That afternoon my two pregnant cousin-in-laws came to have lunch with me and talk baby stuff since we hadn't really gotten to talk at the family baby shower the week before. We ate lunch at Zupa's and I started up with the normal braxton hicks contractions although I was feeling a little bit of crampiness with it. We talked a lot about all kinds of baby stuff and labor, etc. but I kept asking them how they knew if they were in labor. They said, "you'll just know, it feels different." I thought, okay, I'll just know, but apparently I didn't just know.
At 3:30 my mom came over to help me get ready for the baby since I still was very unprepared. My goals were to buy a car seat, pack a hospital bag, and organize the clothes I had received for Ethan. I wasn't feeling great after lunch so I just sat in a chair in the baby's room while my mom sorted through my stuff and helped organize it. In the meantime I was having more contractions and the cramping was increasing. I starting getting more worried about it. I asked my mom about it and she seemed unconcerned. Some of the contractions hurt and other didn't so I couldn't tell if this was real labor. I couldn't focus very well on timing them myself, but they seemed about 6 minutes apart. I still wasn't doing great but my mom said, "whether or not you're feeling good we need to get you a car seat. Maybe walking around will help you feel better."
About this time Jason called from Denver to ask how I was doing. I told him how I was feeling and he told me to start timing the contractions because he really didn't want to miss the birth. At the store my mom timed and contractions and they kept increasing. We didn't end up buying a car seat because I couldn't focus enough to make decisions. I texted Jason that the contractions were 5 minutes apart and that he should at least start packing until we knew for sure. I didn't want him to have to drive all the way home from Denver if this wasn't the real thing.
After leaving the store I decided we should go back to my house. I drank a lot of water and laid down while my mom packed the hospital bag for me. After my mom finished packing my bag we headed to the hospital. We there a little before 8:00pm.
We got checked in and they took us to a room to be examined by a nurse. The nurse checked my cervix and I was only dilated to 2 cm and effaced 90%. She said she would watch it for an hour and then check again.
At 9:30 the nurse came in and checked again but I was only dilated to a 2 1/2. I was in quite a bit of pain. The doctor gave the order to send me home again with pain killer if I wanted it. I called Jason to update him on my condition and let him know he could slow down and to be safe in driving home.
We got to my apartment close to 11:00pm. I had a very long night. I literally spent the night sleeping for 3 minutes intervals that were interrupted by painful contractions. It was miserable, but I was glad that I was able to sleep in between, if only for a few minutes. Jason arrived at 3:40AM.
We left for the hospital a little before 11:00am on Sunday. My mom led the way and Jason followed with me in the car. The nurse checked my cervix and after that whole night, I was only dilated to a 4 but I was now fully effaced. The nurse called Dr. Dabling and the anesthesiologist was in my room 15 minutes later putting in the epidural.The epidural was amazing! I don't know how people give birth naturally after the miserable night I had just experienced.
I was able to rest for the next 4 hours. I was finally at a 10 at about 3:30pm. Because I was a first time mom and pushing can take up to 2-3 hours, the nurse didn't want to call the doctor until I had made some progress pushing. The nurse gave good advice and coaching and I tried to follow it even though I was pretty numb and couldn't feel much down there. I made good progress pushing and after about 6-8 repetitions I had pushed enough that the nurse told me to stop pushing while she called Dr. Dabling. Dr. Dabling came straight from church and didn't even take time to change into her scrubs. She got there at about 4:08pm and hurried to put on the protective clothing. As she was just trying to put on her gloves I could feel the baby sliding a little and said, "I think he's coming." Dr. Dabling covered her hands with her sleeves and reached out just in time to catch the baby as he came out on his own.
Ethan was born Aug. 4th at 4:13pm. Soon they put little Ethan on my chest and I got to hold him for the first time. It was such an amazing experience and seemingly unreal that here was the baby I had waited and prayed and fasted so long for. I was so grateful for the help of the nurses, Jason, and my mom. I'm so grateful for my little Ethan. He weighed 8 lbs. 1 oz. at birth and measured 20 inches long. He is so adorable and Jason and I love him so much. I never seem to tire of looking at him and holding him close. What a gift from heaven!
