Liam's Birth

Well, I may have a minute between feeding/changing/wrangling kids, so I think I'll finally take this chance to write out Liam's birth story.

Saturday September 10th, I started having contractions. They were pretty strong, so much so that I didn't make it to Reese's soccer game. I stayed home to shower, get ready, and pack a hospital bag. They were getting stronger, but where staying 15 mins apart. After Reese's game was over Adam picked me up so we could run to the store and grab some things for the hospital and kids. I had never gone into labor on my own before, so I wasn't sure this was the real thing, but I wanted to be prepared. Next was Noah's game...contractions still 15 mins apart...My mom came to the game and was convinced today was the day. I was still skeptical.

After the game, we decided to go to Cafe Rio and grab some lunch. The contractions slowed, but the couple I had were really strong. Still hoping, when we got home I started walking. I walked up and down my hallway, up and down my stairs, out on my deck, anywhere really. Contractions started to fall back into a pattern of 10 mins apart. Adam gave his mom a call and gave her a heads up. For hours they stayed 10 mins. Some were strong, some not so bad. At 9 pm, Adam convinced me to go to the hospital just to get checked out. My mom came over and sat with the kids and up to the hospital we went.

When they checked me I was 4.5 centimeters...better than the 3.5 the previous day...but not really effaced more than 70%. My doc was "on vacation" until midnight that night. Great. So, the on-call doc said to watch me for an hour and if I had changed I would get to stay, if not I would be sent home. An hour later, no change. They sent me home with 2 ambien and told me to rest because I would probably be back the next day (yeah, yeah).

So, I went home at midnight and fell asleep immediately. At 3 am I woke up with contracations 3 mins apart. Adam wanted to go straight back to the hospital. I was so tired, and not wanting to be sent home again, I said I wanted to go back to sleep and if it got so intense that I couldn't sleep we would go. The next morning, Sunday, September 11, I woke up with nothing, absolutely nothing. It was all a false alarm, I thought. I slept and rested most of the day. At 2 pm I asked Adam to make me a grilled cheese sandwich. He seriously makes the best grilled cheese sandwiches ever and that day was no exception. After that I started to feel a few contractions here and there again, but didn't really say anything to Adam. I went back to sleep in our bed.

At 3:30 I woke up to my strongest contraction yet...holy moly...so I said Adam, I'm gonna take a bath and relax and see if they get stronger or fade away. I got in the bath and it was like everything moved into warp speed. My contractions quickly jumped to 5 mins apart. By 4:15 Adam wanted to call my mom and I wanted to hold off because I didn't want to be embarrassed again by another false alarm trip to the hospital. 4 mins apart...ok, I'm starting to get nervous...I get out of the tub and yell, "Adam I'm having another one!" "What?! That was only 2 mins apart!" "Well, Hun, I don't know what to tell you but I'm having one and it hurts!" So, he called my mom and she hurried over.

When she got there, I tried to act all casual, "No really, I'm fine. It's probably nothing." Then I sat in my bar stool and had a contraction that brought tears to my eyes. My mom assured me that it was time to go to the hospital. On the way up, they continued to be 2 mins apart and were very painful. When we got to the hospital, me being a dork, said, "Adam, lets just wait a few more mins, maybe walk around the hospital?" It's amazing how inbetween contractions you can feel completely normal. He told me we should just head up. When we were about to walk in the hospital I had another contraction and said, "You better call the Monsen's (to replace my mom) and your parents." This was just after 5 pm.

On the way up to maternity I had a contraction so bad I couldn't walk out of the elevator and awesomely there were people standing outside the elevator doors waiting for us to exit. Uh, hello, I'm in labor! So, I got out of the elevator as quickly as possible. I got into the maternity triage and they checked me 5cm and 90%. The nurse said, "You're definitely in labor, I'm calling your doctor." She had another nurse get the IV going while she was filling out the paperwork (sensing the urgency). I did have it pretty much together still, but was deseperately hoping for that epidural. I told the triage nurses, "just so you know, when my water breaks, I always deliver my babies within an hour." They replied, "Oh really? That's fast, wow, ok." I never know whether they ever really believe me or not, but they would soon find out....

At 5:45, I was finally ready to go to a room. They had called the anathesiologist, but he was at home...awesome...so he was "on his way". They asked me if I wanted a wheel chair or if I could walk to my room. I thought to myself, "I'm between contractions, I'm feeling good, I can walk." I stood up and my water broke. CRAP! I thought, but what came out was, "Uh-huh, I think my water just broke!" They hurried me down the hall and to my room. This is where things started to get a little surreal. The pain was crazy and it only took 5 mins before my nurse said that she needed to check me. 9 cm and 100%. The pain was sooooo bad.

I remember screaming (yes, and I'm still embarrassed) 3 times. I remember saying the cliche, "I can't do this!" and I remember the nurse saying, "Yes you can, but you have to breathe!" That was seriously the last thing I was thinking about. All of a sudden I knew I had to push, which I also shouted, and was told to go ahead. Three big pushes later and my Liam was born at 6:03 pm. I remember crying hysterically and saying, "My baby! My baby!" as I held him in my arms for the first time. It was definitely the most emotional 30 mins of my life. The funny thing is, it is what I was afraid of happening the entire time I was pregnant. But he was here and he was beautiful. 7lbs 4oz, 19.75 inches. My tallest and 1oz smaller than my heaviest.

Some fun fact:
-The nurse delivered Liam, but my doctor made it to deliver the placenta.
-The anathesiologist was still at home when he was born.
-The nurses officially inducted me into the "Pop and Drop Club" since it was 18 mins from my water breaking till he was born.
-Adam's parents had only made it to Spanish Fork, which is 10 mins from Payson, by the time we called to tell them Liam was born.
-My mom made it for my last scream and mins before he was born, but it was a very close call.

Now for the pictures: