The New Arrival

Its been one week since I went into labor and I'm just now getting pictures up- sorry!!

Details:

Ethan David Pringle
Born: 3/7/11 @ 4:27pm
Weighing 7 lbs 8 oz and measuring 20 1/2" long

The Story:

Saturday Night- I started having 5 min contractions that were hurting more than normal. I panicked, called a babysitter, called Dave's parents to come down the next day and of course...NOTHING!! Sunday night (9pm) rolls around and I start having hard contractions every 15 to 20 minutes. I brushed it off since my preparations the night before were in vain. Around midnight they were every 10 min but I told myself they were going away just like the night before and I went to bed anyway. Sleeping was hopeless, I lay awake as the contractions got closer and closer and at 3am they were every 5 minutes. I decided it was time to inform Dave of our upcoming plans. Around 4:30 they started coming every 3 minutes and we finally decided it was time to find a babysitter and go to the hospital.

We get to the hospital and I'm already dilated to a 6!! It was at that point that I accepted I was really going to have this baby. I was in complete shock!! I really, really didn't expect to go early. I felt really lucky and totally unprepared! Back to the hospital: I kept telling myself (and other people) that I was going to try to have this baby "all natural" (aka no epidural) but I completely ate my words. I got the the hospital begging for an epidural, I couldn't kissed the anesthesiologist! I seriously admire any of you who have gone the "all natural" route but a part of me also thinks your crazy:) So around 7am I was dilated to an 8 and very thankfully got my epidural. It was amazing, I highly recommend it. From 7 to 1pm I dilated, slept, and waited for Ethan to drop down a little more. At 1pm I started pushing... at this point I was on a pretty big high. Everything had gone so fast and so perfectly up to this point. I figured a half hour of pushing and it would all be over. I was making bets with Dave saying he'd be out by 2pm. So I pushed and pushed and pushed. 3pm rolls around and I was almost begging for a c-section. At that point it was too late, he had dropped to about a +2 and was ever so slowly progressing.The midwife had a specialist come and give his opinion since I was having a VBAC and he kindly told me that I could be successful at my VBAC attempt but it would take a WHOLE lot of effort and pushing on my part. So any of you lucky people who only have to push once or for like a half hour, just don't tell me- I don't want to hate you:) I finally decided to give myself a little extra dose of my epidural and let me tell you, I felt like a new woman. I even told myself I could probably push for another two hours. I practically did. I pushed for another hour and a half!! And finally after an episiotomy and a 2nd degree tear, Ethan made his way out. Words cannot describe how amazing it was to be able to hold him right away while they cleaned him off in my arms. I heard his first cry, watched them weigh and measure him and saw Dave hold him for the first time. I completely missed all of that with Oakley. All of the pain and the 3 1/2 hours of pushing were completely worth that experience.

Now for the pictures:

One last preggo picture at the hospital. (Yes, I look awful but I had been awake with contractions all night.)


Here he is!!


The token 'I look like hell but I'm so excited bc I just had a baby' picture.


Ethan and his daddy.


All clean and snugly.


Oakley's first visit to the hospital with Dave's mom.


One little skeptical look but besides that Oakley didn't pay much attention to Ethan.


Ethan and mommy


And another picture of this little guy. He has the cutest blond hair!!