dilated, cramping, vomit, tearing, stitches, blinding pain, or laceration.
It all started early Wednesday morning, May 12. At around 3:40am, I woke up to mild cramping. Now, keep in mine, I had been about 2 cm dilated for about 2 weeks, and had been feeling strong but painless Braxton Hicks contractions for weeks as well. Every time I had a gas pain, I looked at the clock, felt if I was contracting, and analyzed my body for signs of labor. Since May 5, I told my husband every day "I feel like today could be the day!" I just was feeling SO pregnant, the baby felt so low, and I just knew I would go early. So when I felt this contraction, I just casually looked at the clock, and noted that it was 3:40, and rolled over to go back to sleep. I thought, if this is it, the contractions will get stronger and continue to wake me up.
Then another contraction. It woke me up again. Still, very mild. I looked at the clock...4:00. Hm. Interesting. Only 20 minutes later. So I went to the bathroom, because baby loved laying on my bladder, and fell back to sleep.
Another one. Now I started getting excited. 4:21am. Wow. These are coming 20 minutes apart, to the minute. This is labor. I know this is labor. But again, as you may have guessed, back to sleep for me. I really love sleep. Scratch that - I really loved sleep. Before my angel came and decided she likes me to be awake more often then I'm asleep. But we're getting ahead of ourselves...
At 4:40, when the next one came, I woke up husband. I told him I think I am having contractions, I keep waking up every 20 minutes with mild cramps! But he, being the calm, cool, Lamaze-savvy labor coach that he is, simply said, "Okay honey, remember what Rosanne said (Lamaze instructor), just try and go back to sleep and we'll see how you feel in the morning. Nobody ever sleeps through labor, so if it gets worse, you'll wake up." Okay! He made me calm, and I fell asleep for 20 more minutes till Hubby got up for work.
We discussed him staying home, and decided he would go to work and I would call him home if things progressed. I had been planning to spend the day with my girlfriend Vanessa, so naturally I called her at around 6:45am. I told her the deal, and that I was pretty sure I was going to go that night, I just felt it. She was already planning on coming over, so she just sped up the process and was over within the hour. She's good like that. She informed me that on the way over, she heard our song "Soul Sister" twice. We took it as a sign. We are very into signs, especially through music. It's how God speaks to us many times, if you listen.
So all day, we kept a time sheet of my contractions - when they started, how long they lasted. They were sporadic all day long, some coming close together, while others were separated by spans of 15 minutes. Vanessa and I relaxed, painted nails, watched TV, ate light foods, and got everything ready in case a hospital visit was coming. Oh, and we made 2 more meals to freeze. We made Sloppy Joes, and Kielbasa and Applesauce. Well really, Vanessa made them, because she wouldn't let me move all day since the doctor said to "take is easy". [I'll be posting all the meals I froze, as well as recipes, since I think it may have been the smartest thing I ever did, and I'd like to make the lives easier of other pregnant beauties!]
At 11 am, I called Brett and told him to start getting things in order to come home, because the contractions weren't stopping. I had already called the doctor, and they said to call back when contractions became "more time-able". I felt them coming closer together, and I needed to know that he was there as support. So he came home, just in case things continued progressing more quickly.
At this point, contractions were still mild, but coming closer together. The doctor said to keep in mind that it was very possible they would stop all together, and just resume in a few weeks. My gut told me this was not the case. Or maybe, Reilly told me. :)
When Brett got home, he got some things ready in case we went to the hospital. Then we all continued waiting. He kept saying, "Honey, do you really think this is it?? This is so exciting!!" Brett fell asleep for a little, which turned out to be very good, because Lord knows we ended up having a long night ahead of us! I couldn't sleep. The contractions were becoming uncomfortable, and plus, I'm a little crazy. Sleeping wouldn't be happening.
Then the entire town found out that "KATE IS IN LABOR!" and even better "KATE HAD THE BABY!", all because Mr. Buselli left school early. Rumors flew around the high school, and quickly outside the high school as well. It was a bit difficult to squelch the rumors that no, I did not have the baby, and we were not even at the hospital yet. Great. Just the way I wanted news to spread: via text message, before we had even opened our mouths yet. Hubby said that he was going to find out who was texting in school and write them up.
Around 5:30pm, I called the doctor again, and said that the contractions were about 7-8 minutes apart, lasting 1 minute each. This had been going on for an hour, which is a definite sign of progressing labor. She put me on hold, and then said, "Well, come on out to the hospital!" I don't know why, but I was suddenly shocked. Even though we had been prepared for this moment, I was still thinking "Nah, maybe this isn't it, this can't actually be real...". But before I knew it, the car was packed, and we were on the way to the hospital. And let me tell you, we were giddy with excitement.
Part 2 coming very soon!
p.s. "The Life of Reilly" is actually an Irish phrase meaning "an easy and pleasant life". I learned this only a few weeks before she was born, and thought it would be adorable if baby was a girl and would then live the Life of Reilly! So far, her life has been beautiful.
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