The BEST Valentines Day present EVER! The labor Part 1

Well, we didn't get our valentine's present ON Valentines day, but one day later. Welcome to the outside world Logan Todd, my wonderful, beautiful, nearly non-fussing baby boy!!

After about 2 weeks of start and stop labor I finally decided that enough was enough, I was having this baby. On Saturday February 13th, 2010 I decided that I was going to 'induce myself'. By this I mean that I met Dustin at Menards for lunch at 3:00pm and I didn't leave until a little after 9:00pm. No we didn't have a 9 hour lunch, we had lunch then I just kept walking the store, up and down the aisles (leaning on a cart at least). When I got tired I went to 'my' patio swing and sat down, but I tried not to as much as possible. I probably walked at least 2 miles, possibly more. When I got bored I even volunteered my time to Menards and helped straighten out their seasonal hats and also helped Dustin organize some hardware that is for store use. I was feeling a little down because I hadn't gone into labor by the time I went home, but I said to myself that I would just go back (or to another store) tomorrow if nothing felt any different.

Well, another store was not needed. I woke up at 5:00am on Sunday February 14th, 2010 (Baby's due date) and was having contractions. These contractions were different from all the rest, but I figured that it could just be because I was tired a little sore from my walking the day before. None the less, they were coming every 12 -10 minutes, so we knew that it wasn't time yet. Dustin went to work and I stayed home trying to work through the contractions. At about 12:00pm I noticed that I was spotting and got a bit worried so I called the midwife who said that it was fine and normal and that she expected me in the hospital within the next few hours.

So I did as she told me and called Dustin home from work. Soon after he got home I was having contractions anywhere from 7 to 5 minutes apart and lasting about 1 1/2 minutes, and boy were these intense! Soon though my hopes of leaving soon were dashed - my contractions were getting FURTHER APART! I was back to every 12 - 10 minutes and some not as intense. I was getting so sad and just wanting to cry, but I just kept reminding myself that my little boy WOULD come out.

My sister Carlynn brought over a birthing ball for me and boy did it do wonders for me and the painful back laboring that I was going through. I will always love my sister even more now for the help that she provided me through that birthing ball! Thank you sis!!

After Carlynn left I ate a little bit of chicken noodle soup (the first real food I had that day) and then Dustin and I went to bed. I 'slept' from about 10:30pm until about 11:30pm and then I was back up laboring in the tub and trying not to wake Dustin. Back to bed again at about 12:30am with contractions about 10-8 minutes apart, so I wasn't getting my hopes up at all.

About an hour later, after having woken up SEVERAL times with contractions and apparently sleeping through many more (Dustin says I was sleeping but making all the noises of contractions) I woke up yelling "I need to sit up!" (I was finally at the point that I was so big I needed help in order to sit up in bed, or else just roll out of it). Dustin IMMEDIATELY woke up and pushed me up. We started timing my contractions which ended up being anywhere from 4-1 1/2 minutes apart. I couldn't sit down, I had to walk the end of the bed, pacing back and forth, my body just couldn't sit down. Dustin brought the birthing ball to me, and miracles of all miracles I could sit and rest and the pain was substantially less! ALLELUIA!!

Now, you're supposed to wait until you have been having contraction 5 minutes apart for an hour before calling into the midwife or until your water breaks. We just couldn't wait any longer then 45 minutes before calling. As I was on the phone with the midwife I started having a contractions mid sentence and had to put the phone down, unfortunately for the midwife I also put my head down too right next to the phone. Dustin was a sweety and took the phone and talked with the midwife who said to come in to the hospital. YEAH!!

Once we got to the hospital around 4:00am, we realized that my contractions had slown down to about every 8 minutes or so again. I was getting upset again and worried that I would be sent home. My worries were for nothing, they checked my cervix and I was 6cm dilated, no way was I being sent home. They said it was most likely just the adrenaline rush that slowed them down.

Well that's all I have time for now. I'm getting pretty tired and need to get a nap in with my handsome little prince Logan. I'll finish a little later for you when I have the chance.