Henry makes his arrival!!

Monday, March 5th dawned just as any other Monday, a mad rush to school and a sudden start to the week ahead.  Big Brant was also working that morning, so the day was a bit more hectic than usual.  Meeting me that afternoon at the doctor we knew we'd get our marching orders for the week and Henry's impending Thursday induction.

What we didn't know was the the ultrasound would show Henry's fluid was getting low.  Faced with either 24 hours in the hospital getting IV fluids or being induced that day, we chose the obvious.  Dr. Harris did his thing to help things along, as I'd already had a "favorable" cervix, sent us home to eat dinner and get our stuff ready.  I was dilated to a 2 and 50% effaced.

The mad rush home (including some tears of shock by me, because who wants to know things aren't comfy for their kiddo, and of course, I was pregnant...duh, tears!)   Grandma switched plans around, and Little B helped us to get all of brother's things ready to go.  Excited (and teary) good-byes and we were off.

The final family of 3 photo,  little B was super excited!

We arrived at Labor and Delivery around 7:30 Monday night.  It was shift change and we hung around the Labor and Delivery room for a bit before things got moving.  I hopped into the latest style of  hospital maternity clothes (aka horrible hospital gown) got ready for the nurse midwife to check me and give me Cervidil, to speed things with the induction. Being hooked up to the contraction monitor and fetal heart monitor, we discovered my contractions were already 3 minutes apart.  Colleen, the midwife, decided to check me finding I'd dilated to a 3 and really effaced more.  No Cervidil needed!  Induction to start at 10:30 and most likely, we would have found ourselves at the hospital in labor that night anyway.  They went ahead with the induction, however, because of the low fluid levels.

We entered the time warp of waiting for labor to really progress (I swear, I slept between contractions, would look at the clock and the hand didn't MOVE!!!)  Around 4:30 am, things were really rolling and Colleen said that if the pain was getting worse to go ahead to get the epidural, and then she would break my water, which would really progress things.

Now, the epidural really hinks me out.  I'm not a hero, but the whole idea of it gives me the willies.  Therefore, even though I've had one, I got the shakes.  Turns out one of my student's dad's was the anesthesiologist, and helped calm me down some.  But I still crushed Brantley's hands!

The epidural helped a lot, on most of my body.  The left side of my stomach just wouldn't numb!  As the pressure built, some tweaking of the medicine gave me some relief, but nothing like the blissful numbness of Brant's epidural.  I was simply going to either risk redoing the epidural and things progressing too fast to get a new one going or deal.  I chose deal, and it's glad I am.

Within 2 hours I was dilated to a 7 or 8 and totally effaced.  Another hour or so, to a 9.  Ten minutes later, 10.  And then...the fun part.  Colleen and the nurses coached, Brantley was the most awesome, supportive and loving husband, tolerating much squeezing of hands and finally giving me the emotional support to get through.  Somewhere in there was shift change for the OBs.  Colleen and Dr. Harris were trying to decide who was going to do the honors.  Dr. Harris was actually only in to do some surgeries, but had delivered Brant as well.  Colleen decided to head out, 30 minutes later, a dark-headed bundle of sweetness was in our arms.  Due to the patience of Colleen and the nurses, there was no tearing, and as pleasant as a birth can be.

Minutes after being born

A cleaned up for a snuggle with tired Mommy

Sooo tiny!

Daddy's first snuggle

Grandma came as soon as she could, she got Brant to school and stopped to get hungry Daddy some food too.  She gladly took over baby duty while Daddy had breakfast

Dr. Harris came in at the very end to deliver Henry. He's my regular OB/GYN who also delivered Brant.  Super great doc and we were so glad to have him be a part of both of the boys' births.

Warming up!  Daddy joked we could have kept a buffet warm there during delivery!

We were in our room by 11 that morning, and were able to accomplish most of the "to dos" that the pediatrician and my OB had for us that day.  Things have gone well breastfeeding and this afternoon, about 30 hours after he was born, we were discharged.  We swung by BDS to get Brant and we all came home as a family of four!

Hmmm, wonder what I should do today?

Mr. alert hanging out with Daddy in the hospital room

All ready to go home in the outfit Big Brantley and Little Brantley came home in.

First ride in the new carseat!

First time being held by Big Brother!

Brady was really concerned about Henry, especially when he cried.  He stood guard for a little while, and I don't quite think he's figured out what that little thing they brought home is!

I've got a few other posts about the sweet things that happened in the hours after his birth, but that will have to come later.  As for now, we are all camped out on the couch, enjoying being together!