one week ago {3/17/11}

Here's the birth story:

Wednesday, March 16th, I awoke to still being pregnant.  38 weeks and 3 days, the longest I had ever been pregnant.  I was feeling pretty huge and miserable but I decided to go into work to get out of the house and take my mind off of my misery. 

I started the day off by complaining to everyone that I was going to be pregnant forever and my baby was never going to come out. 

At 12:00 I started having some mild contractions.  At lunch DeAnn prayed over my belly that the contractions would continue and I would have the baby by St. Patrick's Day.  She then suggested we name him August O'Malley.  I walked in circles around the office and up and down the stairs in the hall.  The contractions continued every five minutes.  

At 4:00 I walked over to my scheduled 38 week appointment.  I begged my doctor not to let me go past my due date.  When I told her about the contractions, she checked me and I was 3 cm.  She told me to stay in town for a couple of hours and head over to Labor & Delivery if the contractions continued.  

 

I went back to my office and decided if I really was in labor that I needed to go home first (30 minutes away), get my things together, pack bags for the kids, let the dog out, etc.  As I was driving, the contractions got closer together (every two minutes) and started making me say "ow" out loud.  I did everything I needed to do and called my mom to drive me back to the hospital.  Nate was at work in the same town as the hospital so he would meet us there.  

I checked in at 6:00 PM and was still at 3 cm.  They wanted to keep me for two hours, check again, and then decide if I was staying or not.  
There was no way I was getting denied again, I was determined to have that baby!

Before the two hours were up, I had Nate press the nurse's button because the contractions were coming so fast and furiously that I could not handle it anymore.  She checked me again and I was 5 cm.  I ordered the epidural.

When I got in the bed and looked up, this is what I saw.
  
For the next two hours I waited patiently for the anesthesiologist.  I screamed, begged, and pleaded for her to hurry up.  I became the laboring woman I never wanted to be (the people I make fun of on a Baby Story).  I lost all control and screamed and yelled and said, "I can't do this anymore" over and over and over.  I didn't care that everyone on the floor could hear me.  I even asked for some kind of pain relief in my IV (I've never had that before).  At that point I was nearly complete and my doctor encouraged me to push and just have the baby.  I held my legs together and refused until I had the epidural.   

Finally, finally, finally the most wonderful, adorable woman came into the room with her magical cart.  Nate said when she started going over the risks, I said "I consent, I consent!"  Heck, she could have told me that my leg would fall off and I still would have consented!  

When I finally could catch my breath for one second, I realized that I was only numb on one side.  The other leg felt completely normal and I could feel all the contractions on my right.  My favorite woman in the whole hospital came right back in and made everything better fast.  

Even though it was time to push, my doctor encouraged me to rest and let my body labor down on its own.  She was well aware of my past 3 hour pushing episodes.  Nate was ready to get the show on the road and wanted me pushing immediately.  By the way, he was such a good coach this time-his best yet.  He was determined to get his son there before midnight.  He was in a race with the girl in the room across the hall!

Eventually I was mentally ready to start pushing, and 1 hour and 45 minutes later at 12:46 AM on March 17th, August made his debut...and he was pretty much the cutest baby ever.

Yes, it does look like I had just had a near death experience because I did!  I was so glad my doctor was on call that night.  She knows how I am and I just feel so comfortable with her. 

I cooked him the longest and he was my biggest baby.  

8 lbs, 6 oz and 20 3/4" long. We couldn't get over his hair!

The girls in this house are officially outnumbered!

Grandma has been there for each of her grandkids' births. 

Danielle offered to be there as our photographer.  I think she took about 300 pictures.  I may have prevented her from ever having kids!

His first bath from Daddy.  
It looks like he's being baptized.

I can't believe just over one week ago he was still inside of me.  
Knowing that he completes our family feels so good.  I love being able to just smell him and stare at him and enjoy each little noise he makes.  
We are so happy that God blessed us with him!