Shelby FINALLY Arrives

• Daniel and I checked in to the hospital at 6AM Thursday morning to be induced. I was nervous, scared, and excited all rolled into one. I knew my life was going to change so much and I kept wondering if I'd love her as much, what would she look like, etc. (and by the way, yes, I love her just as much!)

• Apparently no nurse or doctor were in a hurry to meet our little Shelby. They started the pitocin off SLOWLY.....bumping it up maybe every 30 minutes. So from 6 until about 1, we were bored out of our minds. Sometime around noon, I asked if they were considering breaking my water to get labor started. I was so ready to be in labor, to begin having contractions and to know that a baby was really on the way.

• They said that my doctor was going to come over on his lunch and break my water...YAY!!! In the meantime, Daniel went to get him some lunch and I waited patiently for the epidural, which I decided to go ahead and get before he broke my water (labor is a bit painful after that).

• The idea of not waiting until I was actually in pain to get it proved to be the best decision I have ever made!

• My doctor shows up at 1:00 (before the epidural AHHHHH) breaks my water, and I was on the phone with Daniel at like 1:08 beggin him to get back. I was already in full on labor! At 1:00 I was 5cm at 1:15 (when the epidural arrived) I was fully dialated and she was ready to come!

• My doctor, however, had gone back to his office, not thinking that I would move so quickly and I was told to NOT push. Were they KIDDDING! So from 1:20-2:00 I waited, it was the worst sort of waiting EVER!

• Doc showed up at 2ish and she was here at 2:15.

• What a blessing! Not a long labor and she was finally here.