My Labor Story - Happy Birthday Jaxson!

     I finally went into labor on Sunday, April 6th after having what I now realize were probably super subtle contractions since that Wednesday! My Dr. had told me on Wednesday at my appointment that I could go into labor at anytime and he doubted I would need to be induced the following week so I went home hopeful and my mom actually decided to fly out early so she wouldn't miss anything. She got here early Friday morning and we spent the weekend waiting and hoping my little guy would come soon so Grandma didn't fly out a week early for nothing!
      Sunday morning we woke up late, just in time to watch general conference at 11:00 and around 12:00 I started making pancakes. Halfway through making them I felt water leaking down my legs all over the kitchen floor. I told Preston, "Babe, this is super embarrassing...either my water just broke or I just peed all over the floor..." I really thought my overactive pregnant bladder had finally just failed me. I called my mom over and called the Dr. and he told me it sounded like my water and to come to the hospital. We packed up the last minute things for my hospital bag (the majority of it had been packed for weeks and weeks!) and drove over to the hospital where they confirmed it was my water and I was dilated...to a 2. I knew we were in for a long day!

        I was checked into a room and started on a pitocin drip by 2pm. I still wasn't feeling any contractions at this point just the same random tightening and slight cramping. A few hours later I was only to about a 4 and a half and they said I might as well get my epidural before the contractions really started (cause they still really hadn't) so I did, I was so nervous for that huge needle in my spine that I got super tense and he couldn't get the needle to go in straight so that freakin' hurt! After I made myself relax though it went in and then the fun started. That numb feeling was seriously so weird for me, it came on so fast and I hated not being able to feel ANYTHING below my belly! It just kept getting more frustrating for me as the hours wore on cause even though I was glad to not be feeling the big contractions that now I was feeling as only shadows, the numbness was starting to get to me. Around 12:00 am the Dr. said I should be ready to push in about 2 hours and an hour and a half later I was fully dilated and getting prepped to push my little guy into the world! At this point I was shaking and shivering like crazy and freaking out cause I didn't know how I was gonna push if I couldn't feel anything, but after about 20 minutes of pushing my perfect little baby boy was born at 1:48 am on April 7th. He weighed 7 pounds 12 ounces and was 20 1/2 inches long.

     Seeing him for the first time was a beautiful and shocking moment, I couldn't believe he was here, and that all of him fit inside me, and that that perfect little baby was all mine! I'll always cherish that beautiful day, meeting my son and watching Preston meet his little boy. I was so immediately in love and have spent every possible minute since starting into, and kissing his perfect little face. I feel so blessed to have this little miracle in my life and can't wait to love him and watch him grow everyday for the rest of my life!