The "G" Man has arrived

My official due date, June 13, came and went with no sign of Gavin...everyone I knew who was due after me had their baby which was hard! I just wanted to see him already! I went to the dr. the Thursday after my due date and I was still only 1cm dialated so she wanted to induce me. She said we could do Friday if there was a slot or Monday. When she said Friday I sort of freaked out. I knew the day was here and the inevitable was going to happen and I was scared. The hospital didn't have room until Tuesday morning. On Monday night I went to the hospital at 6:30pm so they could insert the gel to start induction. It took a good hour and a half because Gavin's heartrate was sporadic and they needed it to stabilize. Finally by 8:00pm they were able to insert it. They monitored me and him until 9pm and sent me home since I was 1cm and had no reaction. When I got home I started having mild cramping which is normal. By 11pm I was in bed and felt a POP...my water broke. I called the dr. and they said to come back...why they didn't just keep me in the first place?!? So we went back and I was now 3 cm. I laid there for a couple of hours and the contractions started to increase. They were waiting for a L and D room to open since it was a busy night. Once I was in the room I couldn't take the pain and requested an epidural. I was petrified about getting this but it really wasn't bad at all. Once that was in the pain subsided and I tried to get some rest. I did have a bad reaction to the medicine and threw up when it was increased. I tried to sleep for most of the day to prepare for what was to come. By 3pm on Tuesday, June 23 the dr. checked me and I was totally dialated plus 1 and fully effaced. It was time to push!!! My sister-in-law was with Eric and I and was an incredible help. Between Eric and Jill I was able to stay relatively calm and peaceful. Everytime a contraction came on I would push. I pushed for 3 hours. The nurse kept saying I was making progress and she could see his head. I just needed to get it over the bone. Then the dr. would check me and say I wasn't any different from before! ARGH! At this point I was exhausted from lack of sleep and from pushing for 3 hours. The dr. said a C-section would be my best option. I told Eric going into the hospital that this would be how it would all play out and low and behold it was. They increased the pain killers again since they decreased it so I could feel when I needed to push. This made me throw up again. They wheeled me into the OR and prepped me for the C. The whole thing took less than 30 minutes and at 7:01 Gavin entered the world. He weighed in at 10 pounds, 4 ounces and was 22 inches long. I heard him cry and the tears started to flow. They thought he may have had an infection and his blood sugar level was low so they had to whisk him away. Jill was able to bring him over to me to see him before they did this. The medication and hormones made me shake uncontrollably so I wasn't able to hold him. I went to the PACU and at 11pm I was finally able to see my son and hold him. It was simply incredible. Eric and I stayed in the hospital until Friday and requested to leave a day early. The nurses weren't that helpful and at that point I was ready to go home and get us all settled.
The first few days/nights were definitely an adjustment. I don't think anything can prepare you physically or mentally to be a parent. The lack of sleep has been hard but we are adjusting. Breastfeeding has been going well. He had his first checkup and he has put weight on. He is almost back to his birth weight which surprised the dr. It was nice to know I'm doing something right! Everytime I look at him I am simply in awe. I can't believe he is really here and after all these years feel so blessed to finally be a mom. It's an feeling I can't even describe...truly a miracle and a blessing.