I had contractions all night long. They were about 7-10 minutes apart. In the morning there was a ton of snow (about two feet) and your uncle and grandpa shoveled the snow. We kept timing the contractions and deciding what to do. I wanted to labor at home as long as possible, but with the bad weather I didn’t want to push it too long. Finally Jeff called the doctor and they told us to start getting ready to come to the hospital. I packed some last minute items and your dad loaded up the car. However, by mid-morning the contractions were still around 7-10 minutes apart, so we decided to just relax and watch a movie. We had our 40 week appointment scheduled for that afternoon around 2, so we decided we’d just wait and go in for that. When we went to the appointment, I was already 6 cm dilated and they told us to go check into the hospital!

From that moment on things are a blur. Although the labor was very long, it is also a hazy memory. We called the doula and my parents, and soon Fiore, one of our doulas, arrived to help us. I had wanted to labor as long as I could without any drugs, hoping for a natural birth if possible. As the night went on I found I was able to handle the pain, and I kept going without having any drugs. I remember periodically looking at the clock and being surprised at how much time had passed. Sometime that night Carrie, the other doula, arrived and Fiore left. I remember walking around the hospital, walking up and down stairs, trying to help you come out. I distinctly remember watching the clock and realizing how late it was, and realizing that you were not going to be born on Feb. 3. Your dad and I were exhausted. We had not slept since 2 am Thursday.

In the hospital