a SMALL new addition: He's finally here!!

Hi everyone! Sorry it's taken so long to update this but I've been a little pre-occupied with a new little man...Christian Douglas Small!

One week late and 37 hours of labor Christian decided to make his debut on Saturday, February 16, 2013 at 10:17 a.m. Weighing in at 7lbs and 7 ounces and 20 inches long our son was totally worth the weight!

I went to the hospital Thursday evening to be induced. Tyler and I got settled in our room, little did we know that our stay would be throughout the whole weekend.

I started on pitocin and cervidill to help with dilation. Around 2 a.m. they came in to check on me and still no progress. They called the doctor back in at that time and she started me again but around 5:30 a.m. when I was checked, I was pretty much at the same spot, but my cervix had dropped. At that time I was taken off of all meds and was served breakfast and showered because I was starting OVER.

Friday morning and early afternoon was brutal. My contractions were starting to really get to me and I was running out of "Happy Places" to distract my mind from the pain. Around 1 it was getting to be intolerable so I asked for Nubain. This is a drug that allows you to still feel the contractions, but you aren't bothered by the pain.

BEST THING EVER.

Downside, it only last about an hour :( So once my Nubain wore off (and Tyler and Angie were done recording my nonsense on the drug- haha ) The nurses suggested I go ahead with my epidural. My only concern was I wasn't progressing as much so I was nervous about the epidural because there is no turning back after you get it! I asked the nurses how much notice they needed to request it when I was ready and they said about 20 minutes. So my goal was to hold off as long as I could. About 30 minutes later I was ready! It ended up taking an hour for the anesthesiologist to come to my room (which never happens- go figure). At this point my contractions were 2 minutes apart and were extremely uncomfortable. FINALLY the epidural was in and I felt like a normal person again because I could make eye contact AND hold a conversation without saying "ouch....ouch.....ughh....omg..."

Later that evening I was around 6cm dilated and slowly progressing in the right direction. At 11 o'clock that evening I was 9 cm!! So at this point I'm thinking I was most likely going to deliver in the early morning. My family was camping out in the waiting area and what was 1 more cm?!

WRONG.

Part of my cervix was still present and I was unable to start "pushing" until the doctor arrived in the morning around 7 a.m. I was so exhausted and really starting to feel pressure and pain in my lower back around 5:30 a.m. which made 7 seems so far away. I ended up having a meltdown begging my nurse to call the doctor because I just wanted to know for sure if I was either pushing or having a c-section. She was so patient with me and assured me that the doctor would be in soon and I would know then.

8 a.m. I was awakened by the doctor! It felt like Christmas seeing her there! She said everything was ready and I was able to start pushing! Just a little over 2 hours and (in my opinion the easiest part of labor) we welcomed our son Christian Douglas Small into the world!

37 hours sounds crazy! And if anyone told me I would be in labor that long I'd laugh and tell them they're nuts. But after all the blood, sweat and tears I would do it again in a heartbeat!

Seeing our son, hearing his cry, holding him and kissing him for the first time is something that Tyler and I will never forget. We are so blessed to have a healthy baby who is just perfect.

Introducing....

CHRISTIAN DOUGLAS SMALL

FEBRUARY 16, 2013

10:17 a.m.

7 lbs 7 ounces