Happy Birthday Sweet Mason

So by the title of this post, its obvious that Mason Andrew has arrived. This past week has been the most life-changing experience that I cannot even begin to put it into words. So I will avoid trying and just give you the birth story. There are some detailed pictures and explanation, so if you are sensitive, you should just quit reading now.

9/14/2011: I left work early and came home because I "just didn't feel right." Something was definitely off. Additionally, around 10 that morning I began to lose "the plug."

9/15/2011, 3:30 am: I called my sister because I was having contractions that I could still talk through, and I ended up calling the hospital to see if I should come in. Contractions were about 10 minutes apart, but not super intense. Mid-wife told me to keep my OB appointment, scheduled for 8:40 am that morning. It sounded like I was in early labor, just not active labor. Call back when you cannot talk through your contractions and they are 5 minutes apart lasting for around a minute each.

8:40 am: Saw Dr. R and found out we FINALLY made progress. I was still only a fingertip dialated, but Mason had dropped, and I was 50% effaced. While doing my internal, Dr. R said he was going to "help me out a little bit." So he began stripping my membranes, which I was not prepared for. These things take time to mentally prepare and therefore let out a "Holy $h!t." Keep in mind Dr. R is an elder in our church and serves communion. As soon as I realized what I had said, I immediately apologized. Dr. R told me that Mason could arrive today, tomorrow, or next week.

Throughout the day on Thursday, my contractions ended up picking up in frequency and intensity. However, I did make sure that my hair was trimmed, colored, and my eyebrows were waxed, so I went to the salon. Later that day, I was talking to a friend, and I could feel the contractions coming on, and I remember telling her to just talk to me for a minute bc I knew I was about to have to focus through these contractions. Later that afternoon, my MIL came down bc we were going to see "The Help," which did not happen, but she spent the night anyway. That night, Charlie and I went to bed around 10:30 am and while I was asleep, I still remember twitching my feet back and forth in bed trying to get through the pain of the contractions.

Friday, 9/16/2011: I finally got up around 12:30 am and decided that I would deal with the pain better if I could just walk it out. So I get my MIL and we go downstairs and start timing. The contractions were definitely lasting for at least a minute and were about 3-5 minutes apart. We called the hospital and were told to come in.

We got to the hospital around 2:00 am and was checked. I was dialated to 4 cm at this point and beginning to get nauseous from the contractions. The nurse (Cece) told me I was getting admitted. By 4:30 am I had my epidural, and was feeling great. Also my mom and sister had also arrived at the hospital drinking coffee, which I REALLY wanted to partake in. Labor began to stall out, so they started me on pitocin, and then I began feeling the contractions again....UNACCEPTABLE! So Dr. Doolittle (literally) came in and injected some added juice into my IV and within 5 minutes, I could no longer feel my legs. I was complete dead weight, and I had to have Charlie and the nurse move me from side to side to get the epidural evenly proportioned.

Around 8:30 am, the nurse began moving all this equipment into the room and I just remember thinking I cannot be this close bc I feel nothing. At 8:45 am, Beverly, my new nurse, checked me and told me I was dialated to 10 cm. I had a mild internal breakdown, and just kept reciting to myself "God give me peace, God give me peace, God give me peace." The next thing I know I was pushing at 8:50 am and Mason came into this world at 9:25 am on 9/16/2011.

Mason Andrew weighed 7 lbs 14 oz and was 19.5 inches long. He was absolutely perfect in everyway. I had an amazing birth team consisting of my mom, sister, MIL, and Charlie. They were incredibly motivating, which I think kept me determined to get my sweet boy out. Charlie did an amazing job, and thoroughly impressed me bc he can be quite squeemish with blood, needles, or just seeing me in pain. However, after the adrenaline wore off, he did get faint, which you will see in a picture below.

This past week has brought about SO many changes. It is the most rewarding, yet trying experience of my life. We are adjusting wonderfully and each day gets better and better. So far my favorite moment of each day is waking up at 5:30-6:00 am to breastfeed Mason and then he falls asleep on me. I love looking at Charlie (still asleep) and Mason (asleep) and feel the warm fuzzies on the inside bc of my love for my little family. So, here are some pictures of our sweet Mason aka little Charlie.