One year ago

In just a few hours I will start feeling something that I will have to call my sister to be sure that they are contractions. The feelings will get worse as I make dinner for Chris but I am still not sure that they are the "real" thing. One. Year. Ago.
While I lay on the couch that night watching TV my family had convinced me to time and write down the "contractions". The more relaxed I got the more spaced out and soft they got. We went to bed at a regular time and I figured it was just a fluke. At about 2:00am I woke up because the bed was a little wet (gross!). I said Chris's name, told him what I was feeling and I have never seen him move from a sound sleep to being up and dressed so fast. We called the hospital, threw a few things together and went to the hospital. BUT not before we stopped at my work so I could drop off a massive mailing that I had been working on that week to be sure that it got in the mail the next day (the letters were dated and I did not want my temp to have to start all over again!).
When we got to the hospital they got us checked in and into a room. I was checked by a doctor who said that it was very early. They encouraged me to walk around. Chris went to sleep in the hospital room and I started doing laps around the hospital wing. They checked me again two hours later and said that I had not progressed so they had to send me home. They told me I was in pre-labor which could last weeks. I felt horrible that we spent over two hours in the hospital for nothing. We were home for maybe a half an hour when the contractions started really kicking in. I was laying in bed, not dealing with the pain well and decided to call my sister. I was so confused. Was this really going to last weeks like this? Was I just being a huge wimp? She told me to try and sit in the a warm bath. That didn't help. I called her again. While I was on the phone this time I had a contraction and when she heard my breathing and voice change she told me to call the hospital again. We went back to the hospital. This time they said I had progressed and would be staying at the hospital.
We called both families to let them know that it was indeed the real thing.
So then we waited. Luckily it was the first day of March Madness (I had been saying for weeks that I was going to have her during March Madness opening weekend so that I would have good tv to watch in the hospital!!) so there was all the basketball we could want on TV. It was really awesome.
The nurses and doctors came and went that day checking on me. I remember the contractions getting pretty bad and that I just kept asking when I was going to get the epidural. Once I got the drugs I just lay there enjoying the basketball and waiting. Finally, the doctor came in, checked me and said okay it is time to get started. There were two nurses and the doctor in the room. I looked around and said "Are there more people coming?" That was all they needed he said. Chris would help by holding my right leg and doing just as the nurse did. He was going to have to be involved!!? I was still convinced that he was going to pass out at some point; who was going to hold my leg then? (He passed out when I got my wisdom teeth pulled and he saw the blood!)
I started pushing. The epidural was pretty strong and sometimes I couldn't even feel the contractions when they came. The nurse would just tell me I was having one and that I needed to push. After a little bit the doctor told us that she was not advancing very well and I was going to have to REALLY push or there was a chance they would have to do a c-section. I got scared and knew that I just needed to push harder. They did have to use the vaccuum on her and the doctor warned me that she would have an oddly shaped head when she came out. And boy did she! I pushed and pushed. Chris watched some but mostly just held my leg and said "PUSH!".
At 2:02pm Samantha Jane Enlund was born. I was so tired I don't really remember very much from those first moments. The doctor worked on me and the nurses and Chris worked on Sam. When they finally gave her to me she was beautiful except for her extremely pronounced cone-head! But they assured me that it would go away in a few days.
The days in the hospital were filled with family, friends and feeding. We actually had a party one night in the hospital room with about 10 people and lots of pizza. We didn't think beer was appropriate! We learned how to swaddle, feed, change diapers and watch Sam sleep.
We had done it and couldn't be happier.
A year has passed and she is amazing. She has a great smile, a cute laugh, gives great hugs and kisses, says hi to everyone, is stubborn, has her mother's attitude and pretty much her daddy's everything else.
I never could have imagined how much this one little person would change our lives; would change ME.
I LOVE HER!!
Tomorrow Samantha will turn one and I cannot believe a year has gone by already.
We have family coming to town tonight and I know tomorrow will be crazy so I wanted to write Sam's birthday story today.
SO, to my little girl -
You are the most amazing thing that has ever happened to me and I CANNOT wait to see what you will do this next year. Happy Birthday Sweety. WE LOVE YOU!