Bryson Harvey has arrived!

I'm going to start this "birth story" before Bryson's actual birth because there were a lot of events and false alarms leading up to his arrival.  Because both Cassidy and Riley were born early (7 and 6 days), I was 100% expecting this baby to do the same-no way we were going to make it to the induction appointment on the 7th.  And on the Saturday night before it (Sept 3), while we were watching the first football game of the season, the contractions started.  Ryan had forbidden me from going into labor during the game so it was really obnoxious that I had to time the contractions and just hope they wouldn't get regular until afterwards.  Luckily that is what happened, and we were able to watch BYU win at the last second, after which Ryan went to bed while I stayed up, timing contractions.  I called my parents and told them that I thought it was the real deal and that they might want to drive up and sleep at our house, rather than get a call at 2 or 3 in the morning and have to drive up then, so they did and right around 3 a.m., Ryan and I headed to Davis Hospital.  We were there for about 4 miserable hours while I was NOT dilating and my contractions disappeared.  It was the worst thing ever to be sent home-we were SO disappointed because we just wanted it to be over with.  For the next 3 days, I had contractions teasing me but they never became regular or painful.  Wednesday morning and my induction could not come fast enough!

7 a.m. Wednesday morning, we arrived at the hospital to check in.
7:45 a.m. Dr. Hurst broke my water....that was not fun, people!  I also got hooked up to the pitocin IV and the catheter
8:30 a.m. The anesthesiologist arrives and gets the epidural ready...he got it working without a hitch, only ONE try!  I could cry, I'm so relieved and happy about that!
9:20-ish The nurse checks my cervix and says I'm dilated to a 5.  She'll come back and check again in 30 minutes.  Ryan and I start watching a tv show in total comfort, no pain!!
9:50- The nurse checks me again and I'm dilated to a 9!  We turn off our show and wait for the dr to come in.  My jelly legs are put into stirrups and I'm all ready to go.
10:00 a.m.- The dr tells me that I need to push during the next contraction that is about to happen.  I push 3 times during that one contraction.
10:02 a.m.  There is a great feeling of relief as the baby exits my body and I can breathe for the first time in months.  Welcome to the world, Bryson!  He is laid on my chest while the staff cleans and stitches me up.  I can't believe how fast and easy his birth was!

About Bryson- he weighed 8 lb 4 oz, was 21 inches (I think) and has super chubby cheeks.  He is very sleepy and hard to feed because of it.  He has a receeding hair line and a scowl wrinkle on his nose between his eyebrows, which makes him look like a grouchy old man.  He shivers if he isn't wrapped up tight in blankets all the time.  I can't detect any similarities between him and the other kids...he looks a lot different!

Both sets of grandparents came to visit on his birthday (Sept 7th) and my parents brought Sienna, Riley and Cassidy with to meet him.  They loved him and they loved the presents that Bryson "gave" them.  (Sienna got some mad libs, Riley a car and Cassidy a "la-la" necklace.).

I am feeling great on the minimum amount of pain killer and am able to send baby boy to the nursery so that I can sleep.  The only set back I have had is that I could. Not. Pee.  They wanted me to be able to urinate by 11 p.m. last night and I was in the bathroom for an hour with a full bladder but my muscles would not obey.  I had to have a catheter inserted last night and again this morning to help me.  But just a few minutes ago, I was able to do it all on my own!  It's silly how excited I was about that :)

Other than that, I'm just hanging out in the hospital room, watching TV, sleeping or flipping through facebook.  I can go home tomorrow (which is good because I miss my kids!), but for today, I'm going to enjoy being taken care of and fed on demand :)  Staying in the hospital is a luxury for this mom!