Okay, so my due date was Aug. 1st. It came and went and I was showing no signs of going into labor. So, the plan was to wait and see if my body would go into labor on its own in the next week. We were scheduled to go back to the doctor on Monday Aug. 6th if I had not had her already and would most likely induce on the 7th.
Around 3 am Monday morning I started having the pains in my lower abdomen that would spread around to my back. I thought that maybe they were contractions. So, I started to watch the clock and see if they kept happening. They did! About every 8 minutes this same feeling occured. I waited an hour to make sure that I wasn't going crazy until I woke up Nathan. We kept timing the contractions and they kept getting closer together and intensified. During the contractions I kept getting sick and throwing up which made things quite interesting. By 7:00 am we decided it was time to get to the hospital---I swear they were every 2 min. and that by the time one ended another one started. Nathan said they were probably about 5 min. apart. Through the whole labor and delivery my concept of time was definatly off. So, we get to the hospital they put me in a wheelchair to roll me up to labor and delivery and as soon as I sat down a contraction came and I puked in the lobby floor. Poor receptionist (who was not a nurse) I think was about to come unglued.lol.
So, I get check and I am definatly in labor and at a 3! Yay! Here is where the time definatly gets distorted... Everything was probably in incriments of about an hour, but it felt like every 10 min.
Which is probably good for the person in labor to feel that things are moving very quickly! So, what felt like 10 min. later the doctor came in to check me and I was at a 4. He went ahead and broke my water and we talked about the epidural. I was keeping an open mind the whole pregnancy and was going to try to do it completely natural, but the pain was so intense I decided I would go ahead and get one. It was wonderful! They came and checked me again and I was at a 6-7, 8-9 (again in all what felt like 10 min. apart). By 11 am I was at a 10! Mallorie was a little face up and so we moved to my side to try and get her to adjust a little---it worked at 11:30 or 11:45 it was time to push. I pushed for about 30 min. and at 12:12 pm my baby was here!
It was the most wonderful feeling in the world! Here are some pictures of the events.
Leaving for the hospital--between contractions!
Last belly picture- 40 weeks 5 days
Nathan was a fabulous coach!
My Mom, Nathan's parents and Papaw (somehow I didn't get him in a picture) waiting patiently as things progressed!
1st picture of daddy holding Mallorie.
In awe!
And the best part of life has begun!
