The man came in. I was at five centimeters and we were cracking jokes! He was impressed by my lack of screaming and pain which made me feel very good! 

After talking to the anesthesiologist and picking his brain, caleb and I decided to do the epidural. Well that was the best thing! I almost got to take a nap!! I got to relax the last couple hours of being pregnant. I just felt so at peace and was able to enjoy and soak in the whole experience, and I wasn't drugged or high as I have heard, I was numb on my lower body people! Learn about what you are talking about! 

My doctor kept coming in to check Nathan. She was worried that the cord was around his neck so she had a special team come in just in case. She told me at 4:00pm I would start pushing. Their was a clock on the wall I was staring at. That was about an hour. So I just took that last hour and rested. I would have to flip side to side because the epidural was not working on my left side. So I could feel everything on my left side and minimal on my right side. 

4:00pm

My doctor comes in and tells me what to do and how to push and we start. 

Caleb was on my left side. Poor guy. That was where I felt everything and his touch on my foot seemed to make the pain worse! He was trying to help so much and my nurse I think thought I was a pro because she would walk around and do something then come back when I told her I was having a contraction. 

I had so many nurses and they were all so great! 

My doctor would come in and check here and there but Nathan didn't want to come out. Every contraction was three pushes. Every push was two steps forward one step back with him. I remember feeling like I was going to pass out. I was so tired. 

Then my doctor came in and got all dressed up even more than she already was. I have no idea what time this was, but had to be around 6:00pm. Before I knew it she looked at caleb and told him to go get our camera. Looked at me and told me to push and I did, and there came Nathan. 

6:26 pm. 

7lbs 11ounces 21.5 in

Beautiful cry. 

They cleaned him up, and laid him on my chest where I proceeded to cry. It was the most magical moment of my life! 

Those two and a half hours flew by! I love my labor and the excitement and peace I had! I loved the hospital and everyone that worked there. It was such a wonderful day and I wouldn't change one thing about it!! 

Happy birthday baby boy! Thank you for giving me this incredible story and journey. 

XOXO

.Labor Part 1.

April 30, 2014

It's Wednesday. 

Going to my 40 week checkup at 39 weeks, 6 days. 

Caleb always texts me when he's on his way home to make it to the doctors office. 

I haven't heard from him in over an hour which is not a good sign. He's never late and hasn't missed an appointment. 

Something must have come up at work so I need to just go alone. 

I'm nervous, this could be the last doctors appointment before I meet my son! They can give me great news or they can tell me it's not looking like labor will happen for me this weekend. 

I show up to the office and have five missed calls and two texts from caleb saying he forgot and is on his way. He wants me to ask if they can push my appointment back so he can make it. 

So I ask. 

The nurse is so nice and says she will talk to the doctor. 

They end up making me the last appointment. So I wait for almost an hour but Caleb ends up making it! 

We have Dr. V, which out of the four doctors that I have she is my favorite. 

She checks the baby and checks me. Tells me tips on how to start labor, like pushing on certain pressure points on my shoulders, back, and feet. Then she tells me she can swipe my membrane and there is a 50% chance it will start labor. So I ask her more questions about it and agree to have it done. I'm so ready to not be pregnant any more and my due date is tomorrow!!!

I lay down and she tells me it's okay if I cry most women do. Well I don't. I don't know if I was so focused on starting labor or if I have a higher pain tolerance than I thought! 

She tells me she sees me going into labor and to rest when I get home. 

We go home and Brit and Kyle are waiting for us. I had some cramps from the doctors so I was on the phone telling my mom about it. Brit and Kyle were staying in town for the weekend just in case my baby came around his due date. They also might help us move into our new place if we get bored just sitting around. 

I get off the phone with my mom and we head inside with Kyle and Brit. Brit passed her test today, so she is now a certified Esthetician!!! She got her license with her picture on it! 

Britnie is one of the strongest people I know. It must have been all that gymnastics in her. So she sits on the couch and I on the floor and pushes on the pressure points that my doctor told me about. I don't remember what we were all talking about but it was a good afternoon. 

Kyle and Brit leave around 11, Caleb goes to bed because he had work in the morning and I am a night owl that cannot get comfortable so I just hung out for a little bit. Around midnight I go lay down. 

12:59 - strong cramp. Is that a contraction? I get really bad cramps so I don't have anything to compare what a contraction is. So I open my notes app and write the time. 

1:05a 

1:10a

1:14a

1:17a 

1:21a

1:27a 

All cramps but very consistent in their timing. I start texting Sarah during all this because she has a newborn and is up all night. Which for me was nice to have someone to talk to!! 

3:08 - that's a contraction! You just know!

4:23a 

4:26a 

4:29a

(All the times from 12:59 till 6a are written on a piece of paper in my memory book)

Contractions weren't super painful. I had them at least every five min if not closer for over three hours. I wasn't on the floor in pain and my water didn't break so I didn't think I needed to wake up caleb. I laid on the couch and watched tv

5:00am!- people are awake!! I called my mom and told her all my times. She said I'm in labor and to go to the hospital. But I didn't want to be sent home so I told her I'll wait till caleb gets up at 5:30. She told me to take a nice shower and get ready to leave. 

Caleb's alarm goes off and I'm so excited!! He opens the bedroom door and I run up to him, "You're not going to work today! You're having a baby!!" He is taken back and ask if we need to leave. I told him to take a shower and we have to take my 40 week weekly picture and I want to put mascara on. 

XOXO