And So It Begins...

Finally. A computer and a blog.  I have a lot of catching up to do on things that have happened in our lives in the last 4 months. After my long beloved computer crashed in August, I finally got a new Mac from Santa and can now keep a blog I have been anxious to do!  I look forward to capturing and recording all of our greatest memories and milestones in our new family's life.

Taking a look back before it all began...(our new family that is)

I was 4 days past due in this picture.  We went to dinner with our friends (also soon to be parents) for one last outing just the four of us.  I was scheduled to be induced the following day.  Little did I know...at 12:30 that night I would go into labor on my own! 

I woke up at 12:30 am having contractions every 6 minutes apart.  After getting over the shock that it was really time, Chris and I went to the hospital around 5:30 am.  There, we found out I was only dilated to 1cm and the doctor sent us home and said not to come back until I was having contractions 2 minutes apart.  I knew this was ridiculous and called my doctor's office when I got home.  They were outraged that I was sent home and said to come back to the hospital because I was in REAL labor.  But, I decided to just labor at home for awhile where I could be more comfortable.  Around 2:30 that afternoon I'd about had all I could take and we returned to the hospital for the real fun to begin.  

This is me and my mom walking the halls.  When the nurse wanted me to start walking I thought..."okay...easy does it I am having major contractions." O. No. We were speed walking faster than I ever have in my life.  Even my mom was sweating!

My sister cheering me on. 

My niece sweet Riley came to visit.  She was very excited to meet Baby Nallstar.

Me and my mother-in-law

Anxiously awaiting

Finally 4cm.

If I only knew just how slooooooow this process would be.

7 cm.

It's probably 3 or 4 in the morning. The doctor wanted to discuss having a C-Section at this point but I was not about to give up after being in it this long!

With four or so more hours still to go the best was yet to come.  O how I loved my epidural running out of medicine four different times because I was in labor so long! And I remember being more thirsty than I have ever been in my entire life. The ice chips were just not cutting it!  I remember at one point telling whoever was in my room at that moment that as soon as I delivered and could drink again "I wanted (lined up on my beside table) a glass of milk, a bottle of water, a Dr. Pepper, a Gatorade, and an ICEE...the real kind spelled I-C-E-E. "And yes I got them all except the ICEE! :) 

The labor process was the most amazing thing ever.  Call me crazy but I truly loved every minute of it.  It was an experience I will never forget and one that brought me the most precious gift a person could have.  Nothing could have prepared me for the 31 hours of labor I had to endure, but I would do it all over again tomorrow to receive such a blessing in the end.