Labor and Delivery

Tues Jan 3rd I was 41 weeks pregnant. (that's 1 week late). My dr. said I was still still carrying a little high. Caleb was just nice and cozy. The dr did set an appointment to be induced on Jan 4th at 9pm. However, she said call before I head over to the hospital to make sure they have an available bed for me. I guess the hospital has been really busy. (there must be something in the water).
We actually decided to call earlier and see if we could come in before my appointment, who wants to labor all night long? Chris called at 5am on the 4th and the charge nurse said if we could be there before 6am she could get me in before the shift change. So out of bed we sprang and got ready as fast as possible. Chris' folks are in town to watch Carter and Chase while I was in labor. So we called them, but just in case traffic was bad (they are about 20 min down the road with traffic), we called my friend who lives around the corner. Her mom was visiting town, and was soooo gracious enough to come over at 5am so we could scoot as soon as possible.
We got to the hospital. Got checked in. I was not showing any signs of labor at all. Caleb had dropped alittle and i had started to dialate a little. Then came the IV ...
My fear of needles is deep. It's not in a childish fashion, it's in my body. Once the IV was finally inserted after 3 attepmts, 1 blackout, a few drinks of water, fanning and lots of sweating... my body started laboring. I think it was stressed into labor. However, it still was not enough to keep from inducing. So a few hours later after they had monitored me, they started the pitocin IV drip.
My body started having contractins, but after about 4 hours had made little progress at all. From 3 to 5cm. Around 1pm they were going to break my water, but my progess was still not far enough. So they just kept upping the dose of pitocin. (Caleb was just not wanting to come out.) After 2 more hours and still only about 1cm of progress. The contractions were also coming and going. (they called me almost 6cm) They decided to break my water at 4pm to see if my body would progress quicker. My body was just not ready to go into labor.
Well, just like Chase's labor. Once my water broke.... my body got the hint. Caleb finally got the eviction notice. The intensity of the contractions intensified and became more regualr. I was becoming more excited that I must be progressing really good. Should be soon.
Nothing really happened for the next 3 hours. During that time Chris helped me count and breath through each contraction to distract me from the "discomfort".....PAIN!...Chris was amazing! I could not have continued on without him. (without any pain medicine). Chris fanned me after each contraction because I would be so sweaty, he gave me ice, squeezed my feet, counted, warned me when the next contraction was coming... he was great! Such a servant!
However when they broke my water I was 6cm, and at 7pm right before the shift change I was only 7cm. I was having very intense contractions and yet I was barely making any progess.
The shift change occured and the nurse and dr I was with all day were gone, and I quickly became very discouraged. I just didn't think I could go on another few hours of those intense painful contractions. This was looking very unbearable to me. Chris was so encouraging, he knew I could do it. I had some grape juice since I was feeling very weak. (I hadn't eatten in 24 hours)
The new nurse came in about 7:45 for another check, because I was starting to feel the need to push and in so much pain and contractions were super close together. She checked me, quickly said, "you're complete, let's do a practice push" ... leaves me and Chris while she runs to the doors and yells "We Need a Dr in here!!!"
I was asking Chris, can I put my legs up? (in those strap thingys), he helped me get all situated and I just started to push....no dr was ready. Caleb's head came out and Chris said, "we have a baby", one dr who had just got his gloves on, held Caleb while I continued to push, then passed Caleb off while he continued to get ready. ...I was so relieved it was all over. It was such a blessing from God that I wasn't in labor another few hours, like I had been progressing.
Once i was all takencare of. (i'll skip that part for the sake of ewwy gooy on delivering a baby.I will say I had a 3rd degree tear, my worst ever. Dr said it was due to scar tissue that hadn't had time to heal... hence I had 2 previous children very recently)
Caleb nursed about 15 min after birth, he was immidiatly a great eatter. I was pretty relaxed, pretty cold though from all the hormones shifting in my body.
My first thoughts when I saw Caleb were: He has BLACK hair? (which he actually gets from me.) He looks Hawaiian.. all red and black hair, and a little chubby. Caleb had rolls on his arms, which I had never seem on one of my babies. But that face... he looked just like his brothers. He was soooo cute!!!!!!!
Caleb was born 21 inches (my tallest baby by 2.5 inches), 8lbs 7oz. (1.7lbs's bigger than the other boys). Caleb was just so much bigger.
In the hospital Caleb had elevated levels of jaundice so we had to stay 2 nights. Once the pediatrician came in to tell us he may be jaundice (we had been through that with Carter, he needed to be on lights). I nursed Caleb for about an hour and he was still rooting to eat, and I knew he was at risk for jaundice so we asked the nurse for formula to suppliment till my milk came in. (with jaundice you have to get food in to get waste out. The billirubin is carried out with peepee and poopoo, so I wanted to get him eatting a lot.) Caleb was cleared to go home after 2 days without needing lights. However, this child is a tank! Caleb can eat! At his 5 day followup appointment he was above discharge weight. pooping about 8 times a day and having tons of wet diapers. The pediatrician said Caleb looked great!
Carter and Chase are adjusting great. Carter has no interest at all in taking a picture with Caleb. Chase will give Caleb a kiss but other than that... he's pretty indifferent.

Looking back, I just don't understand why Caleb was so late. He was by far my biggest baby. He is very healthy. Being my third child, I just figured I should have been able to sneeze Caleb out... but no matter what I am just so glad he's here.