On Dec 31st, my contractions started at 8am but I was in complete denial. I went to my weekly doctor appointment and they tracked my contractions. Because I've showed them happening as close together before (2-4min a part) they advised me to go home and rest. If they became significantly more painful I should call or go straight to the hospital. The doctor taking care of me also advised I take a bath because it would either "make or break" me. I returned to work (in agony) and worked until 530. My colleagues all were begging me to quit working so hard since they could see the pain I was in and wanted me to go home early,but working in the bank industry I knew I couldn't leave my team the day before a holiday. I went home and let me husband know I was going to take a bath before heading to a new year celebration. 5 minutes into my bath, my water broke. Unsure if it was my head or the actually thing I calmly warned my husband that it may be time. As he was running around frantically turning off stoves and lights, grabbing our hospital bag, he asked me if I was sure it was my water and not the bath water. I was unsure so I put on pants and told him that I'd make sure my contractions weren't painful. At that moment, my pants were soaking and I could not control it! Then my first real painful contraction hit me, like a hot knife stabbing into my back. My husband practically carried me to the truck and we took the longest 10 min ride of my life to the hospital. We wobble to the ER and I tell them "I think my water broke". The gentleman grabbed me a wheelchair and wheeled me into the office to grab my insurance information. They were asking questions and not worried since it was my first child so they "had time". Well as we were answering questions, my wheelchair was filling up with 'water' and I was in agonizing pain. Because I was 36 weeks along, I do not think they took me seriously and believed it was a false alarm, so they wheeled me into a room for a NST to monitor my contractions. It was here where the nurse saw the breadcrumbs which led straight to me and puddle I was standing in. "Oh honey, im so sorry lets get you into something a little more dry."...(in a calm but authoritative voice) "get her to labor and delivery right now..." At this point I'm crying because of the pain. I'm also a wimp and have no pain tolerance. As they monitored me in the right place the nurse could see how much pain I was in and FINALLY got me an epidural at midnight. I also was only 1 cm dilated. At 2 am the painful contractions woke me up and my poor husband. They checked my dilation and I was 9 cm. She return at 230 and I was ready. Apparently 2 others were also close to the point where I was, so the race for the first baby of the year began. We started pushing and continued to push for 4 agonizing hours. The epidural only worked on the right half of my body so it wasn't a very enjoyable 4 hours. I pushed and my son would go forward and suck right back in. We tried different positions from me holding my legs to the nurse and my husband holding them to turning on my side to setting the bar above where I lay to pull myself up and push. I was so exhausted that I fell asleep in between contractions. And my poor husband went through 4 cups of coffee trying to stay awake and help me through this process. He was pretty impressed at how much work I was doing. My nurse claimed that I was the hardest worker she has ever seen. She also advised me that the best way to get this baby out is to feel pain and she took away the God sent epidural button (with my unhappy consent). Well I was determined to push this baby out before feeling everything. The delivery doctor was finishing up 2 c sections when he finally crowned. The second he did the nurse told me to pause and not to move and ran out of the room. Laying in the most awkward position, holding my very tired husband's hand, we looked at each other and said this is it! The doctor walked in very calm and nonchalant. We began pushing again. The contractions were even further apart this time but it only took 4 pushes this time. At the 2nd push my doctor turned to the nurse and in a low, calm, demanding voice, told her to get the NICU in right away. She tried to tell him something but he cut her off and demanded she do it now. My husband concerned stood upright and to his misfortune saw the beauty of childbirth. His face INSTANTLY turned white as he leaned toward me and his grip became weak. I asked him what it looked like and he didn't speak. He didn't even look at me, he just shook his head no. For 5 minutes. Well my son finally made his entrance at 619 AM and they whisked him away to the other end of the room with the NICU nurses. We didn't even get the option to cut the umbilical cord. After a few minutes of silence, we finally heard the cry of my beautiful baby boy. They set him on my chest for 20 seconds and took him to the NICU. My husband made sure I was fine and then followed the nurses. I didn't see either of them for 4 hours. He stayed in the NICU for about a week. Well, now we are home and blessed with a very healthy happy fat baby.

The picture was taken Dec 31st and my son on Jan 1st