"our story" on this website that I am dedicating to him. My first born.
It all started on September 12th around 9:00pm (his due date). I just came home from dinner with my husband, his mom, my mom, and our friend Erica when I started having regular contractions that were coming ever 3-4 minutes and lasting close to 2 minutes long. At this time, everyone except my Mom went across the street to get yogurt, so we started timing the contractions and finishing up folding the laundry, and watching tv. My contractions were not very painful at all, but I knew that if they continued to go on like this for an hour it was worth going to the hospital to see if I was dilating more. I was already 3 cm dilated, which I found out that week at my previous appt.
The contractions continued on for over an hour, and they got more intense, so I decided we should all go to the hospital. It took a while to make that decision because I felt that I was not really in labor, but I didn't care anymore. The worst they could do was send me home. I should mention that I was extremely ready to have this baby! (I know everyone is at 40 weeks) BUT...I was in prodromal labor for over a week with horrible braxton hicks that were very consistent, had already lost my mucous plug, and had my "show"... So YEAH, I was ready, ready, really ready!!!
We all got to GW Hospital around 10:30pm, and I was put into a room to be monitored. They said that I was still only 3 cm dilated, but they wanted to keep me there because the baby was not as "active" as they would've liked him to be on the monitor. I was stoked! I wasn't being sent home:)
They had me walk around the hospital a bit to intensify my contractions more, and about an hour to two later they did get more painful, so they brought me to my private room around 12:30 am where I would be laboring for over 13 hours.
My husband Zack, my Mil, and Mom were all in the room with me while I was in labor. They all sat around my bed and we talked, watched tv, and helped me get through the contractions that I had until I asked for my epidural. Ahhhhh. After that, it was smooth sailing. I was able to relax, sleep, and even eat a little bit.
The experience was really wonderful, and everything I hoped for, until... I was 10 cm dilated and I was able to start pushing. Zack got our mother's out of the room so we could be alone, and I was with 2 lovely nurses and a great doctor that motivated me to start pushing. I was really into it, and pushing at every contraction although not much was changing. They left me to rest another for another 30 minutes or so to see if he "fell" some more on his own. Well, he didn't fall anymore, and I was very adamant to continue pushing. I really didn't care how long it took. Pushing had to have been the most intense thing I did throughout this entire pregnancy and labor, and I knew that I had to continue pushing to get my little baby out. It took a good 2.5 hours to finally get him out, and I couldn't have done without the support of my husband, and the doctors that stuck by me the entire time, motivating me and telling me how great I am doing. You really do need that, and it truly was such a triumphant moment in my life that I will remember always.
Cooper Max Boorstein came into this world at exactly 12:00pm on the dot. He was slightly blue from all my pushing, but was crying, and looked perfect to me, none the less. He was placed right into my arms instantly, and we just stared at each other in aw. I noticed right away his long legs, and big feet, just like his Mom and Dad. I started to cry and tell him that he would be ok, that his mom and dad were here with him now, and that we would love him forever.
He was not as small as I thought he would be; he was 8lb 1oz, and 21 inches long. I was so glad he didn't stay inside another week or two. He would've been 9-10 lbs. Geez!
Anyway, Cooper is here, and he is absolutely amazing. So calm, so content, and just so delicious. Our family is striving right now, and it is just the beginning.
He is our everything.
