Joy unspeakable.

March 28th, we had a baby shower at my wonderful mother in laws. it was so much fun, as exhausted as i was and as "miserable" as i was. I was in a lot of pain. Baby had dropped, and was putting pressure on areas i didn't even know existed. After the baby shower, i took a detour to my sisters house to see my niece's TV debut: America's Funniest Home Videos!

Midnight: Jacob gets home from watching Wrestlemania at his Dad's house.

12:30 AM: We make it to bed. I had tried earlier to sleep, but was unsuccessful. I had Jacob rub my back for a bit before we went to bed, and that seemed to help some.

1:30 AM: my usual trip up to the bathroom. This was followed by some very mild discomfort, which i attributed to my unusual belly size and placement...I go back to bed and attempt to sleep.

2 AM: after experiencing some contractions that were increasing in intensity, i decided to attempt fate and see if they were real. I came out to the living room, where Jacob had brought in all of our things from the shower, and started going through it. I had had Braxton Hicks earlier on Sunday morning, but as soon as i stood up, they stopped. I had just come from my sisters where i told her and my mom: "I'm tired of having these fake ones...i want the real ones!"

2:30 AM: after successfully making a huge mess out of everything in our living room, bending down is no longer an option. i sit at the computer on my exercise ball, hoping to see if that either a) stops the contractions and helps with my back pain; or b) helps the contractions keep going.

2:45 AM: i decide to attempt to time contractions myself. I still had not gone to get Jacob up, b/c in my mind, i didn't want to wake him up for false contractions, only to have him go back to bed to get 2 hours of sleep for work.

3 AM: I tell myself: If i have another contraction in the next 10 minutes, i'll go and get Jacob up.

3:04 AM: i contract.

3:10 AM: I'm pulling myself off the floor and walking awkwardly to the bedroom. i stand at the door debating on what i'm going to say...

3:15 AM: Attempt number one to get Jacob up. His response: "I'll be out there in a minute."

3:30 AM: i'm still at the computer, attempting to time contractions by myself. I see they're roughly 7-9 minutes apart, but i can't tell if that's when the contraction started or when i looked at the watch...

3:45 AM: Attempt number 2 to get jacob up. His response: see above.

4 AM: Steam is coming out of my ears.

4:15 AM: my last attempt to get jacob out of bed was not only successful, but very rewarding.

5 AM: i feel a little silly, but Jacob looks over a list of the previous 45 minutes and concludes that the contractions are about 5-7 minutes apart, although they are not exactly steady. some were 5 minutes, some were 7; a couple were 2 or 3; and one was 10.

5:30 AM: we call my mom to ask for some advice. she says that she's getting ready for work, and to go on in to the hospital. "worst case scenario: they examine you and tell you to go back home."

6 AM: we're walking into the ER. I get put into a wheelchair (one of the funky looking ones, not the real ones), and they wheel me up to Family Birth place.

6:30 AM: after answering questions, the nurses go and ask the OB on call whether i stay or go...

7 AM: I stay. they start administering antibiotics as per my last test.

8 AM: they examine and see i'm dialated 3 cm and 80% effaced. I was surprisingly happy to hear that, since i didn't know if i was dialated AT ALL.

10 AM: another exam finds i'm fully effaced and 5 cm dialated. I call my best friend to wish her a happy birthday and ask if she minds sharing it. she doesn't!

12 Noon: STILL only 5 cm dialated. water still had not broken. Dr. wants to wait to break water but decides to start pitocin to get the contractions to be more regular. up until now: contractions were still very sporadic, and still only 5-7 minutes apart.

2 PM: starting to enter into "Active Labor". They up the anty on pitocin, and contractions go from 5-7 to almost 2-3. they lower the pitocin, and the contractions settle at 3-5.

2:30PM: i receive my only pain relief: an IV of some drug that i can't pronounce much less spell. it is designed to "take the edge off" and it only lasts 30 minutes. My mom and the nurse joke its my "martini".

3 PM: Round two of cocktail hour. I actually get to nap between contractions, which is probably the BEST part about my delivery...

3:50 PM: i feel an immense pressure...almost to start pushing....

4 PM: Dr. comes in: 10 cm dialated! "PRAISE GOD!" i shout. i had been praying for the last hour to get there...inbetween cocktails....lol...

4:05 PM: Dr. breaks my water. i push.

4:39 PM: Matthew Levi Dobscha comes crying into the room: weighing an astonishing 6 pounds and 15 ounces, 19.5 inches long.

I hear Dr. say, "bring me more sutres." at least twice. not a good sign.

i get lots of happy pain relief.

and only the most precious face ever. staring at me. even when he's crying, i'm overwhelmed with love.

Beautiful!