Lots of updates!

So my last post was January 2nd.  Who would have known two days later I'd be admitted into L&D at exactly 37 weeks to have our little guy?!  Needless to say, I've been a little busy since then.  Not exactly sure if all 5 people that read my blog care about my labor story, but writing here is great therapy, so I'm going to anyway.

I had another appointment on Monday, January 4th at 2 p.m. with Dr. Harris to do another biophysical/stress test and exam.  I'd had the sonograms every week for a few weeks, so I was pretty used to the whole routine.  Sam, thank God, was able to come with me. We get to the offices and begin our waiting game.  First, we begin with the stress test. Then we wait.  Dr. Harris comes in and does an internal which completely changed my mind about going drug free during labor.  I had never felt pain like that.  She actually laughed and said, "That's a taste of labor".  I told her to sign me up for the epi.  
We then move on to a regular sonogram (the black and white kind...not sure what the technical name is?).  She tells us she wants to make sure the blood flow is ok so she says she wants to do the big 3D sonogram. She says we need to look at it and figure out our 'game plan'.  And we wait.  Finally, we have the big sonogram. Dr. Harris looks at it she tells us to she wants to talk with us. We wait some more.
Finally we're back in an examination room.  I'll never forget the moment when she comes in and says, "Y'all ready to have this baby?"  This panic creeps over me. NOW? She explains that Carter has IUGR, or Intrauterine growth restriction.  Basically, he's not growing like he should be.  We knew that he was small and in the 30th percentile, but now he was in the 10th.  She was guessing he'd weigh about 4 pounds.  She said we could either, and yes, I quote, "have him now or wait a week and there might not be a heartbeat".  She says she's admitting us to L&D and we need to walk over to admitting (the offices are attached to the hospital by a skywalk).  They'd start Cervadil that evening and Pitocin at 6 am. 
So, we begin our walk over to admitting.  A million thoughts are racing through my head. First, I'm terrified that Carter won't be healthy. Second, I'm thankful I washed my hair that morning. Third, that I had given the house a serious cleaning the day before.
I call all the important people to let them know what's going on, we get checked in and into the room and begin waiting some more.   Around 6 pm Dr Harris comes in and puts the Cervadil in. Again, holy hell and I make sure they know I'm all for the epidural.
Amy's now on her way to the house, Mom comes up, Sam heads to the house to get our bags, Sarah and Charlie come to visit and we continue waiting....
Thankfully, the nurses gave me an Ambien to sleep b/c I know I wouldn't have otherwise.  5 am comes pretty quickly and they take the Cervadil out. I'm now dialated to a 2. In-laws show up at 5:20. IV and Pitocin begin at 6. Family shows up around 6.
I had really hoped to not be induced or on Pitocin for my labor, but now I'm just praying for a healthy baby.
 The rest of the day was kinda a blur.  My water broke on it's own somewhere around 11 I think.  I can't remember the exact time I got the epidural, maybe around 1?  But, I dialated pretty quickly throughout the day.  Around 3 something I told the nurse that I felt a lot of pressure down there. She checked me and said his head was right there. She called Dr. Harris and in minutes the room was converted into a delivery room.  It took 4 contractions, 3 pushes with each one and he was born! Dr. Harris had to cut the cord and he was immediately handed over to the pediatrician.  Once we heard his little scream we knew he was ok.  He actually weighed 5 pounds 5 ounces and was perfect. 

  

sucking on his little fingers

 

proud Dad