Anyways, I continue on with my day, praying the contractions would work closer. Fast forward a little, watch the ball drop with my kiddos, get everyone ready for bed and at this point contractions has tapered off and I was ready for bed myself. About 3am I was awoken with a nasty contraction, I got up, laid in our recliner and convinced myself that it was going nowhere so I fell back asleep. Shortly after I was awoken with another. I began timing them. They never got closer than 6mons apart lasting about 50secs-1min each, but by 11am I could not stand the severe back pain... off to the hospital we go. Once we get to L&D they check me and put me on the monitor. At this point I was 2cm and 70%effaced (same as my appt a week prior) I felt defeated, as if this baby would never come on his own... but given that the monitor showed my contractions were consistent they chose to hold me for monitoring for a little bit. A pattern was established and baby's heart rate was perfect, so they told me to walk the halls.. I walked for a little over an hour, come back and contractions were still consistent, baby's HR still perfect. Dr comes in, says I am now 4cm and 80%effaced. Told us to go walk, OR we could go home and just ride it out there. I chose to stay, we were already here, I had already made some progress and to be honest, we were praying for a New Years baby (selfishly of course, because my MIL birthday was New Years and she left us in 2012) I go back to walking, back on the monitor, then I get on the birthing ball, because babyboy just had NO interest in engaging. Dr checks me and I am still 4cm & 80%, baby is at -3. She breaks my water and starts pitocin around 10pm. Around 12 I was given my epidural, and thank god for the angel that placed it because my contractions were coming every 1-3 mins lasting a good min with each and I could no longer handle the pain. Once the epidural was placed I was able to relax and decided to try to sleep. My nurse woke me around 1:30am, said baby's heart rate was dropping a bit, so she rolled me onto my side, gave me oxygen and said we would continue to monitor him. It felt like she was out of the room for 10mins before coming back in and asking me what I was feeling. She said baby's HR would dip right before each contraction, I explained that I felt pressure as if I was walking and getting that lightening crotch feeling. She decided to check me. 6cm, 80% effaced and baby was -2. So I decided I'd try to go back to sleep, this kid wasn't gonna be here until later in the day anyways.... I was woken up at 3:38am, my nurse said baby's HR was still dipping and she believed it was him trying to engage, but that she wanted my baby nurse to check me as well. Baby nurse is checking me for what seems forever, mind you I had an epidural so I feel nothing but mild pressure... so I'm like wake me when you need me lol. Next thing I know the baby nurse is flipping the lights on and waking my hubby whom was asleep in the chair next to my bed... she said I was complete, but baby is sunny side up, and we needed some practice pushes. By this time the combination of adrenaline and hormones hit me and I could not control the shaking in my hands.. but I was determined. After my third practice push, baby nurse starts yelling for a third nurse to call the on call dr, said during my last practice push baby turned his head and was able to drop into the birth canal. I am now trying with everything in my not to push as the pressure was incredible, they wanted to make sure I was pushing with my contractions due to baby's HR still fluctuating. Moments later dr arrives (3:55am), she suits up, and instructs me to push when nurse says I am contracting. I begin pushing, I hold it for their countdown, then dr tells me to push when I feel like it, baby will be here soon. This motivates me like no other, I take a deep breath and I push as hard as I possibly could. They tell me to relax a moment, take a deep breath then begin again. I did not know it but at that dr had removed the cord from baby's neck, it was wrapped twice 😳 I bear down once more and I hold it for as long as I possibly could... 1/2/17 @ 4:07am my baby was placed on my belly. First thing dr says 'that is a big baby, no really he is solid' 😁 we have some skin to skin, then finally baby was weighed.. 9lbs 11oz and 22in long! Introducing Ronin, mommas bigga boy!