i gave birth in my running shoes!

.....well, almost gave birth in my running shoes....the doctor told me i shoud probably take them off just before she was born (so my shoes wouldn't get dirty!)

that's basically how fast the entire birth process went ...

i had contractions throughout the day on monday (february 15) and i woke up at about midnight with some contractions (i grabbed my iphone - i had downloaded a contraction timer application that timed the contractions and averaged the time in between the contractions). at this point the contractions were about 7-8 minutes apart. this continued until about 3am when the contractions got to be about 6-7 minutes apart. around 6am the contractions were still about 6 minutes apart. i got in the shower about 7am and ross prepared the kids for school that day...got them breakfast and dropped jayden and graham off at school around 8am. helen stayed with me while i finished getting ready and i got her dressed - by then the contractions had moved to about 5-6 minutes apart. the iphone application was so handy!! - i didn't have to think about the timing.... i just hit 'contraction start' - 'contraction end'! my friend, trisha stopped by to pick up helen for the day. i made some oatmeal for breakfast and drank some apple juice. by this time ross arrived home from dropping jayden and graham off at school. i told him my contractions were consistantly about 4:30-5 minutes apart - he might want to get in the shower and get ready - i thought we should get to the hospital soon.!

we headed for the hospital around 10am - ross dropped me off at the front door of the hospital and i waited on a wooden bench for him to park the car. can you believe someone actually asked me if i knew anything about valet parking for the day while i was sitting there - did i look like i worked at the hospital?!? we walked to the elevator (only had to stop once for a contraction!) and rode it to the 4th floor (good thing ross knew right where we were going!).

we arrived at the labor and delivery floor - they checked me and i was 6cm dialated! yippie!! it was about 10:45am or so... i know this because "The View" was on the TV when we walked in the labor room! after being routinely monitored for about 30 minutes and some routine questions and blood draws - i labored for about an hour or so. my doctor came in to check me and i was already 9cm! no turning back now - i was going through this labor without an epidural!!! yikes!!! (my plan was to have this baby naturally - but after 3 epidural births - this was uncharted territory for me!!) 9cm! wow! almost to 10cm! i couldn't believe it! at this point i remember feeling like i had to push her out, but the nurse kept saying your're not 10cm if you push now your cervix will swell and it will be hard to get her out. i entrepreted this as labor will be longer and i did NOT want that. so i kneeled at the back of the bed and the next thing i knew, i was 10cm!! i gave about 5 pushes and she was born!!! ross thought it should have been only 3 pushes - but for me pushing was the most painful part of the whole labor process - i wanted to give up!!

i briefly held her and then they took her to be weighed - 8 pounds 12 ounces and 20.25 inches long!! jillian jayne was born at 12:52 pm on february 16, 2010. throughout this entire process, ross was the best coach!!

on wednesday, exactly 24 hours after birth - jillian met her siblings at home!