We had been very impatiently waiting. I was growing more uncomfortable by the day as I was also just growing by the day! My doctor had told us two weeks ago that I was a good 2 cm dialated and would be having this baby on my own at any minute. We had been sitting on pins and needles. I let work know and I changed my last day to be a week earlier than originally planned so as not to risk my water breaking at work and to get a few last minute things done at home. Well, as you'll soon learn, the doctor's prediction did not come true. I stayed home all week cleaning, organizing, doing laundry, and generally just being bored because I quickly ran out of things to clean and organize. (Stephen teases me because he came home from work one day and I was cleaning the vacuum.) I had been having cramping and contractions(very small and inconsistent ones) for over a week. I thought for sure it would be any minute.We tried all the old wives tales to get this moving. We walked about a mile with our neighbors and the dogs almost every night. I ate spicy foods. I balanced on my yoga ball. Stephen drove over every bump in the road he could find.. you name it, we were up to try it. But this stubborn boy was just way too comfortable to come out.
Finally we went to my 39 week appointment. From the beginning it was planned that I would be induced at 39 weeks due to my Factor V if I didn't go into labor on my own. So we were anxious to see what the doctor would say that day. We got to my 9:50 appt. Got all checked in(I had already lost a pound, YAY!) and waited for the doctor. He came in and checked my cervix and noted there wasn't much change that I was maybe 3cm dialated now and about 70% effaced. He stripped my membranes again, this time I really felt that(not the most pleasant thing in the world!). Then he said the best thing he could have said, they wanted to bring us in that night and begin our induction! I thought Stephen was going to jump out of his chair! I was a little taken aback, but excited! I thought Wednesday or Thursday at the earliest, but that night? I'll take it! So he answered our questions and then sent us to surgery scheduling to arrange a time. They had us come in at 2:30 a.m. Not my first choice of times to be thrown into labor, but at that point I would have gone at anytime they told us! She explained the whole process to us and we headed off to wait.
We called all of our family members to let them know that the waiting was almost over. Stephen went ahead and went back to work since he gets off at 2:30 anyway. I went home to
We decided to go to one last dinner as a couple. We called our neighbors, Matt and Jeanette, and they joined us for some Mexican food at La Hacienda. Perfect "last" meal! Then it was time to try to get some sleep. The key word there was try because we both tossed and turned for hours. Our minds were racing and we were just too excited! Stephen said it was like waiting to go on a Disney World trip on Christmas Day. He was so anxious he just couldn't sleep. Eventually we both managed to fall asleep and maybe got 3-4 hours before our alarms went off at 1:00 a.m. Normally, it would be impossible to get up at that time but we were both wide awake and going 90 to nothing getting ready and making sure we had anything. We took a minute to snap the last belly picture:
We loved on Natty and tried to explain to him where we were going.(Our super sweet neighbors took excellent care of our first baby while we were at the hospital.) After the car was loaded up, we were off. We made our way to Sacred Heart Hospital. Stephen stopped to get some doughnuts and a drink from the gas station which turned out to be a very smart decision since it would be a long time before we would eat again.
We got to the hospital and headed up to the 2nd floor to get checked in to labor and delivery. It was a really smooth and easy process. (I imagine it's an entirely different experience if you're already in labor, but being induced they just bring you in and do some paperwork with you and then show you to your room.) We were introduced to our nurse for the night, Lauren(great name!), and she got us set up in our room. I changed into the oh so lovely hospital gown, answered all the usual questions and did some paperwork, got hooked up to all the monitors for me and baby, and my least favorite part of the whole thing, was hooked up to the IV. Ouch! Stephen attempted to get our stuff organized and got comfortable for the wait. Our nurse was awesome and made us feel comfortable from the very beginning and was great at explaining every step of the process to us. Once we got through all that good stuff, Lauren hooked up the oxytocin(pitocin) drip bag to my IV and we got the ball rolling. It starts at a level 2 and they up it by 2 every hour until you hit 20.
After she got me hooked up about 3 a.m., she left us to rest and wait. I started having small contractions but they weren't the least bit uncomfortable. Stephen and I talked, joked, and just hung out and watched TV while we waited. Lauren came in throughout the night to turn up the drip and occasionally check my dilation but other than that, not much happened until my doctor came in at 6:45 that morning. Which is where I'll pick up with part 2 of Nolan's birth story...
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