We were scheduled to be induced at 5 a.m. on August 3rd. We came in and got blood drawn and settled into the hospital room. I was 4 cm dilated, 80% effaced and at -2 station when we came in. The pitocin drip was started at 6 a.m. About an hour later, my water broke on its own and the contractions started getting very intense. The doctor recommended that I labor a little while longer before I got the epidural so as not to slow my progress down. I was in a lot of pain though, so they gave me morphine through the IV, which really didn't do a thing to touch those contractions! However, I stuck it out and labored until the pain had me close to tears. My amazing nurse knew it was time for the epidural before I even asked for it again and called the anestheologist three times to get him down here before my window closed. Sitting up to get stuck in the back with a needle while having back to back contractions was probably the most painful thing ever, but once that epidural kicked in it was worth it! (I have a new respect for all those women who are able to go through labor without any medication!) after the epi was in they checked me again and I was at 6 cm. I quickly went to 9 cm and the nurses had me do a couple of trial pushes to try to move the baby down and get me to 10 cm. once I got to 10 they sat me up to get the baby's head to move down further and eventually it did. Unfortunately, my epidural had started to wear off so I was feeling all the pain and pressure of my contractions again. They called on the anestheologist again to top me off and he had me pain free within the next ten minutes. The nurses had me start doing practice pushes again to get baby's head moving down more, but when I started to push his heart rate dropped. They had me stop pushing and called for the doctor. Once she walked in, his heart rate was perfectly fine again and she said lets have a baby. I started pushing with my contractions around 2 p.m.  And by 2:22 he was here! He weighed 7 pounds and 15 oz and was 21 inches long. I only had one minor laceration on the inside of my vagina that required a couple stitches. No epistomy required and no perennial tears! Mommy and baby Elijah are doing good and figuring out breast feeding together. Hopefully we will be home soon.