Happy 11th Birthday Abby!!!!!

ALL day on March 31st I was EXHAUSTED!!! I was on the couch ALL day and could hardly keep my eyes open! I thought about impending labor but I was still 2 1/2 weeks from my due date (4/19). We went to Braums for dinner that night...well, brought it home. I ate a hamburger, fries, chocolate malt AND a banana split. We let Em stay up really late that night too...until 9:00 or 9:30...which was a big deal b/c it was WAY past her bedtime. Looking back I'm glad we did and got to spend some time with her.

I think it was around 7pm or so I started having bloody show. EXACTLY how Em's labor started. But still, I wasn't too excited b/c I was early.Around 11pm I had some early labor contractions that were kind of regular but they eventually stopped. I was able to sleep from 12:00-3:00am. When I used the restroom there was still bloody show and I woke up Kev. We talked for a while in bed then I started having more contractions. Nothing regular still and I took a bath at one point. When the contractions didn't stop I figured something was really going on. Kev had suspected it all evening. He finally decided that we were going to the hospital..."I don't want to have this baby on our bed." were his EXACT words.

After Kev decided we were leaving I called my Mom then we called his brother. We had worked it out so they would drive us to the hospital then keep Emily for us. We called them THREE times and there was NO answer. Turns out their phone and answering machine weren't working. Somehow the ringer was on but not ringing. So, we got Em up and told her the baby was coming. Kev helped pack her a little bag with toys, snacks, and a change of clothes. We all got in the van and I drove us to the hospital. Thankfully it was the middle of the night and I could speed a little bit.

We got to the hospital around 4:30am. I was checked at 5:15am and was 5cm!!! At 5:45 I was 7cm!!! Not long after that check I started feeling pressure on my cervix from the water bag. I told one nurse and she said, "Ohhhhh, in your rectum?" I just looked at her and said, "Um, NO. On my CERVIX." She stopped in her tracks and looked surprised but told me that it couldn't be that I had progressed too far b/c they had just checked me. She decided to check me anyway and I was between 7-8cm, fully effaced and 0 station. Right after that I got the urge to push when the contractions peaked. My Dr still wasn't there (that's an entirely long story in itself). I told the nurse I was needed to push and she told me she didn't want me to (YEAH RIGHT.). But wouldn't you know...our bodies don't listen to nurses when in labor...and the urge got stronger and my water broke. I told her, "I'm going to have to push in a few minutes." She still wanted me to wait. That nurse was standing on my right side and another nurse (this was back when SouthCrest was very new and not busy so I think ALL of the nurses working that night were in my room) was trying to break the bed down. The other nurse told her to stop.

It hurt like hell but it was so cool to feel Abby's head coming down. I was kinda scared because I didn't want to tear. I finally asked the nurse if the head was out and she said, "Yes." Kev told me later that it was just 1/2" out. I finally got the head delivered and had to stop for just a second because the cord was around her neck. At 6:36am I pushed once more and she was totally out!! Thirty seconds later my Dr walked in. He helped with the placenta and checked for tearing (NONE!...which I think was mostly due to no stirrups). Another nurse brought Em back in the room (she had taken her out when I was pushing...even though she didn't ask us first if that would be o.k.). Em looked at her for a minute then finally touched Abby's hand.