I can't believe it's taken me this long to finally post about my sweet little man! I figure I could start with his actual birth. This is going to be really long... so if you don't want to read a really long story... then stop reading.
On a Saturday Jake and I were running errands together and around noon I started to get consistent contractions. They would range from 10-15 min a part, but they were small and I figured they were braxton hicks contractions, so I didn't think anything of them really. Later, we went to my brothers house to have dinner with them and because my mom was in town. Around 7ish my contractions started getting closer together, around 8 minutes apart but still nothing strong. I started thinking that I could be a mom by tomorrow, but that would be crazy because no one I know of has had their baby on their actual due date, so I still didn't let myself get too excited. We decided to go for a walk after dinner (because I didn't realize that my labor had already started I was still trying to get it going!) Around 10pm my contractions were a good 5 min a part and getting a little uncomfy. We were still at my brother's house and he only lives 5 min from the hospital we delivered at. I was thinking that we would just stay there until I figured it would be good to head over there... but, again, because I'm an idiot, and I heard that, for the first child, the first part of labor lasts forever and you should stay home as long as you can, because it's more comfortable to be at home than sitting around at a hospital... I decided to go home. I wanted to get some sleep and shower before going to the hospital. We live 40 min from the hospital. By the time I got ready for bed it was about midnight. I laid down and decided that sleep was not going to happen. The contractions were getting painful and about 4 minutes a part. I decided it was time to shower, then go to the hospital. Jake hated that we weren't heading straight to the hospital. He thought I was crazy. While I showered and got ready, Jake cleaned the house and made the bed. It took a while for me to get ready and shower because with every contraction I had to lean against the counter and just wait for it to pass. Finally we were on our way to have a baby! I think Jake was beyond stressed that we waited so long. I wasn't worried at all because I figured it would be forever until this kid would come. I had to keep telling him to slow down on the way to the hospital because it wasn't that urgent. In retrospect... I'm an idiot, we cut it pretty close. I had to stop every few steps into the hospital to let the contractions pass.
I was already dilated to a 4.5 when we got there but my water hadn't broken yet. The nurse said that they will monitor me for an hour and then come back to check to see if I've progressed. If not, they might make me go home... but maybe not because we live so far away. I chose to walk around the room because it felt way better to deal with the contractions standing up and leaning against things than laying down in bed. The contractions started to get really bad after the nurse left. WARNING: This part is a little graphic... As I was standing around letting the contractions pass I had a gush of blood go all over the floor. I was mortified! I made Jake clean it up. Poor guy. Then I ran to the bathroom and another contraction made another gush of blood go all over the floor because I was leaning against the sink. I had Jake call in the nurse because it was freaking me out and the contractions were getting really painful. It had only been about 40 minutes since she left us. When she checked me again I was already dilated to a 9! I was pretty excited because I wanted to try for a natural birth and if I was already a 9 then it would all be bearable! Then the contractions got horrible! I thought my body was being split in half and all I wanted to do was push. The nurse told me not to push because the baby was still really high up and that my contractions would need to push him down and it would take about 2 more hours... Yeah screw that. That's when I finally asked for the epidural. I was not putting myself through that pain for the next 2 hours. I was already dilated to a 10 by the time I actually got the epidural. From then on, life got so much better. I was able to rest for the next 2.5 hours while Owen moved down, and Jake's hand got a pretty good break too. :) At one point a nurse asked me when my water broke... I told her no one told me it broke. I'm assuming that was the blood all over the place part... no one knows though. I was finally able to do a couple practice pushes with the nurse before she told me to stop pushing and that she needed to go get the doctor. When the doctor came in he had me push about 3 times and my baby boy was here! I can't believe how fast everything went. I don't know if I'll try for a natural birth next time. I still want to try to go natural... but after having an epidural and feeling the difference with one vs not having one... I can't say what I'll do next time. He just never dropped during my pregnancy! For sure get to the hospital earlier. The nurses said that it will go even faster next time and not to wait as long.
Feeling good with the epidural! :)
Holding my baby for the first time
So alert and already grabbing my fingers!
My two men <3
My little man cub was born 7 lbs. 1 oz, 19.5 in long at 6:57am on his due date, April 28th 2013. He was the most perfect little being I have ever laid my eyes on. He came out just grabbing his own hands and eyes wide open. I don't think he slept until around 7 that night. He was so alert the whole time. I thought I would cry the first time I held him, but I think everything went so fast that I still didn't have time to process what was going on. Nothing seemed real. All I thought was how beautiful my son was. When I was being wheeled from the delivery room to my room, I started to cry as I held him. It finally hit me that I was a mom to a healthy, beautiful baby boy. The next two weeks I hardly stopped crying. I have never felt so blessed in my life... Hormones played a big part too.
Jake has been so wonderful. He went from the guy who, when asked if he wanted to hold someone's baby would throw his hands in the air and say "I don't do babies", to being so natural and amazing with Owen. He never once acted nervous around him. I love seeing my two boys together. It melts my heart.
{First Family Picture}
Owen Josef Hommes
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