Jake's birth story

[for our record and anyone else interested]

I was scheduled to be induced on Friday, June 1st.  The hospital called me the night before around 5 and told me that they would call in the morning to tell me when to come in.  Around 7:45 that night, just after I had put Brooklyn to bed, I started having what I thought at first were braxton hicks contractions - just like the ones I'd been having the past several weeks.  I didn't think much of it at first until another one came, and another, and another.  They were starting to be painful so I started timing them and every 5 minutes on the dot I'd have another one.  I was starting to get a little worried because I was home alone (John was at his softball game) and didn't know what to do - I was afraid of going in to the hospital and them telling me I wasn't really in labor and afraid of being sent home.  But the pain was also getting stronger and stronger.  I text John at 8:25 and told him to HURRY HOME.  John was home 15 minutes later...in the meantime I threw a few things into a bag, called Rich and Misty to come get the monitor to listen for Brooklyn, and was ready to go the minute John pulled in the driveway.  As John and I were pulling out of the driveway he stopped and jumped out of the car...I asked him what he was doing as he was running into the house and he said I forgot to say goodbye to Brooklyn.....it's sweet of him and funny now....but at the time I thought, are you kidding me?!!  I'm in labor!!  :)  Anyway, we were on our way after that.

As we were walking in to the hospital I didn't have to say a word to the security guard at the front...he saw my face and immediately pointed which way to go.  I quickly got to my room and changed and the nurse checked me.  I was at a 4 and there to stay.  Even though I was still in pain, I was so relieved at this point knowing I actually was in labor and not just being a wimp.  My nurse was so great and immediately put in my IV and called the anesthesiologist to get my epidural.  20 minutes later I had my epidural and was able to relax and enjoy the rest of labor.  John watched a James Bond movie while I talked to my mom on the phone.  They never gave me any pitocin because I was progressing so quickly on my own.  I tested positive on the strep B test, so I needed 2 bags of antibiotics (that they give you 4 hours apart from each other) before they would break my water.  I was checked around midnight and was at a 7.  My nurse also said at that point my bag of water was bulging and ready to pop and I might not have time to get the 2 bags.  She came back again around 1:50 a.m., said I was at a 10, and called my doctor.  My doctor got there, soon followed by Jeannette, he broke my water, I pushed for 5 minutes and at 2:14 a.m. he was born!   

It was night and day from Brooklyn's delivery.  I pushed 2 hours with her and couldn't believe it was just 5 minutes with Jake.  The put him on me once he was born and I got to hold him for the first time.  He looked so much like Brooklyn to me and I instantly fell in love with him.  They weighed and measured him and then John and Jeannette held him.  I will never forget those first few moments of his life (just as I remember Brooklyn's).  It is such an incredible feeling to see and hold this little spirit that has been inside you for so long and who you have waited for so anxiously.  He fits in to our family so perfectly already and I love, love, love having a son.

John and I had a hard time naming him.  We had a small list of names we agreed on and finally just decided that we'd wait to see him and then hopefully be more confident in his name.  The morning after he was born we were talking about it once again and both just felt it should be Jake.  I think it fits so well with the rest of our family...John.Becky.Brooklyn.Jake :)  His middle name Stephen, is after my dad - and I couldn't be more proud to name my first son after my hero.   

And some pictures of labor/delivery....