It isn't called LABOR for nothing...

So I thought I would take these few minutes before I have to feed Baby Elliott to tell you how it all happened.

As I said in my previous post, I started having painful contractions on Wednesday, but they weren't very consistent. By that evening, they had basically stopped so I was able to go to bed and sleep...until 1am when I woke up with even MORE painful contractions, coming about every 6-10 minutes or so. So I'm thinking, wow, this is it. I think today's the day. I got up, swept and cleaned my kitchen, played on the internet, took a shower, etc. Kev woke up at 5:30 then we went for a walk around 6. During the walk, my contractions were consistently 6 minutes apart. Kev was the official contraction timer and basically followed me around all day timing them with his iPhone app. Gotta love technology.

Throughout the day, the contractions never seemed to get any closer than 6 minutes, and when I would try to lay down to sleep, they would lengthen to 10-15 minutes, but the I would wake up with a killer contraction. I could only handle about 4 of those before I decided sleeping was for the birds. During the day, we went to lunch at Chipotles, walked around the mall, tried to do anything to make my labor progress. By late afternoon, I was getting discouraged because it didn't seem like we were making any progress, but I was uncomfortable enough that I couldn't sleep, and by this time, I was feeling my 1 am awakening. My mom had gotten here by this point, so her, me and Kev decided to go for a walk around the neighborhood, even though it was over 90 degrees outside.

During the walk, my contractions started coming every 4-6 minutes, and seemed to be progressively more painful. We decided that if this continued, we would try to make it to 8 or 9 to go to the hospital. I began my "labor project" of baking cookies around 7, and by 9, the contractions were consistently very painful and coming about every 4 minutes.

We packed up and made it to the hospital around 9. I was totally afraid they were going to tell me I was only dilated to a 2 after such a long day, but I was actually between 5 and 6! I was elated! Of course once I got to the hospital my contractions seemed to basically stop, but they got me up to a room to do all of my admitting stuff, and shortly after the doctor (obviously not my regular doctor), came to break my water. She checked me before she broke my water and told me I was a 7! They checked me about an 1 hour later and said I was a 9! Up to this point, the contractions were manageable, I was standing, focusing on my breathing and it wasn't unbearable. That however changed very quickly. Getting from a 9 to complete was unbelievably painful and the contractions kept coming right on top of each other.

Finally it was time to push! For some odd reason, I thought the pushing wouldn't be as bad, but boy was I wrong. I think epidural or not, pushing would be painful. I only pushed for around 25 or 30 minutes, but I actually contemplated in my head what they would do if I could not push her out. But it was all worth it...the pain, sweat and tears...when they laid Baby Elliott on my chest! She was covered in vernix and blood but she was absolutely beautiful! The crazy thing is she actually gets more and more beautiful and I love her more and more every time I see her! It is the most amazing thing ever and I feel so very blessed.

Sorry for the long post but I couldn't say it any more concise. Now I have to go feed my sweet baby!