It is finally BABY time

March 26, 2007This picture was taken at about 8 am, I felt my first contraction about 2:15 am. My due date was April 1, but I knew this baby was coming early. I did not wake up Jonathan until about 4:30, b/c he was sleeping in the guest room. The night before he had been walking the dogs and reached down to pick up a leash and heard a pop in his back. He could barely walk up the stairs and into the house and spent the whole next day laying on the floor. I thought I was going to have to take HIM to the emergency room on Saturday night, but he said he would hold out and call the Dr. first think on Monday morning. I (or should we say baby) beat him to that!

So, we waited until the contractions were fairly regular and I was past the point of comfortableness. We had both showered, the dogs were walked and fed, the house was neat, everything was all ready to go in the car - just as planned. We made the 10 minute drive to MGH, parked, walked in (which was not pretty) and up to the maternity/birthing floor. I was hooked up to the monitor and given an exam to discover that although I was contracting, they were erratic and I was not any further along into the process than 3 days before and they were not 100% positive I was in labor. So, even though I swore I would not be one of those women that goes in and gets sent home - that was me...

Meanwhile, I am still having contractions - and they are now coming long and fast. The dogs are freaking out watching and listening to me and Jonathan can't stand to see anything in pain so things are going swell. He volunteers to get me food and by the time her returns I am shaking, sweating, and throwing up. He calls the hospital to tell them he is bringing me back, no less than about 2 hours later... Everything was not so orderly this time...and now he is driving like a mad man to get me back to the hospital. The walk is even less pretty this time, people are stopping, staring, asking if we need help, etc.

Well, come to find out I am actually in labor (as I told them about 2.5 hours earlier) and have "progressed quite nicely". I can't think of anything but the prospect on an epidural and about hug the Anesthesiologist. Now, I know why one of Jono's friends Tim does this job. Women LOVE you. I do seem to remember that my husband did ask that given his back situation, if we could be the first husband/wife team the epidural. I didn't find it very amusing at the time.

The labor lasted all day and into the night, but the baby was doing great and Mom had turned back to herself once the pain started to dull.