Baby Oliver is here!!

So I have been a major slacker with the blog in the last few weeks of pregnancy.  I think mostly I was so ready to meet him and have him be a part of our lives that I just stayed away from here because it reminded me of how he wasn't here.  - Wrote that on 10/6/11 and did not post.  Now it is 11/16/11 and it was brought to my attention yesterday I really need to update so here I am.  I am updating! :) 

Well I made it all the way to 40 weeks without going into labor on my own. 

I had my 40 week appointment scheduled for 10:00 am on September 29th, his due date.  Scott had started his vacation so he was able to come along.  I stepped on the scale as we headed back and to my surprise I was 3 lbs shy of my goal weight I did not want to reach.  We then made a joke with the nurse about the Cardinals making it to the playoffs and how Scott wanted to go but we knew as soon as he got out of the state I would go into labor.  The nurse jokingly said you know I am ready to take her blood pressure right now.  My blood pressure had been fantastic throughout the entire pregnancy.  She put the cuff on and pumped it up.  Oddly she had to squeeze again which had never happened before.  She got done and said I needed to lie on my side that my blood pressure was high at 148 over 100.  I laid down and she took it again and it was ok so I thought we were fine.

The dr. came in and was a little concerned and then checked me out.  She said I was dilated at 2-3 cm and 70% effaced.  She then asked us if we wanted to have a baby today.  Of course we said yes.  She said since I was term and my blood pressure was a little high we could go ahead and go to the hospital to be induced.  Now I have said since day 1 I did not want to be induced but once we got to that stage I just wanted him out healthy, safe and happy!

As soon as we left the office we headed home to get the bags and eat something.  We called everyone to let them know and get the troops on the road!  We got to the hospital around 11:30 and checked in.  Scott made a comment about not getting the corner room and getting some side room so our nurse switched us to her favorite room that had a fantastic view of downtown!  I got the IV put in and they hooked me up to the monitor.  The thought was that the dr. would start me on pitocin and break my water to get things rolling.  They started the pitocin and not even 5 minutes later the dr. came in to check and break my water.  She checked me and said I wasn't far enough along for her so she stopped the pit.  At 1:15 they inserted cytotec to ripped my cervix.  I was told I would get 1 pill every 3 hours for a total of 3 pills. 

I was told there was a small possibility that the cytotec could start labor.  It did not but it did start some major contractions.  At 4:15 the nurse came into see how it was going.  My cervix had not dilated anymore but the contraction were 2-3 minutes apart and if they are any closer then 5 you can't get another pill.  But you can't start pitocin until 4 hours after that pill had been inserted so at 5:15 they came in and turned the pit back on. 

The pit was not fun.  The contractions were awful and not doing anything.  According to the nurse I was 1-2 cm dilated and because I was in so much pain I could go ahead and get an epidural if I wanted.  There was no way I was getting an epi at 1-2 cm so I held out.  By this time our families were there and they hung out until 9 something when they headed back to our home for the night.  Jenna and John stopped out around 10 which was so great to have them there.  The nurse came while they were there and offered the epi again, iv pain medication or some ambien to try and help me sleep.  I chose the ambien because I still hadn't made any progress.

Turns out that was a very good and bad decision.  I do not remember Jenna and John leaving at all.  I don't remember much of the night in fact.  Bits I do remember include my water breaking during a trip to the bathroom around 11:30 and leaning over the bed trying to get the epidural.  I also remember saying some crazy things and crying.  Thanks to Scott being there I get to hear about how crazy I was during that time.  I guess I told him he had 4 eyes, asked the time because the clocked had 8 hands, told my nurse she had 1 maybe 2 eyes, and that I had to move to Des Moines because my husband makes no money.  Great part - I don't remember getting the needle shoved into my back!!

It must have all worked wonders because I was woken up by some crazy pressure at 4 which was right when the nurse was coming into check me.  I was at a 5!!  She said get some more sleep and she would be back at 6 to check me again.  Right at 5 am she came in and said she needed to check me again because Oliver's heart rate was showing signs of me being more progressed then 5.  To every one's surprise I was at a 9!!!  We called the crews to get them on the road. 

As soon as I was at a 10 which didn't take much time I was told to try some pushing.  We had been talking with the nurses and doctors the entire time we had been there to see if Scott could deliver Oliver.  At 7 am we had to switch nurses and the doctor on call so we had to ask again and the doctor said yes!  I had been pushing for a while and the doctor came in and told Scott to get ready.  The nurse made sure to remind him that he was a father first and a doctor second.  My mom had been holding my right leg and Scott had been holding my left.  A nurse came and took over for Scott and it began.  I pushed for around 2 hours and finally out he came!

He didn't cry right away which definitely freaked me out a bit but they got all the mess out of him and he started to cry.  Scott cut the cord and they put him up on my chest!  From the moment I saw him I was so in love.  They took him to get him cleaned up and fix me up.  He weighed 8 lbs 4.4 oz and was born only 8 hours and 55 minutes late of his due date!   He was absolutely perfect!!!  They moved us to our room where he went to the nursery to be measured and given some shots.  He was 21.5 inches long.

And now introducing our GORGEOUS bundle of joy, Oliver!