Welcome Bryn Lee

It all started Friday November 5th while walking in Walmart... All of a sudden I felt a gush of fluid come out, enough to make my pants wet. So I called my OB and she suggested that I head to the hospital to get checked. Ryan was at work which was a good hour away. I dropped Kate off at Melissa's and headed to the hospital. I hadn't pre-registered yet because I wasn't due until the 20th and I actually had the pre-registration scheduled for that next Thursday. So while I waited in a room for the Doctor and Ryan I got all the paperwork filled out. I remember waiting and waiting and wondering and wondering if we were going to have this baby. My contractions were coming every 10 minutes but felt more like braxton hicks (no pain). Ryan arrived and they then did 3 different tests to see if it was amniotic fluid. They came back and weren't entirely sure if it was so they had us walk around the hospital for an hour to see if it leaked anymore. It didn't so they decided that I had a small tear in the sack and that it was plugged for the time being. So they sent me home.

The next day, Saturday, I helped put together a baby shower for a good friend. My contractions were still 10 minutes apart but were starting to get stronger (not anywhere near having to breathe through them). That night they were 7 minutes apart and stronger. Still not breathing through them but enough to get my attention. I took a bath and they subsided and I was able to get some sleep that night.

Sunday I felt fine to go to church. My contractions were definitely stronger and getting more painful but they were so sparatic that it wasn't a big deal. I ended up going to bed just fine... until I was awakened by contrations at 1:30 am Monday morning. I tried going back to sleep but they weren't having it. I decided to get into the bath to see if they would go away. Nope... they didn't. I have a clock in my bathroom with a second hand and I remember sitting in the tub counting through the contractions realizing that they were 4 minutes apart and about a minute long. After being in the bath for almost an hour I got out to start packing my bags (yeah hadn't done that yet either). As I'm getting a list loaded off the internet having to literally pause and breathe every 4 minutes I decide it's time to wake Ryan up. I was seriously worried that if we waited any longer that I wouldn't have the option for the epidural! LOL yeah... I go in to wake up Ryan and all I have to say is "Sweetie, I'm in labor. I think it's time to go to the hospital" and he shot straight up out of bed. Classic!! I called Melissa to come over until Kate woke up and was able to get my things packed between contractions. When Melissa arrived we left for the hospital (the contractions were really starting to get painful at this point.)

We got to the hospital at 4:30 am Monday morning, Nov 8th. They checked me and I was at a 5, 80% efaced and -1. So they admitted me, whew, I was glad it wasn't another false alarm. They started getting the things done for the epidural and such. Getting the epidural took what seemed like FOREVER as I'm having to bend over with my huge belly and extremely painful contractions!! Finally he got it in and I was able to relax. Not long after the epidural my water broke and I was at a 9.5, 100% and ready to go! I pushed for about 15-20 minutes and Bryn Lee was born at 8:07 am! She weighed 6 lbs 9.5 oz, 18 3/4 inches long! What an amazing experience! I remember feeling so good after having her! I was amazed at the night and day difference the delivery was from Kate to Bryn. Amazing how different your body acts and preforms from being forced to doing it in it's own time! We are so glad to have Bryn in our family!