Soooo... We made it

After all the drama, we finally made it to the hospital! It sounds like they were a little short on staff, but my OB happened to be on call and worked her magic to get me in (thanks, Witzke!). We were finally told to come in on Friday at 2:00. So we got our bags in the car and headed off to our final lunch, and then, to the hospital!

They started me off in triage and hooked me up to the fetal heartbeat monitor and contraction monitor and two hours later, we were moved to our labor and delivery room (where I got my long-awaited-for giant water jug!). They started me on Pitocin and I responded with some stronger contractions, but was given a lower dose and some sleeping pills overnight so we could begin in earnest in the morning (mmmmm... sleeping pills.....).

The nurses were so fabulous and made us both feel all the great excitement of expecting Jude! If any of you are ever going to deliver at Park Nicollet Methodist, you are so lucky to have such great labor and delivery nurses. We were really lucky to have such wonderful people caring for us during this time (AND we were really lucky to have the Olympics playing NON-STOP!)

At 5:30 Saturday morning, the Pitocin was started again. I have NO concept of time from the day at all. All I know is that I was able to Skype with Katy at some point in the morning and I was super bubbly.

Eventually, the contractions got really intense. INTENSE! We tried several different positions and Lindsay was SO great about helping me through them all. Apparently I went through these ouchie contractions for about 6 hours (REALLY???? What was I thinking?!?!?!?!). Eventually, though, I'd had enough and I went for the epidural. And MAN was it great! I was actually able to sleep and rest a bit and even joke around with the nurse (she asked about my pain level before the epidural and I told her it was a 4. A 4? "No, I lied. It was like a 8 or a 9" She thought that was pretty funny). For those of you who have never had an epidural, it is basically like the numbing drugs they give you at the dentist, except it's over your whole lower two thrids of your body. WEIRD to reach down and feel your leg and NOT feel it on your leg.

After a quick bedside ultrasound, they realized the Jude was "sunny side up" - facing the wrong way. The idea was to flip me from side to encourage him to flip. Just a few minutes later they checked my dilation and the nurse announced that I was READY and Jude was facing the right way and READY and it was PUSH TIME!!!!!!!

The room started buzzing and all the Dr's and nurses started arriving for Jude's birthday! Once they got everything set up I got started with pushing and SEVEN MINUTES LATER.... Jude was born!!!!!! Before I knew it, there he was, up on my chest, crying and screaming, just as he should. Wow. THERE IS A BABY ON MY CHEST. THAT JUST CAME OUT OF MY BODY. AND NOW I AM HIS MOM. AND LINDSAY IS HIS MOM. WE ARE MOMS. HE IS A BABY!

So much of the rest of the night was a blur, but when the sun came up in the morning, WE HAD A BABY there with us! And LOOK at him!!!!!!



So in love!