Birth details Type of delivery: Vaginal (with pain relief) Duration of labor: 7 hours Weight @ birth: 8 lbs 12 oz Length @ birth: 21 inches long Andrew-John`s birthstory February 8, 2008 was the chosen induction date. Got to the hospital that day and up to L&D around 7:45 am, we were running late. They gave me a belly band and nightgown to put on. I started feeling a little crampy (contractions). Anyway, I had to give an urine sample and the test came back GBS positive, so when they had me all settled in the hospital bed, all hooked up, put the monitor for baby under belly band, they had to give me kefzol in my IV for the GBS. My OB shows up around 9 am, and puts the pill inside to start labor and contracting more. Nurses and I went over paperwork, asked questions, yada yada yada, blah blah blah. I then signed papers about infant security, and they put on hospital bracelet bands. Around 9:50 am, the contracts (crampy feeling) started getting a lot worse). 10:10 am, I ordered some lemon & cherry ice & cranberry juice. As of course I am only allowed clear liquids. And I was just feeling pretty blah by this time. They came to put the blood pressure thing on my arm, and set it to go off every half hour. Every time that thing went off, my left hand would get the tingling sensation and would go numb. About every 5-10 minutes I would get pain - contractions ... Andrew would move, and the monitor would get loud and fast. Things were taking a long time ... so it was like 11:50 am and Casey went back home to get his laptop, because nothing was happening *yet* ... gave me a kiss before he left. At 12 pm, I asked for a cup of ice to eat. Still feeling sick and a bundle of nerves. 12:35 pm - Nurse comes in, starts another IV bag, some anesthesia which I forget the name .... 12:40 pm, another nurse brings in the cart to prepare for my continuous epidural anesthesia. At 1 pm, they started epidural, and it took them about an hour just to get it in, because one nurse kept poking around on my back, which was really sore to begin with, ... kept telling me when they would push on my back to push back against them like I was a *mad cat* so to say. It hurt really bad, but they finally got the epidural in. About 2 pm my OB came back, tried to break my water, and I wasn`t even numb yet from the epidural, so she couldn`t break my water because I kept scooting my butt back and would do it even before she was even near me down there (I just don`t take pain well!). Well she had to leave and go back to her office, and said she would come back a little later after I was numb, but not even 5 minutes after she left ... I said to the nurse in the room *Why do I feel like I`m peeing myself?* She was like well I`ll check you ... so she puts on clean gloves and checks me and with all the moving around my OB *DID* do down there, she had ruptured, and my water broke on it`s own .. which I was glad for!! Nurse said she would call my OB to let her know that my water indeed broke. I was feeling sick to my stomach at this time, like majorly. 3 pm - My dad and his wife showed up. And STILL nothing was going on. The nurses/aides changed the padding below me 5 times since my water broke (from 2 pm - 4:30 pm), that`s how soaked I was lol. Well at 4:30 pm, the nurse checked me and I was about 4-5 cm dialated at this time. Dad & Sally had to take a walk while this was being done. They came back after the nurse was done checking me and taking my vitals. It was going very slow then, and I thought my dad & sally were gonna miss being there for me to have Andrew ... since they have to drive 3 hours back home. But within an hour (5:30 pm!) - I went from 4-5 cm to 7-8 cm! I was surprised ... but I could feel some weird pressure down there and the URGE to push ... but it wasn`t time yet! In the next like 20 minutes, I went from 7-8 cm, to a 9 cm, and in like 5 minutes after I was at the 10 cm dialated I needed to be! The pressure down there and the URGE to push was even worse ... but my OB wasn`t back there yet! But she made it just in time ... I told the nurse there, well I asked if I was supposed to be feeling my toes, because I felt like the epidural was wearing off ... she said no, you still feel a little bit even with the epidural, I`m sorry, but I`ve had the epidural TWICE before and I never felt so much pain ... anyway, my OB came in and said ok it`s time to push, and I felt a contraction, it was so bad, she was like take a deep breath and PUSH, and I did, I screamed the whole time. I also felt like I was gonna throw up, there was a nurse beside me with a bucket. Ok so I realize that it would`ve been a lot worse WITHOUT the epidural, but mine was wearing off and I felt the whole thing. It only took 4 tries and at 6:01 pm, Andrew was born!! So all in all, I was in labor for about 7 hours. He weighed in at 8 lbs 12 oz. And length at 21 inches long. A little hair, at a darkish color, not sure if it will be brown or blonde yet. And at birth, eyes were a greyish color, but they are like a dark blue now (which will probably lighten up in a few days). 10 pm this day, I needed meds for itching after the epidural fully wore off. One of the side effects and it was annoying. P.S. His name was changed from Andrew Nicholas James to Andrew John, and the reason behind this is because Andrew John was my first choice to begin with and hubby didn`t quite like it. And plus I really didn`t have a special reason as to why I had Nicholas James, whereas John was after my dad, my brother Johnny and nephew Johnathan, and hubby`s dad & stepbrother`s middle name is also John, so it was a family thing. I`m glad we changed his name because of this. He is our little AJ! Hugzz ~CK~ These are pictures to go with my birth story which is also posted! There are photos of stuff I got from people for my baby boy while I was in the hospital ... flowers/balloon from my dad & his wife Sally, outfits & stuff from a friend Elaine .. there are some pics of me feeling contractions, before my epidural, after when I was feeling sick and an I HATE YOU type photos ... pics of my dad, his wife, proud daddy and me with Andrew ... and Andrew by himself, and whatnot ... enjoy the pics!! And my 39 week 4 day baby bump (my last ones before having Andrew!).. Oh yeh and the one of the bruise trying to get the epidural in... March 15, 2008 - Andrew is 5 weeks old now and he smiled! No it's not gas because I was making faces and doing lil noises at him and he did it not only once, but 3 times. If you want to see more pictures of Andrew or my other 2 boys, please add me on myspace www.myspace.com/totallykatalicious, Thank You! ~~Smiling at 5 weeks. Andrew is now 9 weeks old, weighs 13 lbs 14 oz and 23 1/2 inches long. August 1, 2008 - Andrew is 7 days shy of being 6 months old. He is growing up so fast I can't believe it. Last he weighed was 16 lbs and 16 oz, but I know he is bigger than that now...he has another appt soon, and I'll find out! But he is now getting up on his knees and rocking back & forth ... he'll be crawling soon, he is getting the idea. Plus I am pretty sure he is trying to say *mama* ... for awhile he has been babbling and going A-ma, A-ma ... so yeh!