The Newton Nest: Our ANGEL Has Arrived!!!!!! February 10, 2011

"This is the day the Lord has made, let us rejoice and be glad..." Psalm 118:24

     Jameson Jon Newton made his big debut today! He was absolutely perfect and we could not be more excited about our new addition!
     Jon and I got up at 3:30am to start getting ready for the big day! Although, we were up half the night anyway because we were so excited so when I say "got up" that technically means we stopped laying there talking and actually got out of bed to take showers! We had to be at hospital by 6:00 and we didn't want to be late so we left the house at 4:45. It had snowed on Tuesday and Wednesday and the roads were still completely covered so it was a slow and dark trip to the hospital! Daddy drove the truck while I videoed our trip, Daddy's excitement, the temperature outside (-1 degree), and pulling in to the hospital!
     We arrived to the hospital at 5:45 and I immediately started crying so I made Jon drive around the parking lot until I could pull myself together! I just couldn't contain my emotions because TODAY was the day I was going to meet my little man!
      We checked in through "Laboring Patients" department and they had all my paperwork ready for us since they knew ahead of time I was being induced. The registering nurse walked us to our room. Jon went out and brought in all of our bags (shockingly, we over packed!) while I got into my hospital gown and the nurse had me fill out a few more forms. I was in the bed and attached to my fluids, monitors, and pitocin drip by 7:00am! At this point, my first cousin, Jill, came in for her shift! She had already arranged her schedule to be my nurse, and MY nurse only!  When she came in I told her that I had been feeling some pain that I hadnt' ever felt before and she looked at my monitor. My contractions were already 2 1/2 minutes apart and I was dilated 3 cm! She said, "Well, it's a good thing you picked today to be induced because you would have been here this afternoon regardless!" So, I guess Jon and I picked the perfect birthday for Jameson...He seemed to want the 10th anyway!
       At 8:00am, Dr. Ott came in with a big smile and said, "Today is a GREAT day to have a baby!" I said, "I agree!" Then I found out that today was Dr. Ott's BIRTHDAY! How perfect!  We have absolutely loved her from day one and I was completely honored that she got to deliver our baby boy on her own birthday! Dr. Ott always complimented me at my doctor visits on my pretty scarves so she asked where my scarf was today! I told her that I could look through my clothes and see if I could find one to match my hospital gown, LOL!
       Next, Dr. Ott broke my water! I won't go in to detail about this, but let me say that I worried for weeks that my water would break and I wouldn't know it....after that I quickly realized that I WOULD KNOW! Dr. Ott headed downstairs to begin her rounds and wait for me to progress. The anesthesiologist came in next to give me my epidural. There was about a 45 minute gap between my water being broke and getting the epidural and my contractions were getting pretty strong and pretty painful! I don't know how some women go without an epidural! I'm not tough enough!
        After I got my epidural I felt like a new woman! My parents, Jon's parents, Lindsay and Jace, Christy, and Grandma Liz were all at the hospital at this point and they were laughing at how bubbly and comfortable I seemed after the epidural. I couldn't feel a thing from my waist down! My toes and legs tingled and as hard as I tried, I couldn't move my legs (which to some point kind of bothered me!)
        I started progressing pretty quickly and was at 5cm by lunch. I started becoming very nauseated and asked my family to step out for a while so I could try to rest. Mom and Jon sat in there with me while I tried to throw up, but I hadn't had anything to drink or eat since 8pm the night before so I just dry heaved. I started feeling better around 2 so I let everyone come back in for a while. At this point I was now at 7cm!
        By 4:30 I was at 9cm and Dr. Ott was coming up to start the pushing process! By 5:00 I was completely thinned and at 10cm! Everyone was kicked out of the room except my Mom and Jon, they transformed the room into a delivery room in what seemed like 20 seconds and we were getting ready to push!
        Although the epidural numbed me, I could still feel the contractions coming on and the pressure to push. We did a few "warm up" pushes just to get the hang of it and then at 5:30 we started REALLY PUSHING!!! We continued to push about every 2 minutes during the contractions. Three big pushes during each contraction. Jill and Jon helped me push while Dr. Ott stood at the end of the bed and encouraged me. Mom's job was to video and take pictures (non-graphic) during everything. I couldn't have imagined labor going more smoothly than it did! We were laughing and cutting up between contractions, and it was such a peaceful environment for Jameson to enter in to! After 43 minutes, which actually went really fast and wasn't painful at all, our Little Man was born!!! So, he was born at 6:13pm on 2/10/11 and he weighed 7 lbs and 10 oz. and was 21 inches long! He was PERFECT!
        Shortly after he was cleaned up and Jon and I had some short family time (and tried breast feeding) we opened the door to find all of the rest of our family hovered around! We let them come in and meet Jameson for the first time! We had several visitors between Thursday and our release on Saturday and we were so glad so many people stopped by to visit!