Owen is here!!!

Let's go back to Friday, Sept 10, 2010.  I have already been having Braxton Hicks contractions that have been very painful for about two months.   Not these.  These contractions were different.  Not more intense, just different.  Dave and I always joke that that night will be it.  But this time, I thought it really might!  Well, I was removed form work, so I had Friday to myself.  I was forcing myself to nest.  I was doing the laundry, cleaning the bathrooms, and resting in between. 

I was determined!  If we were going to the hospital, we were not coming back until our little guy was with us!  I was rolling on the exercise ball, and making a nice stuffed pork tenderloin.  Well, the night went on, and I couldn't sleep.  These contractions were getting annoying.  We were timing them, and they were between 4 and 8 minutes apart, but regular.  I couldn't wait any longer.

2AM now on Sat, Sept 11, 2010, I called the Dr.  He said that I was contracting long enough, and to come in the hospital at 6AM if I could wait that long.  He said if I was dilated, he would break my water.

So off to my parents' house we went. They live about 15 minutes form the hospital, and that beats the 45 minutes that it would have taken us :-)  I was more comfortable knowing that if anything happened, I would be much closer to the hospital!  Sooooo, I never slept.  Dave slept another 2 hours, but I did not.  I woke him up, and we were on our way to the hospital.

During the exam, it revealed that the contractions were there and regular, but then started fading fast, and becoming irregular.  Not to mention I was still only 1cm dilated............ugh!  What!??!?  I am sure that the Dr would have broke my water, but the nurses said that I probably would have gotten sent home.

As I was chatting with my sister (who was just being released from giving birth to my nephew, Anthony) I felt a little something.........MY WATER BROKE!!!!!!!!!!  At 9AM, I am guaranteed to NOT go home!  That was my goal!  Our next goal was to have a baby.........YAY!!!

It took about 2 hours for me to reach 2cm.  Then each time they checked, I had advanced quite quickly.  We were thinking 7PM we will have this little life.

Not soooooo much!!!  After much pain, vomiting and plain old uncomfortable, Owen was FINALLY born on Sunday, Sept 12, 2010 at 2:31AM.  8lbs, 4.5ozs and 20 inches long.  PHEW!!!!!!

Special thanks to my parents, Dave's parents, Jaime and Dave who were with me every step of the way.  They were there for every hour of this difficult labor that went well into the early morning.  Dave breathed through every contraction with me, Jaime was there for overall support and my mom was there for my motherly support.  Those three were there to see Owen born, which on so many levels was memorable and special.  Dave's mom peeked in when she could, and then dads stayed in the waiting room.  I am sooooo loved, and so is Owen!

Here are some pictures of our ordeal!