Happy Birthday Easton!

So it all started Friday October 15th around 4:30 am. I woke up having contractions that were, (what I thought at the time) pretty painful. When I started to keep track of how far apart they were I was getting them every 5 to 6 minutes, but not consistently. I was told by Dr Mckernan's assistant that I should go into the hospital if I had more than 6 contractions in an hour... otherwise I probably would not have thought about going in til they were 5 minutes apart, which is when they usually tell you to go in. So we got to the hospital around 7:30am where they admitted me into triage. When the nurse checked me I was dilated to 2cm and 90% effaced. She told me to walk around for an hour and then they would check me again to see if I had made any progress. When she did I was still the same, but since I was so close to getting over the "hump" she decided to ask the on-call doctor if I should be admitted. He left the decision up to us. He said I could have stayed and been induced or we could go out and walk around and come back later. So we decided to walk around, mainly because I wanted to eat something. I wasn't sure how long my labor would last and I didn't want to be starving :)

After walking around Arrowhead mall for a few hours I was getting pretty sick of walking. Well... I don't know what it is about being in the car, but as we left Arrowhead mall and got in the car the contractions pretty much subsided all together. I was completely frustrated that this was happening... considering how much pain I had been in for the past 10 hours. We went back to the hospital hoping that they might still take me in since that morning they were willing to induce me. But when we got there they basically said "come back later we're too busy." So reluctantly we drove home. When we got home after a little while my contractions started up again. They were extremely more painful than they were that morning and were coming every 2 to 3 minutes!! SoOoOoO... we got in the car to drive back to the hospital (this was around 5pm). BUT when we got in the car they seriously stopped! Again!! You have to understand how frustrating this was. So instead of going home we drove around the city of surprise hoping by some miracle they would start again. We even stopped by the Workman's and Svancara's house to help the time pass, who unfortunately were both not home :( After an hour or so of just driving around the city of surprise we... even more reluctantly... went home again. I took a shower and just decided to relax and live with the fact that this baby might not come for a few more days.

We went to bed to TRY and get some sleep that night, but as Jameson went to bed I laid there half asleep and half awake. Around 1030pm my contractions started back up again, but this time much MUCH more painful. I kept thinking there is NOOO way I am getting any sleep tonight if this keeps going on. And it did... more painfully and closer together! I was so scared about considering going back to the hospital once again and being sent home... especially since this time it was the middle of the night. At 12:30am I finally made up my mind that these contractions were too painful to ignore and I wanted to go back to the hospital regardless.

When we got there they nurse checked me and I had progressed! Woohoo! I was now 3cm dilated and his head was at a zero. And the best part... I graduated from the triage room into the labor and delivery room!

Around 3am the doctor came in. I was a little disappointed my doctor was out of town and a doctor I had never met before who knew nothing about my pregnancy was going to be delivering my baby. At this point though I knew I had no other choice because someone had to do it. When the doctor came in (Dr Shah) he said he wanted to check me and insert an internal monitor... that's all he said. Next thing I know he said "now your going to feel a gush of water." I was like oh ok... your breaking my water, which I had no idea he was going to do. Having your water break feels really REALLY weird... its warm like pee, but it just keeps coming and you cant hold it in. Then every time I had a contraction I would feel more and more come out uncontrollably. After they broke my water they said I could have the epidural. This also feels very weird. I was a little freaked out by the fact that they made Jameson sit down in front of me and not even let him watch. I guess its very uncomfortable to get the epidural, but I was too distracted by the shaking and gushing warm water coming out of me to notice. Finally, after the epidural I was able to get some sleep. It had been about 24 hours since I last slept and I was very excited for this.
As you can see...

After napping for an hour and half the nurse checked me at 5:30am where she said I was dilated to 7cm! Yes!!! This meant I was doing it all on my own and I wasn't going to need to get pitocin. Then around 7:30 (we had to wait til after the shift change) the nurse checked me again and we were ready to start pushing! 10cm! Even when I started to push my contractions were still inconsistent. I would have one right after the other and then would not have another one for 4 minutes. It was kind of nice to have a break in between pushes. Then finally the doctor came in... 8 contractions worth of pushes and an episiotomy later.. at 7:59am we had a beautiful healthy baby boy!

Easton Robert Hunter

6lbs 7 oz and 21 inches long

Finally, our amazing little guy was here! I was so overcome with so many different emotions. I cried as the doctor let me reach down and pull him out the rest of the way where they laid him on my chest. I fell in love instantly! When he took his first breath (which is actually a cry) I was the happiest mommy in the whole world! Its all kind of hard to describe, but it just seemed like everything in that moment was perfect.

Then they take him away and clean him up... and when they bring him back to let you hold him everything is perfect all over again.

Proud daddy holding him for the first time

First picture as a family!
My favorites...


Now two weeks later we have this little boy that I love more and more everyday. The pain and discomfort I've been in for the last two weeks can't even compare to the happiness I've felt. I didnt even know it was possible to love something so little and helpless so much. We are so grateful to have him here as the newest addition to our family!