Hello ladies! I finally get to write my amazing birth story❤️

It all started the night of 1/7/18, my family and I decided to get together for a game night! I was 38 weeks and 3 days pregnant so I was honestly NOT feeling it... I hesitated to make it there, but I'm glad I did! We played poker for about an hour until we switched to the infamous "card against humanity." It literally got to the point where my tummy was sore and I was literally crying because I was laughing so hard! I was so relaxed and having a great time! By the time I got home I was having some pretty intense BH! They went away as I tried falling asleep... I woke up at about 3:00am with terrible heartburn, nausea and extreme restlessness! I got up and went to sleep on the couch so I wouldn't keep waking my hubby... heartburn continued, nausea picked up and I puked at about 5am. From then on EVERYTHING felt different. As soon as I got up from throwing up my stomach felt LOWER, and HEAVIER. It even looked lower. So I tried to relax and get through the heart burn and nausea (i didn't want to get my hopes up again).. Finally at exactly 6:46am I had my first REAL contraction, I'm a FTM so I honestly dont know how I knew it was real! It felt like a period cramp on steroids! I automatically documented this contraction and started writing the next ones down (pic below). They slowly started intensifying and at about 8am I decided it was time to wake up my husband! I told him it was time, and to slowly start waking up, but to take his time! He finally got up at around 9am and I was already getting last minute stuff ready (bathroom stuff). He woke up.. showered.. put everything in the car and we were off to the doctor by 11! At this point contractions were about 3 minutes apart and about a minute long, but very bearable! I should also mention before I went into labor I was 4cm dilated and 80% effaced the week before! So hubby grabs him some sonic breakfast and eats it on the way to the hospital (20 min away from us). We get to the hospital and they check me right away! I was at a 5 and had a bulging bag! Not even 10 minutes later my water breaks on its own and I make the walk of shame to my room where I would be having my baby. Yes, I left a puddle from the first room to my admitted room, it was hilarious honestly! 😂 .. anyways.. after that my contractions start intensifying but I really try to breathe through them taking extremely deep deep breathes! It helped SO much! I have horrible anxiety and I was determined to stay calm for my baby❤️ I got the epidural 2 hours later once I got to a 7! Let me tel ya it .. was. MAGIC. I was able to relax more! It didn't hurt at all! Just a little uncomfortable! After that I relaxed and hung out with my hubby, mom and mother in law! Two hours later I was at an 8.. and two hours after that at a 9 1/2! I waited for two hours after that because I had a cervical lip that wouldn't dilate so they had to keep waiting me positions so I would "labor down" which basically means letting your contractions move baby down by themselves instead of pushing right away! by this time my epidural had wore off and my anesthesiologist did everything in his power to get me numb.. it didn't work.. honestly if I could do one thing different it would be to WAIT until the last moment to get it so I wouldn't be in so much pain! At about 8:10ish I did some practice pushes and let me tell ya it hurt more to have a contraction than to push! Contractions were INTENSE and it felt like I was about to poop him out! Practice pushed for about 20 minutes and they decided I needed to labor down a bit more.. so they had me sit up for another 30 minutes and at exactly 9:00pm I started the real pushing! It. Was. Crazy. My only advice it to LISTEN to your doctor when they tell you how to push and how to change your push because it HELPS. I pushed for 22 minutes and at 9:22pm Calev Manuel was born❤️ the BEST feeling in the world is when he finally comes out and you can actually BREATHE and take in your beautiful baby! he had the cord wrapped around his little neck TWICE and I will forever be grateful to God he is okay because he was purple when he came out! He didn't cry until about 5 hours later by the way.. and still remains being a pretty calm baby! I had a 2nd degree tear which they told me want too bad for a FTM! I think t had more to do with the fact that once they saw the two cord pulling him back in every time I pushed, they had to pull him out FAST! My baby was 6lbs 5oz and I was 38 weeks and 4 days when I had him! He is so beautiful and the pain was so worth it❤️ the love I feel for him is so different and inexplicable!