A delivery worthy of a 4th born...

A week ago today I was in the hospital. It is one of those rare times you get to be in the hospital for a good reason. Of course I'm talking about the arrival of our 4th child, Eli Joseph.
Even though each baby had little differences between their arrivals, all of my deliveries have been pretty text book. One would think a mom expecting her 4th would feel fairly confident about the delivery process. However, I was very uneasy. First I thought the baby wouldn't turn and I would have to have a c-section. Then I thought, I've never had my water break spontaneously like in the movies, what would I do if that happens? I had all three babies about 10 days early, what if this one wanted to buck the trend and come late? I don't know if I could deal with being pregnant that long. Well there were some BIG differences in my 4th delivery, but it wasn't any of the things I'd worried about.
I was experiencing a lot of false labor this time. Contractions were happening all the time, but they didn't actually trigger the labor process. Because of all these contractions I could never really be sure if my body was actually going into labor. As was the case the night of February 9. All evening I was having contractions about 10-15 minutes apart, they didn't hurt so it was nothing new. I put the kids to bed and decided I wanted to go to bed early. In the shower I felt a little "pinch" along with a contraction. At 10pm I went and sat on the couch to time these "pinchy" contractions. They were less than 10 minutes apart now, but they really didn't hurt and they weren't lasting very long. By 11:30 they were hurting a little more, and 5-7 minutes apart, but still not lasting very long. I called Aaron anyway to put him on alert since it takes him about 30 minutes to get home. Twenty minutes later I called him again and said he should come home, I had called the hospital and they wanted me come in and get checked. I called his parents who were watching the kids and Aaron and I left for the hospital at 12:20. By this time my contractions were pretty intense and I knew this was the real thing. It was happening so quickly because just 30 minutes earlier when I called the hospital I wasn't sure. We had just turned off on our exit when red flashing lights swirled behind us. Yes, we were being pulled over by the freakin' CHP! Aaron jumped out of his truck (a big no no) and started pointing at me, yelling to the officer that his wife was in labor. The officer had to come "verify" and then let us on our merry way without a ticket. We arrive at the hospital about 12:35, they check me, I'm 7 cm! I beg and plead for the epidural and the nurse says she'll try. The way everyone is rushing around my room in my head I'm thinking I'm not gonna get the epidural, in my heart I remain hopeful. I've never delivered without pain meds and I don't want to start now. I'm checked 10 minutes later and am at 8 cm and the nurse has a doubtful look in her eye. My contractions are of Mt. Everest proportion and right on top of each other so I can barely catch my breath. At 1am my doctor and the anesthesiologist walk in, please, please, please get the epidural in! My doctor checks me then looks up and says the 6 dreaded words "it's too late for the epidural". AHHHHHHHHHHHHHH! I can't do this, I don't want to do it this way. Aaron is totally panicking, he's never seen me in this much pain. He hears me say I can't do this and half of him wants to turn to the doctor and say "she can't do this" and the other half of him is like "wait, what do you mean you can't do this, you don't have a choice". My doctor and nurse are so sweet, reassuring us both and telling me I can do it, my body knows just what to do. I feel an overwhelming need to push and they tell me to go for it. I know it's going to hurt, but there is no way you can ignore this pushing urge. I push and I'm being sawed in half! The pain is on a whole other level, like nothing I've ever felt. Searing, blinding, white hot pain. It passes, but I have to push again. And again. And he's out. It's over. It's 1:11am, we only arrived at the hospital half an hour ago and I'm holding my baby in my arms. He's so sweet and tiny. I'm glad I didn't have him on the kitchen floor or in the car with a CHP officer present. Even though Eli is 4th, his delivery takes the cake in terms of being unforgettable. When he decided it was time, it was time, there was no stopping him. Eli was born on Feb. 10 at 1:11am measuring 7lb 5oz 19 1/2". The kids are smitten with their little brother and we are all adjusting to life with a newborn in the house. Its official...Shong family of 6!