I’m finally getting back to reality….well, my new reality of barely any sleep. (And yes Becky, I have officially joined the “sleepless night club”.) It happened last night after I realized Abel doesn’t like Taco Bell. Funny, b/c I ate it every week when I was pregnant.
Well, here is the story. What is funny was right before I went to the hospital on Sunday night, I was writing a Post titled “False Alarm #2″, because we went to the Dr. Sat. morning thinking I was in labor. (Come to find out, I really was, but wasn’t dilating.) I started having contractions on and off since Thursday. Pretty much, I had been in labor starting Thursday night. I have the most wonderful midwife who I called at least twice a day starting on Thursday so she checked my cervix on Friday, but nothing.

So Sunday came and I still was feeling really awful, so I had to miss our major church event, which I was really bummed about because Seth and I had worked really hard on a video that was being shown. (well, Seth worked really hard, I was there for support) Anyway, so about 11:00 am on Sunday, I feel a small leak. I thought, that was strange, but I have been told by many pregnant women that when they get so huge, sometimes a little pee can leak out…so honestly that is what I thought. (So, I’m being a little detailed, but you all wanted the story.) Then it happened 2 other times that day and Seth kept saying “Call your midwife.” I was like, “no, I don’t want to bother her again.” I mean, hello, I already have interrupted her on a date and had her leave. So, I finally called her at 8:00 pm and she as in DC (this was her day off) and says, “Go to the hospital. We can’t take a chance if your water breaks. I’m leaving DC now, good thing I didn’t have anything to drink.” I was like, “Don’t leave your party. I’ll just have the hospital call you if my water has broke”. But she insisted on leaving…and this was HER DAY OFF! EVERYONE NEEDS A MIDWIFE WHEN THEY ARE PREGNANT!

As we are driving to the hospital, Seth thinks this is another false alarm. We get to the hospital and have to register AGAIN (we just did this yesterday) and that took forever and I started feeling the contractions. My mid wife wasn’t there yet, so the nurse did a test to see if my water broke, but the test came back “inconclusive”. She did it again….still inconclusive. Then my midwife gets there and does a different test that sure enough says my water broke. Seth and I were shocked. We were for sure they were going to send us home again. The bad news…I was only 1 cm. Since my water broke they have to get the baby out in 24 hrs (which started at 11:00 am that morning) so they said he needed to be out by 12:00 noon on Monday, or else do a c-section. That gave me 14 hours…sounded like it shouldn’t be a problem…until we realized I wasn’t dilating. They started Pitocin right away and of course the day I need to be having contractions, I wasn’t. I was a happy clam at first…bouncing on my birthing ball, laughing with everyone and just having a good time until the Pitocin kicked in and then I was crying in pain. I couldn’t get the epidural till I was at least 2cm. Finally, at about 1am I got to 2cm and I got the most amazing drug ever invented. I was having horrible back labor so the epidural really was hard to handle since they hold your back down. But once it kicked in I was in heaven, eating ice chips and popsicles and just living in a cloud. But every time I got checked, I was still only 2-3cm. Since my midwife was there on her day off and she needed to be in the office on Monday by 8:00 am, it was looking like she wouldn’t be able to deliver me. But thankfully, I have 3 other midwives who I adore and I wasn’t too concerned. Then at about 4 or 5am, the epidural wore off (I guess because I was in labor for so long) and the pain was so intense, but the anethesiolgist was busy and it was another hour till he could come and pump more in me. Then once I got more, I was feeling better again. At 9 am I got to 4-5cm and stayed there till 1:30pm. Now, remember they were supposed to give me a c-section by noon, but the midwives really believed that I could get to 10cm and since the baby’s heart rate was good, they waited. I know, it was everyone’s prayers that made me dilate from 5-10cm in 1 HOUR and the fact that they didn’t give up on me and just send me to get a c-section. At 2:30pm I started pushing and didn’t stop till 5:05 when Abel Anthony entered the world. I can’t believe how amazing Seth was during the whole process. He blew me away. He was the most wonderful coach ever , and the nurses who were with us were a Godsend. I was really taken care of. It was so hard – one of the hardest things I have ever done in my life – but so VERY worth every minute of it. I was so out of it by the time he came, I don’t remember much. I just remember he was crowning for a long time and I saw the doctor come in, the one who owns the clinic I go to, and I knew when he came in the room, that means there is a problem. They told me if I don’t push him out in 15 min. then they would have to use the vacuum. I gave it all I had after that, and at 5:05pm Abel entered our lives. He came out with a very large cone head and a large bruise and cut from being pushed against my pelvic bone for so many hours. But he is doing great! We had his first check-up yesterday and he passed with flying colors. Praise God!
The feeling is amazing when they place your baby on your chest. It is the best experience ever! I love being a mom!

Here are some updated pictures of our precious little guy!

By the way, I totally feel like a mom. I started writing this post at noon today and am just now at 7:15pm getting back to finish it. Oh, the joys of motherhood.