He has arrived!

Funny story... I wrote the last post on my blog about being 2 weeks away from my due date and that I would put pictures up of my belly that day, but that never happened because I went into labor later that evening! So here is the story:

At 5:00 when Bryce got home from work we went into town to run some errands. Our last stop was Joann Fabrics and while in line (5:45 at this point), I felt the first contraction. It was pretty intense but I didn't think much about it. Then on the way home, I felt another one.... and after we got home, another. I was having pretty consistent contractions 10 mins apart. Bryce and I then decided to get in the spa and relax. I figured I was just having "near end of pregnancy" contractions and that being in the spa would relieve the pressure on my back. Well, in the spa (about 7:30) I had an even more intense contraction... I had a harder time talking through that one. After that, the strong contractions just kept coming... at about 3-5 mins apart. I was having a hard time talking and had to focus my breathing in order to get through a contraction.

After having had the contractions for about an hour and a half consistently 3-4 mins apart, I called the hospital to see when they would want me to come in just in case this wasn't false labor. They said that since it was my first baby that I could wait another hour or so and then come in (or if my water broke or it became too uncomfortable to be at home). I had gotten up to use the bathroom at one point and as I was trying to walk back to the couch where I had been lying down I had a contraction and couldn't walk anymore. I laid down in the middle of the hallway until it passed, but as I walked around it made the contractions come faster. It had been about an hour after I had called the hospital that it became too much and we left.

We got to the hospital at 10, and some of the nurses were having a competition to see if I was actually in labor or not... it being my first baby and all (my nurse said that she was pulling for actually in labor because she had been in the room while I was having contractions). But they checked me and I was only dilated to a 1... but 100% effaced and that's why my contractions were so intense. I was progressively having stronger contractions and at about 11 my water broke. They moved me into a labor room, and things just started getting more and more intense. After that, I am not too sure about the timing of things, I was a little distracted :D

I had an IV put in while I was waiting for my epidural... there was a line sadly and the other lady was dilated to a 7 so she had priority, I was probably at a 5 at this point. I had the epidural about an hour and a half before I had the baby so it had to have been at about 1:30 that the anesthesiologist was done. I was a lot happier at this point and was able to relax... a bit... and I had the little baby at 3:05. He was 19 inches long, 6 lbs 5 oz.