Our labor and delivery story.. Part 1

Firstly, allow me to introduce...

Miss Ava Gracelin Rist!
Born on October 24th 2011
Weighing 7 pounds 10 ounces and 20 1/2 inches long!

 I can't believe she is here, I can't believe she is mine. This is the result of a years worth of prayers, tears and trusting in God. 
 Ava is 12 days old today and it still hardly seems real. I never knew I was capable of loving someone so much, I never knew someone so little could frustrate me to tears without even saying a word, I never knew what being tired was until now. 
Her birth was nothing like I had expected, it was terrifying and traumatic, but I'd do it all over again tomorrow for my Ava..


It all started at the breakfast table at 9am on Sunday October 23rd, I got my days first "braxton hicks contraction" ( or so I thought) I didn't think anything of it as I had been having Braxton hicks contractions daily for weeks; the only difference was, they usually started at night, this was the earliest I had ever had them Plus I was only 39 weeks and 3 days along, I was sure I was not going to be one of the lucky ones who go early.
I went about my business getting ready for church, driving the half hour it takes to get there and sitting in church.  I started to wonder if this was it because up until this point they had been coming every 15 minute and staying regular no matter if I was sitting, standing or walking.
During the sermon I started to have to breath during the contractions, well aware fo the 10 year old girl to my left staring at me the whole time.. This is when I started to get excited.


Once we got home I phoned my mom to let her know this was probably it, and feverishly started cleaning my house because it was in no way clean enough for my baby to come home to!

During my nesting fever I decided to vacuum, since our vacuum is insanely heavy to push around in hopes it would start something more, not 2 minutes after starting I felt a little *Ahem* wet, so I went to the bathroom to investigate ands sure enough there was some bloody show, THIS IS IT! I scrambled out the door an yelled to Justin "I'm in labor, I'm really in labor, there is blood!!!!!  

I  phoned my mom back and decided to go to the hospital to see how dilated I was this was around 5:30 in the evening.. So we get to the Rimbey hospital and get all hooked up to the monitors and wait and wait and wait. Finally a nurse comes to check me, apparently Ava's head was in a weird position and she couldn't reach my cervix, so in comes a new nurse, same thing.  Next thing I know my DR comes in to check me because let me tell you up until this point he is the only person who has ever touched my cervix so he would for sure know, right?  Right. After all that I was only 1 1/2 centimeters dilated 

He said that I could progress tonight or it could be another couple days, sad and defeated we went home and decided to go for a walk in hopes of making this thing happen ourselves, during our brisk walk my contractions STOPPED after an entire day of being regular and intensifying they completely left. 

After such an emotional day, we just decided to go to bed.

During the night when I would get up to use the bathroom I would see more and more blood, every time I did I would pray thus meant labor for the morning.  After what felt like the best night sleep I've ever had I awoke to a strong pain in my back and stomach, my eyes flew open A contraction! Far more intense then any I had felt the day before, I looked at the clock, 4:30am, this is the day!

I could be holding my daughter by tonight! 

Justin and I both got up showered, I made sure my legs were as hairless as possible and then settled down on the couch to wait and it didn't take long!  By 6:30 my contractions were about 5-7 minutes apart and hurting so bad it would bring me to tears, I refused to go to the hospital knowing they would just send me home again. ( my hospital only admits you once you are past 4 cm) 

By 10:00am I couldn't even think straight the pain was so bad, I couldn't figure out why during a contraction my back was what hurt most..Justin finally convinced me to go to the hospital.

After what felt like the worst car ride of my life we got there, were put back into the labor/delivery room and    waited to get checked.. Our nurse was well, less then nice checking me rougher then anyone ever had and pretty much  laying on top of me to do it, when that horror was over she matter of factually stated I was still only 1 cm dilated and (in so many words ) declared to me if I couldn't handle to pain then I had better toughen up because it will get a lot worse.. I knew she couldn't be right the pain was so blinding, this is what I imagined active labor to feel like and it seemed to multiply every minute.. So, in more pain then I've ever felt in my entire life we once again set off for home..