It has been just over 12 weeks (3 months) since my son Grayson was born. That special day where I held him in my arms for the first time continuously plays back in my head day after day. It’s like a favorite movie where you can repeat the lines over and over again because you have watched it so many times. Although Grayson’s birth only played out once, the day is still very clear to me, and so I never forgot the details of the day I wanted to be sure to get it wrote down.

Grayson’s due date was set for July 23^rd 2014 just one day before my birthday! Throughout my pregnancy everyone thought that Grayson would make his appearance early just due to the fact that I am such a short girl and running out of room was a possibility. I went in for my 37 week appointment to find out I was not dilated at all, I of course was hoping to be at least 2 cm. Another week went by and the doctor measured my belly (he didn’t check this week to see if I was dilated (week 38) because I was not dilated the previous week). The doctor told us he thought he would be right on target for his due date. I was of course bummed hoping that my little guy would be here soon. My 39 week appointment (July 15^th) came and our appointment was at like 8am. So Brent and I got up and got ready and we got a phone call saying the nurse practitioner we were to see called in sick and we could reschedule with another doctor for later that day. So we waited a little while longer to go see this other doctor to only find out I was a half centimeter dilated. Seriously though, a half centimeter? I am not joking when I tell you that before the doctor came in to check me I was joking with Brent and I said watch me only be a half centimeter. Brent was like how is it possible to only be a half centimeter, haha. I was like I read online that this lady was a half centimeter. Well, when the doctor said I was a half centimeter and 75% effaced we both looked at each other and kind of laughed, because it is possible.

The doctor told us that he could be here within a few days or it could potentially be longer. So I go home and hope and pray that my little guy would soon make his appearance. My 40 week appointment came and it was the day of my due date, still no baby. The doctor checked and I of course had not progressed at all. So he said he wanted to set up an induction date. I was nervous, but anxious. He told us his next on call date was Thursday so he wanted to get us in then. Which was the next day! Brent and I both kind of looked at each other and was like is this real life? Tomorrow?! Are we even ready? The nurse then came back in and said that that day was full, so the doctor had her look up for that evening. Brent and I were like holy crap tonight! Well that day too was full so the next time our doctor was on call was the following Tuesday, July 29^th. So we scheduled the induction and he said to be there about 6:45am that is unless the little guy decided to come on his own before then.

Well the days went by and still no baby. So Monday evening, the day before the induction Brent and I spent the evening at home enjoying the last night as a family of two. Earlier that day I called the hospital to verify that they were on schedule, only because they told me if something came up and they needed to push back my induction they would call me by 5am. The nurse on call said everything looked good and at that point they were on schedule.

Tuesday morning came and I felt like I got no sleep at all and was ready to conquer the day. Brent and I got up and got ready and I ate a small breakfast of fruit and mini blueberry muffins. It was getting close to 6:15am and my mom was already on her way to meet us at the hospital. I was so excited because I never got a phone call around 5am saying our induction would be pushed back. I think the reason I did not sleep the night before honestly was because I was so afraid for the phone call that we would be pushed back. Well little did I know that I would get a phone call, at like 6:20am. The nurse said they were full and needed to push back my induction and she could not give me a time other than she would call me and let me know. I was so mad and upset that I wanted to cry. I was not going to go another day pregnant. I was 40 weeks 6 days and clearly my hormones were raging that I had received this phone call. I went in and told Brent and he was upset and he decided to call the nurse back to get some more information. So I called and let my mom know and she came over to our house as we waited for the phone call to come in.  I was sitting on the couch rambling and I told my mom and Brent that if they could not get me in today I was going to go to another hospital and would4 have another doctor deliver my baby I didn’t care who it was, this baby was coming today.

It was about 8:15am and my phone rang, I jumped up off the couch I mean like seriously jumped and ran around the side of our couch and jumped over a bag. Well I went down on my knees and landed on my ankle. It definitely scared me, but I caught myself and started laughing. I said well if my ankle broke I guess one way or another I would be going into the hospital and they could fix my ankle while delivering my baby. I answered the phone and it was the nurse saying she wanted me to be there at 9am. When I walked back over to my mom and Brent, my mom was still laughing and asked why I got up to run. I told her I needed to hurry up and answer the phone outside in case I needed to yell at her. I cannot focus on yelling at a nurse when I have two people watching and listening. Haha. Thankfully I did not have to yell. From there we grabbed our bags and headed to the hospital. Now my nerves started to set in! The time was finally here! We were going to have our baby!

We got welcomed into the hospital, taken to my room and within a few minutes I am already in my gown and waiting for the doctor to head over to start the induction. I was a bit overwhelmed by all the papers the nurses were having me sign and all the stuff they were trying to tell me. The doctor came in at 9:20am and checked me and I was only about a half centimeter dilated. He told me he would insert the pill and then come back and check me in a few hours to see if we would have any more progress. He said he was not going to let me go all night and not progress and that at the end of the day if we were not seeing any progress that we could discuss a C-section. The induction process we used was through pill form, Cytotec. Since I was not really dilated he did not want to start me on Pitocin because he said he needed to first soften my cervix and Pitocin would make me a little miserable. Cytotec was placed on my cervix and I had to lay in bed for about an hour for the pill to dissolve. Throughout the morning we had more family members come up to see how the progress was going and keep us company as this potentially could be a long day. I got up and walked around a little and still was not feeling much. So I ended up going back to the room and relaxing for a while.

 The hours went by and the doctor came back around 1:30ish to check, and again no progression so he inserted another pill. I sat there for another hour and then my mom told me I needed to get up and walk again to see if that would help get things going. So my mom went and walked with me and after a couple rounds of walking the halls and a few times stopping cause I was feeling a little pain, I told her I needed to go back because I was starting to hurt a little. So I got back in the room and got all hooked back up to everything. From that point I started to feel some contractions and they were getting increasingly stronger. It was about 3:30pm give or take and I asked the nurse when I know I would be ready for the epidural and she said you will know. I said well I think I am getting to that point and asked if she could call the doctor because I was getting very uncomfortable. I had a handful of people in my room helping to soothe me and try to keep my mind off of the contractions. I was getting very impatient and kept asking the nurse were the doctor was because I really needed that dang epidural! The doctor finally got in the room and checked me again and this time I was around 3 to 4 centimeters so he broke my water. (I am not 100% sure, but I think it was around 4:30ish by this time.) Oh my heavens, this was the best feeling and greatest relief in the entire world at that point in my life. It was like all pressure I had been feeling went away. All those painful contractions I was feeling, went away for a few brief minutes. As the doctor checked me this go around he said that the baby was not really dropping down and that maybe once my water was broke he would start to drop down and we would be set. The doctor walked back for a bit and my contractions were starting to get even stronger and I was really hurting and they were roughly 1 minute to 2 minutes apart and I felt like I could barely breathe between the contractions. The nurses came in and checked me and were trying to adjust the fetal monitor to hear the baby’s heartbeat and I started crying because I was so ready for these contractions to be gone and ready for that epidural. I kept asking and the nurse said they were getting ready. Next thing I know they put an oxygen mask on me, and I was not quite sure why, I was breathing fine. They told me that the baby’s heart rate was dropping and I started crying again. The doctor came back in, I think it was around 5:15-5:30pm and here I am thinking they are going to do the epidural. Nope. The doctor said at this point he does not think the baby is going to drop down and we should just go ahead with a C-section because he too did not think the baby was going to fit. He said he thought he was going to be a big boy. So literally within like 10 minutes everyone was out of my room. My mom was still able to stand there with me and they were getting me prepped and Brent into his scrubs to go into the OR. The doctor said this is not an emergency C-section, but I am not joking when I say we were prepped and ready to go and headed to the OR within like 15 minutes. It was go time!

 I was still having contractions as they wheeled me down and I was very uncomfortable. My mom and Brent were standing outside the OR as they finished getting me prepped. They were giving me a spinal block which numbs you from roughly below the breasts down. I had a nurse come in especially for my C-section who is friends with my mom’s neighbor. I was thankful for that. She stood in front of me and I was learning forward waiting for the anesthesiologist to get the spinal block going. The nurse put a pillow in between her and I and she said to squeeze the pillow, but at that point I just wanted to squeeze the guts out of her. I learned on her and wrapped my arms around her neck and within just a few minutes they helped me lay back on the bed and I was numb, numb, numb. It was amazing. All contractions were gone and I was finally able to relax. I laid there waiting on the doctor and Brent to come in. The medicine was starting to make me shaky and my teeth were even starting to chatter like as if I were cold, but I wasn’t. The doctor came in then they allowed Brent to come in. Brent stood by my side and held my hand. The doctor asked if I could feel what he was doing and I said no. And from that point we were only minutes away from meeting our little boy!

Brent stood up and watched the either C-section! Within just a few minutes Brent said oh there’s his head! The doctor said he was big a boy and about as big as his mom! Then I heard the doctor say ahh that’s why he wasn’t dropping down, the cord was wrapped around his neck, twice. At that point I think my heart sank (even though I couldn’t feel anything).  Then within just a few more seconds I heard that little cry I had waited all my life for. At that time I began crying and I saw Brent tear up a little and I looked at him and said, “We did it.” I also remember Brent saying it is for sure a boy!! They took Grayson over to the other side of the room to get him cleaned up and to get his weight and measurements. The doctor was working on getting me all put back together and the nurse told Brent to go grab the camera from my mom and get in here and take pictures. The nurse brought Grayson over to me so I could see, touch and kiss him. It was the best feeling in the world.

 At 6:24 pm on Tuesday, July 29^th 2014 my 8 lb. 1 oz. 20.25 in long baby boy made his grand entrance into the world. The first thing the nurses noticed was his adorable plump lips that were to die for. It was just 9 hours before this we were entering the hospital to start our day and finally he was here. Brent followed Grayson back to the nursery to get vitals, cleaned up more and to see some of his family waiting at the nursery window. Brent eventually met me back in recovery. We sat there for about 45 minutes to an hour before I was able to go back to go back to my room. Once I got wheeled back in, my room was flooded with family and all I could think about was my body still shaking and my teeth still chattering as people tried talking to me. I was anxiously waiting for them to wheel Grayson in for me to hold him for the first time. Within just a few short minutes I see Brent pushing the bassinet around the corner and I immediately start crying. Brent asked if I was ready to hold him and I had to tell him just a second; so I had enough time to get my eyes wiped clear so I could make sure I could see everything perfectly when he handed him to me. I kissed his cheeks and rubbed my hands over his baby soft skin and at that point in time it’s like everyone in that room was gone and it was just Grayson and I. We spent the next couple hours getting pictures with family and as the night dwindled down it was about 10pm before everyone left and it was just Brent, Grayson and I. The day was long and although we ended up in an unplanned C-section everything played out and my baby boy was finally here.

I still look back to this day and think of how joyous it was. I still can’t thank everyone enough for all the thoughts, prayers, calls, texts, Facebook messages, gifts and visits we had. Not only are Brent and I so thankful for our son, but we know just how loved and special he is to so many people.