August 9, 2009: The Best and Worst Day of my Life...

I was looking over the blog the other day and stumbled upon this entry. I had written this shortly after Gabe was born but never published it. It's kind of neat to go back and read this... one year later....enjoy!

Here is how it all went down...

I started contracting around midnight on August 9th... since I had had preterm contractions throughout most of my pregnancy... I thought for sure I would be up most of the night... feeling miserable... and then they would disappear as quickly as they came! Boy was I wrong! They were coming every 5 minutes and getting stronger and stronger. I tried to let Andy get as much sleep as possible but by 4 am it was time to get to the hospital. I very calmly woke him and told him it was time to go. He shot up and started running around the house....gathering miscellaneous items and he began loading up the car. I told him he better take 95/695 because I knew I could not endure those bumpy back roads to Towson.

We arrived at the hospital and they comfirmed that I was contracting every 5 minutes but unfortunately I was only 2 cms. They had me walk for 2 hours and then rechecked me... unfortunately I was still only 2cms. The decision was made that I would go home to labor some more... and hopefully progress. They did send me home with Ambien and told me to try and get some rest. HaHa...that was a joke!

I was in so much pain that Andy said I would shoot up out of bed and pace back and forth, screaming like a cave women, every 3 minutes like clockwork. After several hours of this... Andy called the hospital and told the on call midwife that we were coming back. He passed the phone to me and I screamed to the midwife that I couldn't do this anymore and I think at one point I said I would rather just die!! I honestly thought my insides were just going to rupture. I have never experienced pain like that. Back to the hospital... and this time I was in so much pain that I didn't' care how Andy got me there!

When we arrived, I was 4 centimeters and I was definitely staying this time!! I received an epidural around 6 pm. What a difference! It was like a light switch. Andy had to tell me when I was having a contraction. Ahhhh, Life was good!

My midwife Claudia arrived shortly after the epidural. She came in on her day off to deliver "Bean" She is absolutely wonderful!

Around 10:15pm it was time to push. I honestly didn't feel a thing. Claudia asked Andy if he wanted to help deliver his son.... his response... "ummm well... I don't know... let me think about it"... my response... "you better make up your mind in 3 seconds b/c he is coming" Claudia told me to reach down and grab my son. At 10:47 I reached down and pulled him up onto my abdomen.

I remember thinking everything was so surreal. Here was this little man I had waited 9 months to meet. Here was the little man that had caused me migraines, "all day" sickness, reflux, back pain and months of miserable contractions and bedrest... yet I have never been so in love! I knew I would love him... but WOW! What an amazing day! I can't imagine anything more beautiful than meeting your child for the first time! Gabriel Benton Hanson weighed 6lbs 10oz and was 18 inches long. (and yes... daddy did cut the cord... and no he did not pass out :) )