Labour Day

Well, I went in to labor on Labour (not Labor... we're in Canada) Day. I was having fairly strong contractions all day long, but at very strange intervals. By 2 PM, they were 10 minutes apart, then 8 minutes, then 3 minutes, then 20 minutes. I thought certainly, but the evening that they would be more regular. They weren't. This trend continued through the night. I'd fall asleep just in time to have another contraction. Needless to say, I did NOT sleep well. By the morning, I was crazed and in pain. I went into my clinic first thing and begged to have my membranes stripped to try and get things to become a little more regular. The doctor said that I was already dilated to a 3, and she wasn't going to strip my membranes since it was my 3rd baby, and things could potentially progress rather quickly. She said that I should head over to the hospital cause things were probably under way. Matt and I leisurely got the kids bathed and ready to be cared for by our friends. We got some snacks at the grocery store, etc. We finally got into the hospital around noon. The nurses assessed me, and seemed doubtful that I was in REAL labor since my contractions were so irregular. I told them after some discussion that I wouldn't have come in had my doctor not directed me to. After realizing that I was dilated to a 3 at 9 AM, they hurried and checked me again... "Oh, you're at a 6 or 7 now. We'll keep you". Glad they didn't send me home. I labored irregularly for another few hours in the triage area. Then they finally had a labor and delivery room ready for me at 2:30 PM. I was so tired from not sleeping, I just sat on the bed for a while and snoozed between contractions. Standing up, I'm sure labor would have gone much faster, but I just couldn't do it. By 3:30 PM I was at an 8 and they said it would go faster if they broke my water. I wanted them to break my water, but was unsure about an epidural or no epidural. Bennett came so fast, it wasn't so terrible to not have one, but the thought of the pain scared me. I debated for a while, and finally decided no epidural. They broke my water, and gave me a laughing gas mask. It did NOTHING. I felt better without the mask, cause the oxygen helped me deal with the contractions better. I still didn't want to stand, so I sat for a while longer. Finally I decided to stand and after a few contractions standing, things escalated and I started making noises I didn't intend to, and HAD to push. I guess I didn't make enough of a scene. The nurse didn't believe me when I told her I felt the need to push. She said to ride out one more contraction, so I did. I was REALLY ready to push. She got down on the floor to see and determined that the baby was coming out. "OK", she said calmly, "let's have you sit on the bed as soon as possible". I climbed up, the doctors ran in, and 2 pushes later, our little BOY came out. Here he is:

ELDON BRAKVATNE ADSERO

September 4, 2012   4:36 PM

7 lbs 9 oz, 21 inches long

The boys. Benny is excited.

View from the postpartum room the morning after he was born.

They had to put a sign that said "I have a bruised face" on his bed, so the new nurses wouldn't think he wasn't breathing.

Proud Papa.

Laura and Minnie flew in at 10:30 PM the day Eldon was born. So glad they came!!!

Family of 5. Still trying to wrap my mind around that one.

Bath time.

His eyes are a little yellow... little bit of Jaundice.

Proof he's a boy. Love the big, round abdomen.

Lil' Beatle Bug

Juicy Lips

Here are our newborns for comparison: