Our story actually starts while I was at home in Maryland over the holidays. The night after my baby shower and 12 hours before my flight back to Texas, I started having mild contractions and dilating. I was afraid I was going to go into labor at home and not get back to have this baby with my husband (who had already flown back to Texas earlier in the week.)

I got home on Monday January 8th and lost my mucous plug that afternoon. I immediately went in to see my OB who said that yes I had started to dilate. She really wanted my to try and make it to 37 weeks so she sent me home with instructions to rest and take it easy. I had some more mild contractions off an on over the next several days but pretty much felt fine. On January 16th, I was feeling kind of yucky all day and that evening but didn't really think much of it.

• 8:30 am-The next morning I still wasn't feeling very well and jokingly said to my husband he better make sure to take his pager with him in case I was in labor. I spent the next hour in our jacuzzi tub.
• 9:30am- Got out of tub to get some work done and still was not sure if I was in labor.
• 10:00am- got back in the jacuzzi tub. I started timing what I believed to be contractions and discovered to my surprise that they were about 4 minutes apart and getting stronger with every passing minute.
• 10:30 am - call husband and tell him to COME HOME NOW!, Call my doula and my mother and the doctors office to let them know I am in labor, (still in my jacuzzi tub). At this point I'm thinking I still have hours to go this being a first baby and all but damn are these contractions coming faster and stronger.
• 11:15 - in walks husband thinking we have plenty of time, to find me just having gotten out of the tub, squatting naked in the middle of the bathroom, holding on to the vanity for dear life and trying to breath through my contraction. Bewildered husband asks what should he do- My answer- FIND ME SOME DAMN CLOTHES AND GET ME TO THE HOSPITAL THIS BABY IS COMING VERY SOON.
• 12:00 - arrive at hospital, go to labor and delivery triage- (Got nasty, mean triage nurse who tried to give me stadol and fenegan without my permission) Find out I am 6 cm dilated. Ask for my epidural- mean nasty triage nurse says it could a take up to an hour. My doula arrives and thank god. Best thing in the world, as she helps me get through the contractions and keep me as comfortable as possible.
• 12:45- moved to private room- Begging for the epidural now, Checked again and now I'm at 8cm almost 9 cm. (Please god I'll give you my right arm for an epidural)
• 12:50- Anesthesiologist arrives- Got my epidural and all is good now. I can still see the contractions on the monitor but I feel great. We pop in my Le Miserable video tape and me l&D nurse doula and DH chat.
• 2:30- it's time to start pushing
• 3:30- They can see Katy's head.
• 4:00- My contractions stop. Same thing happened to my Mom and my sister and neither had an epidural, just seems to be hereditary.
• 4-5:30 take a nap
• 5:30- They start a picotin drip, Contractions start again, I start pushing again.
• 6:41- Katy makes her entrance into this world. Mother, father and baby girl all healthy and happy. Truly the best experience of my life, I'd do it all over again in a heartbeat.

Katy did develop A/OB jaundice, which kept us in the hospital for an extra week while they treated her. She followed that with breast milk jaundice, but mother and baby are doing well now.

Sorry this is so long, I wish you all as positive a birth experience as I had and congratulations to all the other new Mommy's.