Induction Day!!!

 Well, today's the day we get to start the eviction notice for our little one! I brought my work computer home yesterday & worked from home this morning. Then I got cleaned up so Frank & I could go out to lunch together as a final hoorah before the baby gets here & our lives are changed (in a good way) forever.

 

 It's nice being induced, b/c I was able to have everything ready to go & be all showered & clean & know what's coming. I can't believe my first baby girl is already 11 and we're about to welcome a 2nd baby girl to our family!

 

It blows my mind that by this time tomorrow we will be loving on the baby that is now inside my womb! CRAZY to think about. I couldn't ask for a better man to go through this with than my Frank. 

 Well, here we go! No turning back now. We got to the hospital at 4:30 to get all checked in.

 

 We filled out the paperwork and they put us in a room. The nurse started my Cervidil at about 6:00 pm, which helps to soften the cervix & get it ready for birth. Nick was working tonight and stopped by to say hi for a few minutes on his break.

 

 About an hour later, Matthew & Savi stopped in to say hi. Savi had Matthew at this hospital, so a few of the nurses that came into the room to check on me knew her. That was fun to have visitors.

 

 Frank & I were both hungry, so he went and got us Chick fil A for dinner. He surprised me w/ this beautiful flower arrangement. What a guy! I guess I wasn't supposed to be eating anything, but the nurse said she'll pretend my Chick fil A was just clear liquids. LOL!

 

 Liz came to stay at the hospital w/ me so Frank could go home, get the kids to bed, and get some rest before the big day tomorrow. He came back to the hospital after getting the kids to bed. The Cervidil was working, b/c I started having mild contractions. This is really happening!!!

 

 I got up to use the restroom at 11:44 pm, and as soon as I stood up, I felt a huge gush of liquid run down my leg and hit the floor. I stood there w/ a shocked look on my face and told Frank & Liz that my water had just broken. I didn't know what to do, b/c I was standing in a big pool of liquid. They went and got the nurse and she told me to go into the bathroom over the drain in the floor. I had Liz snap a pic of my wet footprints leading to the bathroom.

 

I was laughing so hard the whole time, b/c it was so unexpected. My water didn't break on it's own w/ Autumn, so this was a whole new experience, and one I'm glad I got to have. Once I thought most of the liquid was gone, I went and got back in bed. But, every time I would have a contraction, more & more amniotic fluid would come out. The end of the bed was SOAKED & fluid was dripping off the end of the bed. I had no idea there was so much amniotic fluid inside me!

 

Since it was the middle of the night, the anesthesiologist wasn't just there at the hospital like they would be during the day. So, once my water broke the contractions started getting more intense & I told the nurse to go ahead & call & wake up the anesthesiologist so they could drive in and give me my epidural. I was so scared of missing my window of opportunity, and after having contractions for a few hours I was NOT about to try and do a natural birth. I told my doctors from day 1 that I wanted an epidural. I have no idea how women have babies naturally, including Lexie (my sister) who had 9 & 10 lb babies naturally. WOW!

 

Liz snapped this pic for me of the epidural getting ready to go in. Once the epidural was in, I was able to relax and enjoy the process instead of doubling over in pain each time a contraction hit. Since it was going to be a while before I went into labor, Frank went home to get some sleep & Liz slept on the couch in the room.