The Millers: November 2013

James, it's so hard to believe you're already a month old! Mom has been a bit busy, so this is a little late ;)

The first few weeks were definitely a wake up call for mom and dad! You were 9 lbs at your 4 week weigh in and that made mom very happy since we've been nursing. Speaking of nursing, I'll be writing a whole post just on that topic-what a learning experience but it's getting better by the day! You started "gooing", prefers mommy's chest to sleep on, and are getting stronger by the day. Even in the middle of the night, your smiles make my heart so happy. You already know how to work us!

We've watched a lot of football and the Cardinals in the World Series. Daddy loves dressing you in jerseys.

You make funny faces!!

You love to move your arms and kick your legs!

We've had so much fun with you and I'm cherishing our time together during the day. We are completely smitten with you little bud!

Love you to the moon and back.

First of all, I had prayed and prayed that I would not have to be induced and that he would come on his own. I was terrified of being induced and thought for sure I would be late. We even booked the induction just to be on the safe side. It all started on Friday night as Justin and I were watching TV and eating dinner. I started to feel some intense cramping and thought, hmmm, are these contractions? I was 2 cm dilated and had really dropped. I even had to google "what does a contraction feel like" because I had no clue. I felt them off and on all night and even woke up once to one. Saturday Justin did yard work and I mostly laid around the house watching movies because I felt so weird and tired. We watched football and I was still having contractions, but they were not consistent at all. Sunday we woke up and went to church where our young married Sunday school teacher prayed for us to have a fast delivery. Boy would that prayer be answered! I started to notice they were a bit more intense, but still very inconsistent. I even went to a baby shower that afternoon! I had a few at the shower and downloaded an app to start monitoring the progress (thanks, Leslie!). I even stopped by a friend's house on the way home.

Finally, I made it home around 5 pm and of course, was hungry. Justin suggested that he would go pick up a Milano's pizza for me and then head to Spring Creek to play poker with a few guys. The pizza would end up being a BAD idea. Justin left around 6:30 and I laid on the couch watching TV. Around 7 pm, they were really ramping up. I texted him at 7:30 to leave and come home, because they were 10 minutes apart. He made it home soon after and we went on a walk to see if these were the real thing- I had heard that if you had to stop on a walk because of one, it was probably a real contraction. Well, on the walk they went from 10 minutes to around 5 minutes apart. I called the dr (of course mine wasn't on call) and she told me to head in when they had been 5 minutes apart for an hour. I tried to hop in the shower, but wasn't too successful because they were really getting intense!

OF COURSE Justin hadn't packed a thing (I on the other hand had been packed for days), so I waited on him for what felt like ETERNITY to get his things together and then we jumped in the car pretty quickly around 9 pm. It was like a scene out of a movie - he was speeding and even ran a red light! He dropped me off at the front and I proceeded to look like a zombie while checking in. We finally got admitted around 9:30 pm after I had said quite a few cuss words while waiting. My contractions were coming so regular at this point I honestly felt like I didn't have a minute to relax between each! I was in the process of telling justin to take the last pic pregnant and they announced our name! This was the last pic we got!

Our nurse, Crystal, proceed to ask a MILLION questions and then checked me - I was already 6 cm! We were definitely staying and this baby was coming tonight!! We waited probably an hour for the epidural - which again, felt like an eternity. I asked for only 50% of the meds, and the doctor was very concerned and even a little ticked that I requested this. It ended up being amazing, though. Once I got the epidural/miracle drug, we finally could relax and I stopped acting like a mad woman. Not even 30 minutes later, Crystal came back in to give me oxygen.

She said I was progressing really fast and the baby needed more oxygen. Of course, this kind of freaked me out a bit. As she went to check me, my water broke on her and she jumped which made everyone in the room jump! I was 10 cm and ready to push! This was around 12:45 at this point.

Dr. Dulaney came in (looking very groggy, I apologized for having to wake her) and I can't remember a whole lot at this point. I remember pushing only a few times, resting between, and then feeling the baby come out at the last push. Our gift from God arrived at 1:26 am.

I remember looking at James and thinking, this is the most beautiful baby I have ever seen and HE IS MINE! I MADE HIM! He came so fast that we had no family in the waiting room, it was just Justin and I. And it was awesome. We stayed in the L & D room for an hour or so, just the 3 of us. Justin and I just stared at James the entire time and cried. We had waited almost 4 years for this moment and it still brings tears to my eyes. That first hour was the best moment of my life. Justin probably took 100 pictures.

Around 3 am, we were moved up to the recovery room, and I wanted to shut my eyes for a few minutes before family arrived. I was exhausted. I tried to doze off for a minute, but adrenaline was pumping, so I wasn't able to go to sleep. James was wheeled off to the nursery to have his check up and before I knew it, our family had gotten there! We had so many sweet friends come up to visit that day and the next as well to see our little guy!