House...No, House

I think my title fits perfectly for what I have been doing the last few days and what I will be doing now for the rest of my life. When Heather and I were little we used to play "House" which meant we were playing with our baby dolls, and when someone said the word "House" that was our way of saying we are playing now. We would get upset at each other if someone said something that was out of character, so if this happened we would start over by saying "House".

Well, I don't know where to start this post because there is so much to say. I want to write down my labor experience to some degree so I can look back at this and remember how I felt. I must say everything was much easier than I thought it would be (at least after the epidural). I tried to prepare for the worst so I would be really happy if I had a better experience. I went to the hospital like most first-time mom's not knowing what to expect. The only thing I could go by was what people told me but everyone's experience is so different. I have watched shows like "Bringing Home Baby" and "A Baby Story" since I was in high school but I knew I was not going to be screaming at the top of my lungs like those ladies. I always thought I would cry and it would be really emotional for me but I was very calm and composed the whole time.

On Wednesday at 11am I started feeling contractions and I knew this was going to be the big day. We stayed at home for two hours, timing my contractions until it was almost to the point of becoming unbearable. When we got there we filled out some paper work and they put me in a labor and delivery room - at that point they checked me and I was at 4 centimeters and 100% effaced. They got me hooked up to all their machines to monitor me and the baby and things started to really pick up. The contractions got to the point where I was doing everything I could not to flail all over the bed. I asked the lady for an epidural and she said the anesthesiologist was in a C-section which meant I had to wait a little longer. By this time I was in a lot of pain and she checked me again and I was at 7 cm. I was rapidly progressing each time they checked me and they knew it was time for the epidural. After receiving the epidural I was feeling much better but I still could feel a lot of pressure. Shortly after the epidural I started pushing and two hours later little Ethan was here. Waiting anxiously outside the door was Dad, Mom, Matt, and Kay. When the doctor came in to deliver Ethan she said I had a fan club outside and that they were literally standing against the door trying to listen to what was going on. It was pretty funny.

Before the doctor got there I had already ripped twice which I was unaware of at the time. When it was just about time to deliver the baby the doctor told me she would have to do an episiotomy so I would not rip anymore. After Ethan was born I asked her how long she had to cut and she said the length of one of her fingers which is quite long. It sounded like it was a little more than she normally has to cut people due to my small frame and the size of the baby. When Ethan came out the cord was wrapped around his neck three times which none of the nurses in the room had ever seen before in a vaginal delivery. Had they known this before I most likely would have had a C-section but everything was fine. The doctor quickly cut the cords and Ethan was not in any distress. It was a blessing that everything worked out so well because it could have been a very bad thing. They said the cord was very long and thin and that is probably why everything was okay. Once he was clean they gave Ethan to me and shortly after our fan club came in and met their grandson. By this time Laurie had come as well and we visited in the labor and delivery room for a while. It was a long night but one I will never forget. I am so grateful to be able to call Ethan my son and to start on this wonderful journey with him.