I realize that this post is a couple weeks late... but who doesn't love to read a labor story? On Thursday, October 22nd, the hospital called me at about 9 am and told me to come in at 10:30 that morning to be induced. James, with an ability to focus on the task at hand way above my own, had gone to class that morning. Luckily the law school is only a couple blocks from the hospital, so I packed up the car, picked James up, and we headed in. Right as we got there, so did two other very pregnant women, both of whom were already in labor. This meant that we had to sit around in the waiting area for about an hour until they cleared up a labor and delivery room for me. My parents arrived in the meantime and around 11:30 they admitted me.
By noon I was hooked up to the pitocin and when my doctor checked me around 1, I was already 5 cm dilated. The nurses had to keep coming in every 10 minutes to readjust the belt that was monitoring the baby's heartrate- every time they got a strong signal he would just wiggle away and they had to find it again. My sister Lindsay showed up and it was so nice to have so much company while we waited. I could feel the contractions, but they weren't too uncomfortable. At about 2:30 my doctor decided to break my water... and by 3 I was REALLY feeling those contractions. I wanted to get the epidural before it would be too hard for me to sit still, so the anesthesiologist came in and gave me the epidural. I really didn't feel anything- they did a good job (James freaked out a little because he saw the size of the needle going into my back but was kind enough to pretend he didn't).

Me right after the epidural with the trusty button that allows you to give yourself a dosing anytime you please. Pretty exciting stuff. Well the epidural works with gravity, so you are supposed to switch from lying on your left to lying on your right from time to time to keep things even. I started out lying on my left side and was told to roll to my right side when the left went tingly. Oddly enough, over the next 2 hours, my right side went completely numb and I could still feel everything on the left side. The nurses called the anesthesiologist back in and they had to readjust my epidural because it had gone in a little to the right. In order to get things corrected, they gave me another full dose and this time both sides of me went completely numb from the waist down. As in I was pretty much paralyzed- I couldn't move or feel either of my legs and I definitely wasn't feeling any contractions.
I was a 7 at this point and progressing right along. The nurses finally got sick of readjusting the heartrate belt and put an internal monitor on the baby's head instead. About this same time the contractions started coming much closer together and with some serious intensity (or so the monitor said... I was still only half a person). Chase's heartrate started to drop pretty low every time I had a contraction, and they decided to put me in an oxygen mask to help him out. The situation started to get worse- his heart rate was dropping dangerously low and the doctor thought maybe the cord was wrapped around his neck. I was dilated to a 9, so the doctor stayed close by. That last hour before I was fully dilated was absolutely terrifying- we watched his monitor constantly and prayed that he was strong enough to pull through.
After what seemed like an eternity, my doctor declared me fully dilated at 9 pm and everyone but James filed out to wait. I could feel things pretty well at this point, but I wanted to be able to feel when to push, so I didn't push the epidural button anymore. Ouch- that was a minor mistake. As I was pushing, Chase's heartrate continued to dip really low and they called in a pediatric unit just in case. Poor James looked absolutely terrified and I think he was squeezing my hand more than I was squeezing his. There were about 20 people in the room while I was pushing and a bunch of random people kept yelling, "Come on Stephanie- you can do it!" This was the first time during labor that I felt like cursing and screaming... who were these people and how the heck did they know I could do it?!? Finally, at 9:35 pm, I pushed one last time and watched in a giant mirror as a beautiful, dark-haired baby was born.
As soon as they cleared his mouth and nose he started to yell and it was the most reassuring sound I have ever heard. The pediatric team examined him and found that he was a perfectly healthy newborn. The cord wasn't wrapped around his neck at all- it turned out he just didn't appreciate being forced out.

Here is the first picture we have of our sweet baby boy.

James holding his son. Seeing my two boys together for the first time was, aside from being sealed to James on our wedding day, the happiest moment of my life.

In order to get Chase out faster, they used a vacuum and even though I had an episiotomy, I still acquired quite the tear. (Apologies if that is TMI.) It took my doctor almost an hour to get me sewn up. It is hard to put into words the amount of love that swept over me the first time I finally got to hold Chase in my arms. I couldn't believe that he was finally here and so perfect.

The next 2 days in the hospital went by in such a blur and on Saturday we brought our adorable baby home for the first time. He is such an alert and cuddly little guy! We can't help but to kiss those pudgy cheeks every couple of minutes. Being a mom is exhausting work, but so rewarding. I am so thankful to have Chase as part of our eternal family.