So, to continue where I left off..
Since it was after hours and the main entrance of the hospital was closed, we had to enter thru the ER entrance. Once inside the toasty warm hospital, my husband told the front desk that we were heading up to Labor and Delivery and plopped me into a wheelchair, just to be on the safe side.

We checked in with the nurse at the desk and they got me settled in the triage room. We were both a bundle of nerves, but happy nerves for a our little guy was finally on his way! After many, many questions the nurse hooked me up to the monitor and we heard what is easily the most reassuring sound to an expectant mother, a nice steady heartbeat. I miss hearing that heartbeat thru the monitor although I know I can just lay my head on my little Dylan's chest and hear the real thing. My doctor came in and told me that while he was on call at the moment, he would be going off in a couple of hours and that another doctor, whom I didn't know, would be delivering me. I was sad at first, but I trusted my doctor would put me in good hands. It was now time to go to what would become my labor & delivery room and start doing laps around the ward. After a while, I saw my dad & grandpa-to-be come thru the doors. He continued to do laps with me while DH went downstairs to meet my mom & stepdad and show them they way up.

The laps were finally done and I was hooked up to an IV with medication to speed up my contractions and of course the monitor again. I rocked in the rocking chair for a while and as the contractions sped up, I was allowed to lay in bed. Thankfully I had a decent dinner because there was no food for me until after delivery. I was eventually allowed an orange popsicle, thankfully! Time passed quite quickly it seemed to me but probably not to my anxious, excited family.

As the time went by, my pain increased and I asked for the epidural-the medication of gods! While I waited for it, the doctor came in and said it would be a half an hour because he wanted lab work on me but I could have another medication to take the edge off, Staidol. Yup, no thanks! I have heard the horror stories and decided to wait it out. That lasted exactly ten minutes when the back pain took over and I conceeded-I wanted the drugs! I kind of went into a fog after that. I started sweating profusely and started having technicolor flashbacks of my life. It was the strangest thing I had ever experienced. I told my family it was "trippy" and that it must be what being is drugs is like. I remember my mom & my sister fanning me vigorously while my husband went to have something to eat-he had to keep his strength up for he had a long day ahead of him. Apparently, they turned the air conditioning down to somewhere in the 50's since I was sweating so badly. DH, my mom & the nurses probably had icicles hanging from the noses! I also remember asking "how that Duggar woman could do this so many times" & "get her in here".

I finally got my epidural and some of the pain subsided. But, then the vomitting started. Um, yeah, I thought that part would have ended when my water broke but no such luck. It persisted every hour nearly on the hour until it was time to push and I finally got something to stop it. I dont' know how I knew I had to push, but I knew this baby had to get out and the vomitting had to stop. I told the nurse and she got the doctor. After about eighteen plus hours of labor & fourty five minutes of pushing, the "jaws of life" aka forcepts, our Dylan was born-face up, with the cord loosely around his neck. All that was the source of my back labor. He was perfect! 6lbs 8oz, 19 inches long with a good set of lungs and a full head of hair-hence the heartburn I had til the minute he was born! We were all so overcome with joy!

Late into the night, once the epidural wore off, DH (you know I am done with the DH crap, his name is Chris)(who came up with that stuff anyway?), Dylan and I headed to our new room where we would all recover from the most eventful day of our lives. My husband and mother were so amazing during my labor and delivery. I am a very lucky girl! I changed my first diaper ever that night at 2am when the nurse came in to wake us so Dylan could eat. Instinct took over and we survived our first night as a family. Bleary-eyed and overjoyed.

The next day was filled with visitors and camera flashes as Dylan became the most adored baby. Many laughs were had about the um, consistency, of baby's first poop and who was going to clean it. The next few days are a bit of blur for me but we were discharged less than fourty eight hours after checking in. Homeward bound!