Riley Austin Sex: boy Born: 02 April, 2008 Age: 3 years & 319 days Birthday in: 46 days Starsign: Aries Development: See the 32 months page. Biggest achievement so far: He is a talking machine. He so darn cute and lovable. He is an amazing big brother helping out with Payton whenever he can, including changing her diaper (the best a two year old can, lol)

Original Due Date: April 18

Type of Birth: Vaginal (w/ pain relief)

Duration of Labor: 23 hrs

Weight: 7lbs 2 ounces

Height: 20 inches

My original due date was April 18th, but I ended up being induced early because they thought I had IUGR, where the baby wasn't growing inside of me anymore. He dropped from somewhere around the 50% in size to under 9%. So I went in for an Amnio on April 1st to make sure his lungs were mature enough. Well that night around 4 oclock my husband and I got a call saying it was a go and to head to L&D around 8 that night to be induced. Around 10 pm I was given cervadil and slept with it in. That morning I was 3cm. My doc took out the cervadil and broke my water. Long story short, I got the epi waaayyy to early. I got it right after he broke my water. It wore off about 7 hours later and they didn't re-up it. I felt everything!!!! I was a screaming, crying mess. I didn't start pushing until aorund 9:15 that night and at 9:44 pm on April 2nd my beautiful baby boy was born. 23 hrs of long, painful labor but I would do it all over again in a heartbeat. The docs thought he would be under 5lbs by the ultrasound, but he was a big healthy boy at 7.2.

Payton Elaine Sex: girl Born: 27 February, 2010 Age: 1 years & 353 days Birthday in: 12 days Starsign: Pisces Development: See the 23 months page. Biggest achievement so far: -

Original Due Date: March 20, 2010

Type of Birth: Vaginal (w/pain relief)

Duration of Labor: 9 1/2 hours (from time doc broke water because that is when I started feeling pretty painful contractions)

Weight: 8 pounds 8 ounces

Height: 21 inches

On the 25th I had a stress test done that was showing contractions every 3 min. So the doctor sent me to L&D to be monitored and he wanted to break my water the next day because of the amount of pain I was in. Since I was only 36 wks the nurses on the ward had a problem with that so I was sent home to have an amnio done in the morning. Went to his office in the morning. I was checked before the amnio was done and had progressed on my own over night about 2 cm. I was a 5. So back to the L&D I went. I was now considered in active labor. The doc came over around 3pm on the 26th and broke my water. About an hour later I got the epidural. By 6pm I had progressed to an 8. Things where moving a lot faster compared to my son. Well, and then everything stalled. I stayed at an 8. The baby was measuring 9.4 lbs on the ultrasound so doc was afraid she just was too big and offered a csection. I asked for time to think about it. I really really did not want one. Because of my wonderful nurse who encouraged me to keep trying I declined. Then the epi wore off. I was miserable. They came and re upped it but it didnt work. Then I was given stadol. With stadol I was able to handle them a little bit better. Again after the stadol wore off I was miserable and about ready to cave. My nurse who was campaigning for me talked the epi guy into coming and giving me a new one. He said he would never usually give one to someone who was already an 8. I was so uncomfortable I sang my ABC's while he performed it to take my mind off the pain. The epi guy, my nurse, and DH where all laughing at me because of that(but hey it worked). It def didnt numb me like the first time but took the edge off. Then it wore off. It was now midnight and I was exhausted. Everyone thought I should have delivered by now. I never passed an 8. But my cervix was paper thin so two nurses held it out of the way while I pushed to see if I could push past it. It worked. Then I pushed about 3 more times and out came my beautiful daughter. Even they the ultrasound said she would be over 9, none of the nurses believed it because when they would check me and could feel her head they said it felt small and I was just too little to carry a baby that big. She wasn't over 9 but still well into the 8 lbs. They where all shocked at how big she was. Because of my wonderful nurse and DH I didn't have to have a section. If it wasn't for the nurse's constant support I probably would have caved. Unlike my last delivery at this hospital I really like my nurses. All of them.

The nurses said since the same thing happened with the epidural when I gave birth to my son, I was just one of the lucky ones who became immune to them during the delivery process. I am so not happy to hear that but would do it all over again in a heartbeat. Oh- and when Ms Payton was born she had A LOT of dark hair with blonde streaks. This little baby seriously looked like she just went to the salon and got her tips frosted. It is fading now because all of her hair is turning light but it was the talk of the hospital. Nurses who where not mine or Payton's nurses would come in and ask to see the hair because they heard all about it. My little girl is already a diva : )!