Born on due date!

Well I tried to post this the day after, but it didn't go through! Baby Sterling came on his due date July 23. I had been having some stronger contractions the twonights before but they would always stay 20 minutes apart and be gone by the morning. The morning of his due date, I woke up and felt totally normal and was kind of sad because I was really done with being pregnantand felt totally normal. My husband and I decided to go to the locals farmers market, and then walk around and go to breakfast so that I could get out of the house. On our way to breakfast I had a contraction that stopped me in my tracks for the first time, and I told my husband that was the first painful one I had really had. Through breakfast they were still coming but less painful, but after breakfast I had another painful one and then once we got to our car, another one hit. By the time I got home, they were about 15 minutes apart. Then quickly within an hour they started coming 6-7 minutes apart and were excruciating. Within 30 minutes, they were down to five minutes apart and I told my husband to get the car. I had already been at 4 cm a couple days prior. On our way to the hospital, they started being 45 seconds long and 1 minute apart! Every one felt like I was going to die! We got to the hospital and I was that woman being wheeled in screaming. Triage nurse said I was complete, so we moved to the top of the list and got a delivery room right away. My doctor said I was actually 8cm and that it was my last chance for the epidural. I was shaking violently from the pain so immediately said yes. It took about 45 seconds for it to kick in and suddenly I was myself again! Modern medicine is amazing. My progress slowed after that, so I had a low dose of pitocin and the doctor broke my water. When it came time to push, I felt nothing but pressure and took about 20 minutes to push him out. He came out screaming and perfect and I didn't feel the 2nd degree tear or stitches I got. I couldn't love anything more!! He is worth every second of pain.