We just got back from the hospital about 4 hours ago and Jared and I have been doing last minute set up in the nursery, as well as trying to get our boys to finally go to sleep. I can feel the change of our rythmn already and I am anxious to see how we pull things together as a family. We've got the glider set up now, the bouncer (which will be Isaac's new bed until for the next 6 weeks or so while he is in my room), the swing is set up in the living room, and next I need to hang up some clothing.
How did it all go? I will give the short and sweet version.
Thursday at work I strained my back. I was leaning over and when I stood back up, I had a serious kink. I could no longer walk, sit or stand. Impossible to work. So, I went home in a lot of pain and started putting heat on my back. The weight up front could not compensate for the weight in the back. Good thing Rosa was around to put the boys to bed while Jared was at work. If you have ever seen a crooked and bent over grandma, that was me. Just with a bigger belly.
Around midnight, Jared and I were finally getting to bed when I started feeling more consistent contractions. I have had contractions every hour now for months, but these ones were coming every 10 minutes. Could this be it??? We called Rosa to come back and watch the boys while we went to the hospital. Uh-Oh, by the time Rosa arrived they had stopped. Shoot! I felt so bad making her come all the way in the middle of the night for nothing. So, she went back home.
About 2 hours later, the contractions started up again every 5 minutes. Should we call Rosa again? Pobrecita. She came back over, we got our bags and headed out to the hospital. I felt anxious, excited and nervous all at once.
In the triage room, they decided to admit us to the hospital b/c I was dialated to about a 4 and my contractions were every 5 minutes. I could have stayed at home and waited for more dialation, but I was told by everyone how your "third" child comes so quickly and that you need to be prepared. I also was more than happy to be hooked up to monitors so I could see my little peanut and measure his health. 
So far, no sleep for either Jared or I. We were both hoping for a quick delivery so that we could get some shut eye and move on. Well, little Isaac took more than his fair share of time to come into this world. I did the majority of my laboring and dialating while I was standing, to further things along quicker. This did NOT help my back strain by any means, but I was determined to just focus in on the labor and progress as much as I could. (As I write this, I have a heat pad on my back b/c it is seriously in shock from all of these physical labors. I sure hope it heals soon b/c I can barely walk and I know that come tomorrow, my boys will be needing their mama!).
By the time I got to a 10, Jared and I had successfully done our "hypnobirthing" method and I was doing all of this laboring drug free. Jared was an all star birthing coach and I was so grateful for his support, his creativity and for his consistency in talking me through every contraction.
My midwife, a phenomenal woman who I had just met (she was on call), was amazing. Her name is Kris and I am so fortunate to have had her in my delivery experience. I don't know why anyone would NOT want to have a midwife. She stayed with me, helped rub my feet, talked me through my fears, was very gentle, explained everything and answered any question I had.
By this time, it is closer to noon. We had been laboring now for 10 hours. Little did I know that the most intense and physically challenging part was yet to come.....
Hypnobirthing works great when your baby is descending properly. This was not my case. As he was coming down, he decided to come down like a corkscrew and changed his entire position from back to front. He was sunny side up (face up), which made it virtually impossible for me to "breathe" him out. The pain was so intense at this point, and the contractions were so consistent, without allowing me any time to recover from the pain, that it was a very very challenging time for me.
At times I felt utterly depleted from any energy left inside of me. I felt desperate for some sort of relief from the pain that kept coming, yet I knew that I had no where to go, and that it was up to me to get this baby out.
So, for a solid 1 1/2 hours I contracted hard and somehow was able to focus enough to not die, but to get Isaac down and past my pelvic bone. That was the goal, b/c after that point, I would be able to push him out and be done.
The last 30 minutes of my 13 hour event were so intense that I would rather spare you the details. I felt like a crazy lioness with my breathing and groaning in so much pain and anxiety. Thank goodness for my wonderful husband who reassured me throughout everything, who despite my delerium, he continued to hold my hand and help me out. My midwife also was very calm, reassuring and helpful with ideas to help me cope. Hypnobirthing was not an option, just straight pushing and physically pushing myself beyond any limit I ever thought I could reach.
Marc Isaac plopped out at about 2:45pm, weighing 7.8 lbs and 20 inches long. I was too depleted to even hold onto him, and then my full body shakes began. So, I really did not enjoy my sweet angel for several hours later when I was able to recover emotionally and physcially.
Wesley is thrilled about his new present from God. He was clapping his hands and literally jumping up and down when he first met Isaac. Austin is not so sure about it all and continues to be very sensitive and cautious about him.
Isaac so far has done nothing but sleep for two days. Maybe this is a sign that he will be a good sleeper like his dad? I absolutely LOVE snuggling up on him, and enjoyed my few days alone with him in the hospital to just enjoy BEING together.
Now the real fun begins.
