And Crew Makes Four!

Friday, October 24, 2014 at 4:06am, we welcomed Crew Hale O'Connor to the world. He weighted 8 lbs even and measured 20 3/4 inches. My heart actually hurts with love for my family of four!

Rewind to the final weeks of pregnancy (since I stunk at keeping up with happenings on the blog). At my 37 week appointment I was 3cm and 90% effaced, which doctor said meant that my cervix was favorable for delivery. No matter what they tell you about cervix favorability not being an indication of when labor will happen, this news inevitably gets you excited that baby will be here sooner than later! I had also been having some pretty uncomfortable Braxton-Hicks contractions. Because Danny's delivery was so tough, the doctor offered an elective induction for my 39th week and while very tempting, I remained on the fence about whether I wanted to do it when I went to my 38 week appointment with Dr. Josephs on Thursday, October 23rd.

Also on Thursday, October 23rd Nana had Danny so Jimmy and I could go out to dinner for a belated celebration of our five year anniversary on September 19th. I was at home trying to finish up some work and the contractions I had been experienced for weeks moved to my back and I started pacing - without even knowing it - like a crazy person. I didn't start timing things right away, but I knew that there was a rhythm and had a feeling this was it. When Jimmy got home, we talked and considered canceling dinner plans in case it was the "real thing" but I don't like missing meals, especially when I'm 38 weeks pregnant, so we opted to go for it!

While at Freddie's in Kure Beach, I downloaded a contraction counter app, stuffed my face with eggplant parmesan, gripped the bottom of my seat every 7 minutes and spontaneously broke into tears a couple times. Got home and took a hot shower and decided we might as well head to the hospital since my cervix favorability did indicate that things would move fast when labor got started.

Got to triage about 9pm and the doctor on call was the same doctor I had seen earlier that day. I was still 90% effaced, but had progressed to 5cm. Still I wasn't in hard, hard labor yet, so doctor offered to break my water with the suggestion that I get the epidural I knew I would ultimately want before vs. after. By midnight I was numb and my water had been broken, so all we had to do was wait.

Funny story, the doctor said casually as he left the room after my breaking my water, "I deliver all my babies at 4am". I watched t.v. and the monitors and at 3:45am I finally felt the pressure and urge to push. My nurse checked and I was beyond ready - like don't move or sneeze ready - so after 3 pushes (total of five minutes), Crew was born at 4:06am. Tears ensued and Crew immediately gave us that classic newborn cry - strong and loud as ever and the most comforting sound in the world!

At about 7:30am we were moved to our postpartum, mother and baby room, where we were later greeted by Aunt Ali (drove a couple hours just to see Crew for a bit before catching a flight to Boston), Nana and Danny. We took naps in the afternoon and stayed the night at the hospital, but were discharged on our orders by the next day, Saturday, at noon.

To be continued...