Monday Afternoon....Evening

After coming home from the dentist, Mommy started having contractions.  This was the day before she was to get a shot of progesterone, so typical for this day of the week.  She called Daddy and let him know.  Mommy rested and started drinking plenty of water.  At dinner time, we had grilled cheese sandwiches and clam chowder soup.  It was delicious.  Mommy told Daddy that she couldn't be in labor, because most laboring women are not hungry and she ate all her dinner.  At bedtime, Mommy couldn't lay on my bed with me to sing and say prayers.  She was sitting on my step stool and taking lots of deep breaths in and out.  Daddy told me that me that he might take Mommy to the hospital to get a check-up.  I went to sleep.  

At around 10pm, I woke up and Grandmother and Granddaddy were at my house.  They told me Daddy did take Mommy to the hospital for a check-up and they were spending the night.

While Sam was asleep....(Mommy Note)

Contractions continued and increased in intervals and intensity.  Nick called my parents around 9pm and told them we were going to go to the hospital.  My parents arrived around 9:30pm and we were off the the hospital.  We caught almost every red light along the way.  Nick was being his usual positive self an said it would be funny later....not too funny at the time.  :)  We arrived at the hospital and I headed to the bathroom while Nick checked me in.  Contractions were coming back to back at this time.  I was having difficulty walking.  **At my previous doctor's appointment on Friday.  I was 1-2 cm dilated and the baby was super low.  I had been experiencing a lot of pressure all weekend long. 

It was 10:30pm by the time I got back to a room and was placed on the monitor.  The baby's heart looked great, but there was no denying the contractions.  At this point I was checked and was 3 cm dilated and the baby was at a very low station.  A nurse came in to start my iv.  She had an extremely hard time and had to get a supervising nurse to help.  At this point I was starting to loose it a bit.  As all the iv drama was occurring, my nurse came in and said the doctor was to start me on magnesium.  This is an extreme measure to stop labor.  I had been placed on magnesium 3 weeks prior and it was HORRIBLE.  I knew I did not want to go that route again.  I started to come apart at the seams to say the least.  The nurse called the doctor and put her through to my room phone.  The doctor said she understood why I did not want to go the mag route from my previous experience.  She said we would start with turbutaline shots and and extended release procardia pill.  If this did not work, we would have to go back and discuss magnesium again.  I agreed.  My shot was administered and within moments, my water broke.  The nurse quickly left the room to call the doctor.  My contractions started to pick up in intensity.  Within the next 45 minutes I started to feel a lot of pressure.  Upon being checked, I was 8 centimeters.  Nick looked at me and told me I could do this and we were about to have our sweet baby.  By 12:15am, I was pushing.  It took me a moment to figure out the whole process....breath in, push hard, deep breath in, and do it again.  Pushing was not so natural at first, but after 2 or 3 tries I figured it out.  Nick got very excited and announced that I was doing it.  With 2 more pushes, our sweet buddy was here.  The doctor immediately placed our sweet boy on my chest.  For the rest of my life, I will never forget the feeling that came over me when I saw him.  He was perfect and he was here.  The NICU nurses swooped in and started their evaluation of the baby.  

I had done it.  I wanted so bad to have as natural of a birthing experience as possible, because I Sam's birth was such a blur.  Sam came by emergency c-section...I was knocked out...and Nick was not able to be by my side.  I wanted Nick by my side this time, I wanted my water to break on it's own, I did not want to be induced, and I wanted a drug free delivery.  I got what I wanted.  The had wanted the baby to be placed on my chest upon delivery, but I knew this was not likely if I delivered preterm.  What a surprise that was!  I even got to hold our sweet boy again before they took him to the NICU for further evaluation.  What an incredible night!

We have no pictures of the delivery and only a short video clip, but Nick and I will never forget what happened on Tuesday, April 9th at 12:28am.  We were abundantly blessed by the arrival of our sweet, precious DREW ASHER LEVIN.  He weighed 5 lbs 7 oz and 18 inches...this weigh and length shocked the doctor and all the nurses involved.  So even though Drew came early, he was a good starting weight.