Sam's Birth Story, Part II: Longest day ever!

*Please note: This is long. And possibly kinda boring. This record of the day is more for my own sake than for fascinating reading material. But I divided it up to make it easier to digest... and I tried to keep it free of the more graphic moments of labor and delivery, cuz let me tell you that stuff can get ugly. Even still, if you are likely to be offended by things of that nature: read at your own risk.

(Continued from Part I)
...We arrived at the hospital at 6:45 AM. They were ready for us when we arrived and took us right over to a room. The labor and delivery rooms at the hospital are huge, and it seemed weirdly too big and quiet when we got in there. I had Z open the blinds on all the windows, and the sun was rising... it felt better with the windows open. (It was a beautiful sunny day, and as the day progressed, sunlight would stream in the window and it felt bright and hopeful. Every time the nurse came in, she offered to close the blinds so the sun wouldn't shine so brightly in our eyes, and I declined. I wanted the sunlight in my eyes. It was nice.)

I got dressed in the ultra-sexy hospital gown, and our nurse, Leah, came in and started the IV. Then we went over a bunch of medical history-- boring stuff. She attached me to the monitors. We could hear baby boy's heartbeat!! It was reassuring, and made me anxious to get started on the 'work' I had to do today.  At 7:30 AM they started the pitocin, and then she left the room and Z and I just kinda looked at each other. Sooo... now what?
Now we wait.
Z turned on the TV for a while. I tried to sleep-- but I couldn't, I was too excited. I flipped through a magazine. I told Z to turn off the TV and we turned on some music. I got bored with the music and he turned the TV back on. The nurse came in, checked everything, turned up the pitocin, and left again. Only an hour had passed.
We went through a few more hours the same way... me being restless and frustrated and not really progressing and nothing to do but wait. finally around 10:00 I called my mom. "Where are you? Get here soon, we are bored!"
My mom and in-laws arrived at the hospital shortly after that and we all sat around chatting and giggling. Z had discovered the machine that tracked my contractions and would report to everyone-- "Another contraction, this is a big one!" I know, I'm the one having them. (check out the fancy machine to Z's left that tracks contractions... ooooh...)

The nurse would come in and check with me-- How are you feeling?
"A little uncomfortable"
"A little uncomfortable is not going to cut it..." and she would up the pitocin.
At 1:00 my doctor came in and said they were going to break my water to see if that would make my labor progress any. Z shuffled the family out of the room, and the doctor went about her business...
Let me just tell you, in case you have never experienced it... water breaking = grossest. feeling. EVER.
I was horrified as it happened and horrified that my husband was in there when it happened. Gross.
Once they got that mess cleaned up my family came back in the room to hang out-- but it was not fun anymore. Immediately after breaking my water the next contraction (rated by my husband as a 'very small' one) hurt like crap. I was all, oh, dang... game face. I breathed calmly through the next couple contractions. Each one got more intense. I was trying not to panic, and everyone else was trying to maintain the light-hearted demeanor from just moment ago, but i couldn't handle people talking anymore... I told the nurse to go ahead and get the anesthesiologist, and Z suggested to the family that maybe they should go get some lunch...
He sensed that things had taken a turn for me, and he was really sweetly protective of me. I love him for that.
It was about an hour before the anesthesiologist got there, and it was not a fun hour. My contractions picked up in intensity and frequency. Zachary was there holding me, talking to me, breathing with me-- he was amazing really. I wanted so bad to tel him how much I loved him for it... but I was too preoccupied with the pain to get it out.
I know what you are thinking. I am such a wus for requesting pain meds, and requesting them so soon-- but my Dr told me the kid wouldn't likely be born until midnight that night, and the only thing I could think was-- There is no way in hell I am doing this for ten hours.
The worst of the contractions came as the epidural guy got there, and they are all talking to me about consent forms and other stuff and I was like GET THE DRUGS IN ME THEN WE WILL CHAT ABOUT STUPID STUFF. The awesome thing about epidurals is they are pretty much instantaneous relief. One moment I was beside myself in pain, and the next I sat back in my bed, sighed, and said to my husband, "Epidurals are my favorite!"

So the family came back in at some point, and I slept some and the next few hours were uneventful, but ridiculously slow. Z would occasionally update everyone on how big my contractions were. The nurse would occasionally come in and check on me. I think I texted my sister and my best friend a couple times...
About 7:30 stuff started getting intense. Even though the epidural was handling the pain, my body was having a harder time dealing with the intense contractions at this point, and I was shaking uncontrollably and starting to get uncomfortable. My mom was super worried about me, but I was fine. I knew we were getting close. Z knew, too. I had him send the family away again, and he sat beside me just holding my hand.
I don't remember if we talked at all. I remember I was looking at my husband and thinking this would be the last moment ever that we were just the two of us. And I loved him so much.
The nurse came in and checked me several times,
"Getting close, dilated to a 9.5"
"So much closer... just a little bit on one side"
"You are almost there, if you feel like you want to start pushing, try not too, okay? Not yet."
The epidural was wearing off and I would squirm with every contraction trying not to do what my body wanted to. Z would look me in the eye after each one. "Are you okay?"
Yes.
"Do you want me to get the nurse?"
Not yet.
I held off for almost an hour. It was the longest hour ever. Then I finally knew I couldn't do it anymore, and sent Z after the nurse. She came in and checked me one last time at 9:00 pm and finally said, "Okay, you are ready. Lets have a baby."

To be continued...