Goals: Dreams with Deadlines: Our Baby is Here!!!

On May 11th I had a prenatal appointment. The doctor said everything was looking good. Jimmy came to this appointment but jetted out as soon as the doctor left the room because he had a problem on a job an hour away. I took Ryan home and was getting ready to take him outside to play when...my water broke. Well I wasn't sure if it was my water. So I called Jimmy and told him I thought it had broken and he said he was 15 minutes from the job and that he'd drop off whatever it was he had to drop off and turn around and come home.

I called the doctor and asked if I could come back in to get an amniotic fluid test. She said I could if they were open...Who closes at 4:00? Come on!! I didn't want to go to the hospital just to get sent home because I peed on myself. So they said to just watch it and call if I started having contractions or if I lose more water.

I wasn't having contractions so I wasn't sure if I was in labor. Therefore Jimmy stayed on his job for another hour before coming home. Two hours later he arrived and by that time I had made and fed Ryan and myself dinner, cleaned up the kitchen, finished packing my hospital bag and started walking around the neighborhood with some of my neighbors.

I still wasn't having contractions after walking the neighborhood 3 or 4 times.

We went to bed at 9:30 and at 11:15 I was awoken by, you guessed it, contractions. I started timing them and they were 2 minutes apart and 1 minute long. They weren't hurting, just feeling like the braxton hicks contractions I had been having since 17 weeks. But, since they were regular, I called the doctor and they told me to come on in.

I didn't think I was going to be able to get Jimmy out of bed. But by 1:45 we were on the road to the hospital. Jimmy was surprised at how calm I was. I kept telling him my contractions didn't hurt. I thought we were in Fast and the Furious when we were in the parking deck looking for a parking spot. Thankfully the deck was empty. He was just trying to make it to the top where the hospital entrance was.

I was sent to L&D triage where they told me they weren't positive that the fluid was amniotic but I was 7 cm and 90% effaced but my water hadn't fully broken. A good indication that I WAS in labor. I was so relieved because I didn't want to get sent home. I was there to have a baby!!

We got to our labor and delivery room and I got a hep-lock. I didn't want any fluids. The nurses were so kind and let me do whatever I wanted. I've always heard that you should take your birthplan, crumple it up, and throw it away because the nurses and doctors don't care. I didn't have a written plan but I knew what I did and did not want. The nurses and my doctor obliged.

Jimmy and I walked around the L&D pod what seemed like 20 times. I sat on the birthing ball for awhile. Walked some more...Still no stronger contractions. I had to watch the monitor to see when I was having them.

At 6:00 a.m. on the 12th I told the Dr. to finish breaking my water after she said I was still at 7 cm. The next contraction, and every contraction after was horrible!

At 6:56 I was holding my baby boy. We videoed the birth (from a distance) and the first thing I said after he was born was "Hi baby! You hurt your momma." He really did. No drugs makes you feel everything. :)

We named him Lucas Hudson, 8 lbs. 1 oz., 21" long. Healthy and perfect. I got to hold him on my chest the moment he was born. Something I didn't get to do with Ryan. He was nursing within 5 minutes and has done great ever since.

Here are some pictures of our adventure!

Right before we left for the hospital