Aiden's Birth Story {10.31.14}

As many of you know I was almost 2 weeks overdue with Aiden. Little buddy just didn't want to come out. So we had an induction scheduled for 3 AM Halloween morning. My husband's dream of having a Halloween baby came true. Since my induction was so early in the morning, that meant I couldn't eat anything that morning so we went out for a big dinner Thursday night and then went to bed knowing we would be parents the next day. It was such a surreal feeling!

Cracker Barrel, breakfast for dinner is where it's at!

We woke up around 1:30 AM, packed up the car and headed to the hospital in the dark. It was so surreal leaving our house just the 2 of us and knowing the next time we walked through the doors of our home, we would be a family of 3!

By the time we got to the hospital, filled out paper work and got me hooked up to Pitocin it was about 4AM. We probably should have tried to sleep before things got crazy, but we were too excited. Drew read me some Harry Potter, I ate a few popsicles, we listened to the sound of Aiden's heart beat on the monitor, we recorded a little video and then we waited for things to start happening.

 Around 6 AM I started to feel some little contractions. Nothing painful or major, but I was glad to get things started. They broke my water around 10:30 when I was around 5 centimeters dialted and then I really started to feel uncomfortable. My plan all along was to get an epidural, but I wanted to feel what contractions felt like before I got one. Once my water broke I got an epidural and then bliss. I wasn't completely numb and still had control of my legs, which is exactly how I wanted it.

Thumbs up for getting my epidural.

By Noon I was fully dialated and the nurse got the doctor (who came in wearing a witches hat, Happy Halloween!) I pushed a few times then they realized the lip of my cervix was still lingering so they wanted to wait a little longer before having me push anymore.

Then things at the hospital got crazy and my doctor had to do an emergency C-Section on another patient and deliver twins. Aiden's heart rate and mine were both still good so we just hung out anxiously awaiting when we would get to meet our little guy.

At 4 PM, the doctor came in again and said it was time to start pushing. I immediately started crying because the thought of meeting Aiden soon made me so incredibly happy. Drew held one leg and our amazing nurse, Tiffany held the other. I pushed for 2 hours and while I was incredibly exhausted I actually kind of enjoyed labor. Is that weird? The whole process was just a miracle. Did I enjoy throwing up and being so physically exhausted that I had to force myself to push? No. But knowing that every push was bringing my son closer to being in this world was an amazing feeling. Another amazing feeling? My epidural. Haha.

Our Nurse, Tiffany. She was incredible.

After pushing for another 30 minutes I was exhausted and Aiden was too. He was SO close to coming out on his own, but his heart rate started dropping and they wanted him out ASAP so out came the forceps. Drew and I were both forcep babies so I guess it's only fitting Aiden was too. I pushed once with the forceps and out he came kicking and screaming. The moment they laid him on my chest was the moment that my heart changed forever. This little guy was mine and I just let the tears spill out. I will never forget that moment. The happiness, the overwhelming gratitude, the pride...it just takes you over. Then you see your husband holding your baby and you just melt all over again.

After a few minutes they took Aiden to clean him up, weigh him, etc. and Drew took the camera and started taking pictures while I got stitched up (not fun). From the moment he was born he was an alert little fella, eyes open, checking everything out...he's already our little curious adventurer.

His little pouty lip. Too much cuteness.

We stayed in our delivery suite for another 2 hours, got our first visitors and then moved down to our room where I ate my first meal since our big dinner Thursday night. My request: a cheeseburger and milkshake. My mother in law came to the rescue with Five Guys and Graeters. Best meal of my life.

The rest of the night I just couldn't help, but stare at the little person we helped create. October 31st, 2014: The most memorable and happy day for our little family. Welcome to the world, Aiden Paul.