Thursday, January 3rd was my due date. It came and went, and I was more than a little discouraged. I had really hoped (foolishly, I admit) that this baby would come on time or be early. Pregnancy and my body do not mesh, and so at the end every day felt like an eternity! But this baby wanted to come on his own time! Friday night I was just not up for making supper so we made a quick trip out to Morris to eat out. On the way I started to have pretty uncomfortable contractions. I whipped out my iPhone with its trusty 'Contraction Moniter' App and started timing.
I found that the contractions were only about 6 minutes apart and I rated them medium/strong. For the last few weeks (ever since the baby's head dropped) I had been having what I always call "working" contractions. More than just the tightness that I feel braxton hicks - these contractions would send shooting pains through my lower abdomen and I could feel myself starting to dialate. At my appointment the day before, the doctor had told me that I was already at about 2cm dialated. These contractions however, were stronger than before, and I definitely had to focus my way through them. The contractions stayed strong and constant all throughout our supper and I really thought this might be it! Much to my disappointment, however, they did not get stronger, and by the time we had the kids in bed I was timing them at 10 minutes. So, I went off to bed and hoped for a good night's sleep.
Saturday we had a relaxed morning at home, and after lunch I started to feel similar contractions to the night before. They were 7-8 minutes apart. We played a games together as a family, all the while I was timing the contractions. After a couple of hours, they had dwindled off to 11 minutes apart or more and so I wrote off another day thinking I may well stay pregnant forever! The kids ran off to play and I lay down to rest up before our family gathering in the late afternoon. At 10 after 3 I woke up with a start. Now THAT was a contraction. I quickly entered it into my phone app, and - WHAM - the next one hit 3 minutes later. I gave Scott a wide eyed look and said . . . "I think we might be sending the kids to the gathering without us." He gave me a skeptical look (he was used to me being hopeful about this being 'it') and I got up to go to the bathroom. On the way, I had my first contraction while standing, and lets just say I'm glad I was right beside the bed. Wow. So I grabbed my pillow, walked back to the living room and told Scott "Let's go." We (HA - I should say, HE) packed up the kids, and we drove to my Mom's.
By the time we got to my Moms I knew without a doubt that this was the real thing. Along the way, the kids had been happily chattering and I could hardly even speak a word to them because I had to concentrate so hard on staying sane through the pain. Oliver asked, if it was going to hurt. I told him yes and he said "We should pray for Mommy." In those precious last few moments as a family of 5 we prayed together for this new baby that was going to be joining our lives and it brought me to tears. Kalia said "Mom, my heart is beating so fast because I am so excited! Make sure you call me as soon as the baby is born to tell me all about it!" I opted to stay in the vehicle while Scott brought the kids in. The gathering was at my parents' house at 4:00, and so it really worked out perfectly. It was 3:26 when we dropped them off and took off for the hospital. When we got back into Rosenort, Scott asked if he should stop for a water bottle for me and all I could say was "Hurry." And hurry he did.
Between contractions, I sent this text:
Along the way, the contractions got longer and longer, and closer together, until I got to a point where I could hardly get a full breath between them. Scott called the hospital to tell them we were on our way and that we were in a rush. I think Scott was surprised how well I held it together through the pain and since I could barely speak we had kind of a fun little 'game' going on of him trying to gauge by my expressions and body language how bad a contraction was. And then it came, that feeling that you DON'T want to have in the vehicle. I managed to tell Scott that I felt a lot of pressure and I was pretty sure I was ready to push. All he said was "We have 5 miles left". We were going as fast as the van would take us, and I was praying to make it safely to the hospital. We pulled up right in front of the doors, and Scott ran in to get me a wheelchair (there was NO way I was going to risk walking!) and ran me to the admitting desk where we waited (forever!!!!) to be sent up. And yes, I was having a contraction the entire time and couldn't understand why that woman needed to sit there playing with her fax machine for so long!!
Finally we made it to the second floor and almost to the maternity ward. Another contraction hit and I had to make Scott stop pushing the wheelchair because there were no foot pedals and I couldn't hold my legs up and breathe through it at the same time. The nurses heard the commotion from around the corner and one of them (God bless her!) grabbed my feet, and practically ran backwards down the hall holding them up while Scott pushed me ahead. We (finally!!) arrived at the hospital room - right at the end of the hall!!
We rolled into the room and they asked me if I wanted to change into a hospital gown. "No," I gasped "There's not time". So they helped me into the bed and, sure, enough, I was ready to push. They asked me if I wanted to wait for the Dr but I said no. I didn't want to make the horror of those contractions wait any longer than I needed to! So as they frantically tried to hook up the moniters, my next contraction hit. I gave a strong push and the nurse gasped and said she could see the head. Just before my next contraction the Dr breezed in. Two more pushes (one for the head and another for the shoulders) and our little boy was born. 4:24 - exactly 2 minutes shy of an hour after we dropped off the kids. He was our first baby to come out crying and he was just perfect - all 8 pounds 12.5 ounces of him!
First picture of Mama and baby - feeling so in love with this baby that was growing inside of me for 9 months.
So proud of our newest little boy
Bonding with Daddy. Scott had been waiting for the arrival of Samuel as anxiously as I had and I could hardly get a chance to hold him in those first moments!
He didn't close his eyes for about an hour after he was born - too much to see! He was just wide awake and perfectly content.
Just so happy to have him in my arms. The relief that I felt after he was born was so strong that I felt it physically as well as emotionally. Finally our little boy was there for us to snuggle and hold and it felt wonderful. No amount of waiting and anticipation could have prepared us for how much we would love him.
Little newborn body
Meeting little Samuel! They couldn't stop smiling, touching him, and exclaiming over his little body. Oliver was very quick to point out that the baby was naked!
I'm not sure who looks prouder in this picture, Scott or Hayden. Makes my heart burst!
He started holding on to our hands almost as soon as he was born and has hardly let go ever since.
Love that eye contact. Those first moments are so precious.
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