This story begins on Sunday November 25, 2007. Thats right three days after I stuffed my gut with turkey dinner. I was tired of being pregnant and was due the next coming Saturday. I had quite playing the organ in my ward for fear that my water would break up on the bench, but had to fill in since it was Thanksgiving weekend. I told my bishop that he better have a backup in place just in case, but my to my dismay I didn't need someone to fill in for me, and my water didn't break on bench.
We had been wanting to see the lights at temple square and had missed them for the past two years that we have lived in Salt Lake. I told Daniel that if we didn't go tonight we wouldn't make it that year either. Little did I know how true that statement would be. We bundled up and faced the cold to see the beautiful lights and feel that warm and cozy spirit that always resides on temple grounds. We didn't stay long as I was uncomfortably pregnant, but it was just long enough. We came home and I went to bed a little early that night.
It was about 12:00 midnight when Daniel finally finished homework and made it into bed. I don't know if he woke me up and then the contractions started or if they just happened to start right when he came into bed, but they certainly began. I had heard many stories of false labor from sister in laws, and one who got sent home to spend the night of labor at home, so I didn't get my hopes up yet. I endured the pain that was coming every 15 min. and not being able to sleep I had Daniel set the T.V. up in our room so I could watch movies. At about 3:00 I started to think that this might really be it. The contractions were now coming about every 10 min. I got up and finished writing my research paper that was due the next Tuesday and finished it at about 4:00 (mind you this is still the middle of the night/early morning) At this point I just knew that this was it so I started packing a hospital bag, cleaned the baby room, and sat in a couple hot baths in between enduring the shooting labor pains.
We were finally ready to leave at 10:30 and the contractions were now about 4 min. apart consistently. I headed out the door to the hospital with a quick stop to drop off my research paper on the way. My dear teacher was so excited when I told her that I was in labor that she wanted to keep talking to me and tell me all about her labor. I don't remember any of it I just wanted to get to the hospital.
We arrived at the hospital at about 11:00 and my contractions didn't register on the monitor. Luckily the hospital wasn't busy and the nurses could tell that I was really in pain and they confirmed with my doctor that I was ready for this baby to come. I lasted about 13 hours in a 18 hour labor before finally getting the epidural which ended up being the best thing to do. They then broke my water and gave me pit. to get the contractions coming faster.
My mom showed up at about 3:00 and it was a relaxing 3 hours before I was finally ready to push. In all the excitement of the day and night I didn't eat anything so I was running off a chicken dinner from the night before. I felt very weak and shaky and begged the nurse to get me something to eat until she finally broke the rules and brought some juice and crackers which I threw right back up. She probably won't ever help a starving pregnant woman again.
After pushing for about an hour my beautiful baby boy made his depute in the world and my heart grew double it's size. I will never know if it was the turkey dinner, the stunning lights at temple square, or the nice walk earlier in the evening that got it all started, but I am going to try them all again next time.
Have any interesting labor stories? Please share.
