The birthday boys

Last year on June 19, 2009 I gave birth to our first son Ben and it just so happened to be Jimmy's birthday. It was ten days before my due date and I totally did not expect that to happen. I was thinking it would happen soon but I assumed sometime the next week. Jimmy left for work at about 7:30 and I told him on his way out the door that I was feeling a braxton hix contraction.. which I had been feeling for six or so weeks at that point. That one felt a little intense but oh well nothing to be alarmed about. As soon as he left I started making plans about taking him to a steak dinner that night for his birthday. I was checking the internet trying to decide what I thought might be the best place when the pain started getting worse. I noticed another contraction and then another and then another. Within 20 minutes of Jimmy leaving things had progressed a lot. I called my mom who told me she would come right over and help out with the girls so I could just relax and wait and see what happened. Then I called Jimmy and just gave him the heads up and told him mom would be over to help me out so not to worry. You see the labor with our second child Serene lasted 22 hours so in my mind I'm thinking we have all day to sit and just wait things out and then if by chance this was the real deal (which at that point I doubted it was) we could go to the hospital later. Within 10 minutes of talking to my mom and Jimmy I was down on all fours in our study beside the computer desk breathing trying to breathe through the contraction which were now getting close to extremely painful. I called Jimmy back and when I was not even able to speak through the contraction which were now about three minutes apart he said he was on his way back home.

Jimmy called my mom, his mom, and the nurse at my OB's office on the way home. The nurse in turn called me and after speaking with me for just a few minutes and seeing how close and intense the contractions were by my interaction over the phone told me to call a neighbor or the ambulance and get to the hospital immediately. I thought that was nuts and told her my last labor had been very long and I didn't think it was necessary to go just yet. Jimmy had just pulled into the parking lot at work when he decided to come home so that meant he had a full hour to get back. Although, on this day I'm pretty sure it didn't take quite that long. =) He sped home and when he arrived his mom was close on his heels so she could stay with the children.

Here's the weird part... well you ladies may understand this. Once Jimmy and his mom got home, I insisted that I take a shower before we left. I mean I didnt' want to be all gross at the hospital. So through what was now two minute apart contractions I took a shower, shaved my legs and got some cute clothes on. I even put perfume on. This is while stopping every two minutes to have an EXTREMELY painful contraction. Beauty is sometime painful right?? =)

Finally we are in the car and headed to Denton. Jimmy asked me to tell him whenever I have a contraction so that he can kind of gauge where we are on the 30 minute drive up there. Much to his disbelief AND mine. The contraction are now coming ONE minute apart and to the point of unbearable pain. I rode the whole way to Denton facing backwards holding on to the back seat. Jimmy and I laugh because I kept saying "Jesus help me, Jesus please get me through this".... He said I sounded hilarious. I told him I was legitimately begging Jesus to help me! =)

We finally got to the hospital which felt like about a two hour drive to he and I both. The nurses were acting nonchalant like they are thinking maybe things aren't quite as bad as I'm making them out to be. I'm sure they see lots of women come in seemingly ready to have the baby and still be hours away. So to them at this point I'm another one of those. They get me back there get me checked and I'm dilated to a TEN. At this point you would think I was the calm one. They started yelling out the door "we have a ten we have a ten"... people started racing around setting up tables, getting the baby bed ready, people are yelling to get the doctor their ASAP, etc. etc. Meanwhile I'm laying there thinking this might be the end of my life.... labor is painful people! =)

Finally my doctor arrived and Ben came FLYING out. The whole thing from the moment I thought that first "braxton hicks" contraction was kind of intense until I was holding my little man was 3 1/2 hours... see, I still had plenty of time for that shower! =) As I'm sitting there holding our new little baby boy and kind of still in shock as to how fast this whole thing happened, it hit me... it as Jimmy's birthday. Our first son was born on his daddy's birthday. How totally cool is that?! We didn't spend the evening going to a nice steak dinner that night. Instead we feasted on hospital food and admired the amazing little boy we had been blessed with. WAY BETTER than Kirby's any day!

One other thing about this day that makes it so special for us is that I had two previous c-sections with our first two daughters. Then, Ben was born completely naturally without a single complication. What an amazing day it was for us. A day I will always cherish. My precious son born on his daddy's birthday and the birth experience I always hoped for. (minus the crazy car ride)!!

Now, here we are a year later.... my guys just celebrated their first real birthday together and I can't wait to watch them celebrate many many more together! Oh and now we await the arrival of son #2 in just three or so weeks. I hope we make it to the hospital again this time! =) Well, as long as I get a shower!