The Story Of Baby Jayson Dodge

He's home! And I can write about it without getting all emotional.
Sunday, October 19th, while driving to my parent's house for dinner, I started contracting. Which wasn't new to me, I'd been contracting for three weeks (thus the bed rest). During dinner, I was counting them every five minutes. I could look at the clock and know one was about to arrive. I stayed at my parents house until 9ish and decided that since they weren't KILLING me, I'd drive home. I tried to watch some tv, took some Tylenol PM and played some Catan on-line to distract me. It didn't work. They kept coming. At 11ish I tried to go to sleep. Every five minutes, I was awake looking at the clock. Rick had gone to bed at 10pm. I kept telling myself, "If I have another one within 10 minutes, we'll go to the hospital." It seemed like they were twenty minutes apart, until I looked at the clock and saw it had only been 4 or 5. At 1am, I woke Rick up and said it was time. We showed up at the hospital at 1:30am, was in triage by 1:45 and at 3:30 they decided to admit me. I wasn't dilating very much, but the contractions were too close together to stop. We were in the Labor/Delivery/Recovery room and hooked up to an IV for the antibiotics by 4am. I kept telling the nurses that once Dr Beck comes in and breaks my water, I go super fast. At 7:30, Dr Beck came in and told me he'd be back after a surgery to break it. I got the epidural at 8:45, and felt silly about it because I wasn't in that much pain. My mom and Mykee showed up right after the Epidural was in. I thought for sure that Dr Beck would be in around 9:30 or 10, the baby would be out around 10:30. Didn't happen. Dr Beck couldn't get into break my water until 11am. I hadn't dilated at all and my cervix hadn't changed. I had been in labor for SO long, it made me frustrated that nothing was happening! Mom, Mykee and Rick were SO bored...just waiting. And waiting. Nothing was changing. At 1pm, the nurse decided that maybe I should turn on my side and change positions. (UGH--why didn't I think of that!!! Of course I needed to change positions!!) By 1:30 things were happening. At 3pm, the nurse called Dr Beck and he was there in five minutes. Baby was born at 3:11pm. 22 hours of labor - my longest. My biggest baby at 7lbs 3oz and 20" long was pre-mature and needed to be taken to the NICU asap. Good timing...Rick, Mom and Mykee *RAN* out the door and made it home just in time for Dylin's 4:pm Birthday Party!! Baby Jayson Dodge was in the NICU until Friday morning. He was treated for possible pneumonia, low blood sugar, wasn't eating well and jaundice. Fun Stuff. BUT... I was able to come home on Wednesday afternoon and get 2 NIGHTS OF FULL, UNINTERRUPTED, WONDERFUL SLEEP!!! I feel great and it's so nice to have him home with me. It's been a day of nothing but holding him.
Welcome home, Baby Jayson Dodge. (not sure I can call him Dodge yet)