Caedmon's Birth Story {part 1}

*Disclosure* This is a BIRTH story so read at your own risk.  I'll keep certain details to myself but some of it might be TMI for some of you :)

December 14:

35 weeks....last belly picture!

For some reason I had been in sort of a panic mode with nesting and getting things ready for 

Caedmon's arrival.  Which was supposed to be in January.  I felt silly for being so paranoid about

getting everything done but at the same time felt a sense of urgency to get his nursery

painted, decorated, clothes washed etc.  

So Wednesday night I had Tyler helping me finish some projects I had planned for the nursery.

I was busy painting a "C" to hang in his room and making a couple pennants to hang above the "C."

Tyler was stapling chicken wire to an old frame that I had painted.  Pictures of all these

fun projects to come as soon as I get it all hung up in his room! :)

So we got all that done, folded tiny clothes, set up the crib and were exhausted. 

I went to bed with plans to take it easy the next day.

December 15th:

4:00am

Much like when my water broke with Lincoln it was early morning while I was sleeping. Although this time I didn't have a panic attack.  I was surprisingly calm.  I woke Tyler up and told him, "don't panic but I think my water just broke, I'm not for sure but just wanted to let you know."  Tyler isn't the panic-y type and so he just said, "oh, ok I'll just start packing a bag just in case."

It didn't seem like it was my water at first so I stayed awake for about a half hour trying to figure it out before a gush came at 4:30 and I knew for sure.  I packed my bag (because of course that was on the "to do" list and wasn't done yet).

We woke up a very sleepy Lincoln and packed a bag for him. While I was getting everything ready he followed me around in a confused state but was super sweet during those last minutes of just Tyler, him and I.  It was such a weird and surreal feeling, leaving the house that morning knowing that we were leaving as a family of 3 and would be coming back as a family of 4.

We called and texted family to let them know.  Funny thing is, my sister has been waiting and waiting for this call and I had called her the day before and "cried wolf" just for fun.  She wasn't very impressed with my humor.  Funny that it was the next day that I went into labor!

5:00am

We arrived at the hospital and were wheeled up to the labor and delivery floor. 

They had to check to make sure it was actually my water that broke and I didn't just pee my pants....trust me people from my last pregnancy I am an expert on knowing if it's my water or just peeing my pants! 

For those of you who don't know, once your water breaks, it keeps leaking....yeah it's so much fun to sit in that while waiting for triage to check you in and everything :)

They got me all hooked up to the monitors and the nurse checked me and to my disappointment I wasn't dilated at all. Nada, nothing, ziltch.  I was pretty disappointed.  My mind was all over the place not knowing what to expect or what was going to happen.  Was my body going to be able to vbac or was I headed for another c-section?

Just LOOK at that awesome blood pressure 122/80 :)

I kept praying that that I could vbac.  But in the back of my mind I totally doubted myself and that it would ever happen.  It was like this big dream of mine to do it but I had little faith in it actually happening.  Mostly so that I wasn't completely disappointed if/when it didn't happen.  I knew for my own sake I had to go into it with no expectations and to be flexible.  All I really cared about was having a healthy baby.  However that happened was going to be fine with me.  HOW I have him doesn't define me.

I apparently was having some sporadic contractions but wasn't feeling any of them.  Which meant that they probably weren't doing any good with helping me progress.

The nurse asked if I was wanting another c-section or do a trial of labor.  I told her I wanted to do a trial of labor and see what happened.  I could see it in her face as I said that, that she didn't think a trial of labor would amount to much with the random contractions I was having.  But I tried not to let that bother me.  I could just feel a sense of calmness surrounding me.  A peace I can't explain, that only God gives in moments like these.