2 Years Too Late

For the last 2 years I have been needing and wanting to record Tate's birth story. I guess adding one more little kiddo made time to do so a lot less. ;)

Because it's 2 years too late, it might not be as detailed as it would have been, but I want to get it recorded before baby #4 comes and I'm really short on "extra" time.

Stephen was working in Elko, Nevada, about four hours away, during my pregnancy with Tate. He would leave on a Sunday night or Monday morning and come home on a Thursday night or a Friday...maybe occasionally but very rarely a Saturday. I had been having irregular contractions for a couple weeks, so waiting to see if they would get more intense or closer together was a constant part of my day. Stephen left Sunday June 30th in the evening for Elko after we had gone to his cousin's house in Herriman to visit his Aunt who was in town. I had been having contractions, like I mentioned that was just a normal part of my day, and I kept hoping that they would turn into something more so he wouldn't have to leave that night, but as typical of the last little while they never seemed to indicate labor. just cause me discomfort, HaHa. He left his cousin's house straight for Elko, and I remember driving home being extremely uncomfortable and having painful contractions. I was scheduled for an induction that weekend so that we Stephen would be in town and then not have too take too much time off of work after baby came, and because I was really close to my due date. I was due July 10th with Tate. I don't remember much about Monday, I am sure it was just a typical day. On Tuesday, the 2nd, however I woke up with really painful contractions. The odd thing was that I had actually had a good night sleep, which hadn't happened in forever! I remember feeling uncomfortable and having the thought that it was probably because Stephen took my pillow with him, but other than that I slept most of the night with no interruptions. I sent Stephen a text that morning after I woke up, letting him know I was going to see what the contractions would do, because they were more intense than normal. I was going to take a bath and then get a tiny bit ready, thinking the bath might help ease the discomfort and then getting ready incase I was headed to the hospital soon. Those thoughts pretty much went right out the window because my contractions were really painful and I had started timing them, they were pretty close together. I called my mom to come get me, and then a few minutes later decided I couldn't wait for her, so I called my really good friend Laura to see if she would take me and my boys to my mom's. Luckily, she and I work for the same company and they knew she was on baby alert, so she was able to get off of work and drive us up to my mom's. On the way to my mom's Stephen called his mom to meet me at my parent's house to take the boys. I felt so bad for my friend Laura, because I was in so much pain and just wriggling around complaining about it. (But she has 3 boys, so she knows what it's like ;)). We got to my mom's and it was basically a whirlwind, I jumped in my mom's car, Laura sat with my boys until my mother-in-law got there, and she (my mother-in-law) pulled up right as we were backing out to head to the hospital. We said a super quick "Hello" through rolled down windows and I was off to the hospital. When we got up to Labor and Delivery I could barely stand it anymore, and I was having to hunch over and hang onto anything I could. I know my mom was stressed out anyway, but the women at the desk didn't seem to be in any hurry and that made her even more anxious. They got me in a room to check me and monitor me to see if I was "really" in labor. The first nurse to check me said I was at a 7, then minutes later a different nurse came to check me and she said I was at an 8. Everything was happening so fast, I was further dilated than I imagined, and I started to worry Stephen wasn't going to make it for the delivery. By this time he was on his way back to Utah, as I mentioned before a pretty far distance away, about 4 hours. I apparently had forgotten to pre-register this time, so the poor nurse was trying to hurry and get all my information so they could admit me and get me my epidural. One reason for the rush of the epidural was to hopefully help slow down the labor a bit to give Stephen time to get there.

I finally got into a room and didn't have to wait too long for the epidural. Man was I ready for that! I had never made it that far into labor without an epidural, and it was REALLY painful. I don't know how women do it without meds! I was calling Stephen every so often to see where he was and probably stressing the poor man out. My doctor came in and checked me and said that I was basically ready to go, so we would just wait for Stephen to get there. I'm not sure what time it was at that point, but I know I was ready to deliver for an hour or two before Stephen actually got there. Once Stephen arrived, my doctor literally followed him through the door, everything was all set up and ready to go, and I started pushing pretty much right away. I don't know how long it took, or didn't take, but Stephen said Tate was born about 5 minutes after he got there. Talk about a whirlwind for Stephen, also!! By the time I started pushing the epidural had worn off some, so though I couldn't feel contractions, I could feel everything happening elsewhere. It was pretty painful, and I remember crying a little and saying that I couldn't do it. But of course I did (and again, I don't know how women have done or do that without any meds, feeling everything! I couldn't feel the contractions on top of what I did feel and it was hard!. Tate came out with a full head of blonde hair that shocked us all! He was a beautiful baby! I think I put his "stats" in the post I posted announcing his birth, but I will have to check and include them in here also. ;)

So kind of a jumbled mess, but finally have it "written" down! It has been 2 years, but some days feels like yesterday! We have been so blessed to have our little Tater-tot in our lives!