The last of the Preggo Pics and Labor

 Ok, here I am at 37 weeks. I really popped this week. Yay for stretch marks!! What is that quote from pinterest? I am a tiger that just earned my stripes :)

 My wonderful mom and sis put together a shower for me and this is what the table looked like. They are the best!! Love you guys!

Ok, so at 37 weeks I was already dilated to a 2 and 90% effaced when I went to my appointment. They stripped my membranes and that was lovely! I had hardish contractions from then to the end.

At my 38 week appointment, I was dilated to a 4 and 90% effaced and still not having consistent contractions.  The PA asked if I wanted my membranes stripped again and I did. She told me to tell her when I couldn't handle it anymore. I was expecting it to be fast like last time and thought that I would just suck it up until she was done. No...she went on for about 15 seconds and I couldn't take it anymore.

I was hoping that I would go into labor that night but the contractions weren't consistent at all. DANG!! I woke up that next morning and felt great (booooo). I didn't know if I should go to work that day because I work 30 mins away and didn't want to have to rush home when I was already dilated to a 4, so I said a nice little prayer to see if I should go to work and my feelings were that I could go to work that day but I wouldn't be going in the next day. I vetoed and didn't go anyway!

My mom came down to go shopping and I walked all day to keep the contractions going, I ate pineapple for dinner, and did the other known things to go into labor ;).

My mom told me all day to take a picture of my belly because we all knew that I was close but I decided not too...definitely should have.

Really bad contractions started at 7 pm and were 11 minutes and under. I "went to bed" but couldn't really sleep because the contractions hurt so bad.  Finally around 1 am, the contractions were 5 minutes or less apart. I woke up Mark and we headed to the hospital. As we were walking in, and I looked like death, we snapped the pic above of me right before :).

We went in and I was dilated to a 5 and 100% effaced.  They immediately admitted me and I was able to get the epidural right then. YES!!!!! I will be a spokesperson for those....in heaven. I was watching the screen and seeing my body having contractions and I couldn't feel them. I was so grateful because my body was shaking from the contractions of the day.

The cord was around his neck and so I had to lay on my side the entire time. At 8:15 am I was ready to push this little guy out.  I decided to watch in the mirror and after pushing his head out, I couldn't watch anymore. It's weird seeing another humans head in between your legs and so I stopped watching. Little Zachary Carter Stanford made his debut at 9:17 am.