We went to NJ and I lost my mucus plug after I went and waded in the ocean. I got some pictures of me 37 weeks 6 days  pregnant standing in the ocean. I was admitted to two different hospitals because I was leaking so much fluid that I thought that my water broke.

I got to see Jonesy one last time on an ultrasound on Saturday August 18th 2012. My mother was there and she got to see her first ultrasound of Jonesy. This was the first one that I got to share the experience with. I went back to the place we were staying at with my mother and a party later that night. I kept soaking through pads and shorts and it was so embarrassing.

We left early Sunday morning where I was having contractions through out the night probably due to stress. They seemed to stop or slow down during the drive home. Once home I seemed to be contracting again but they were too far apart to call and go into L&D. I had them through out the night and they kept me up all night long. By morning they were getting closer together instead of every 20 minutes they seemed to be coming every five minutes.

I made my doctor's appointment earlier because I thought that I really was going into labor and I didn't want to be too far along into it that I would have a baby in a car. The contractions seemed to slow down dring the car drive there. I get to the midwives and Rebecca was there. It was the first time that I ever saw her. She said that I was 3 cm along and 90% effaced.

She put me on the monitor for about 20 to 40 minutes. My contractions were every 6 to 8 minutes apart. Since I was about an hour out they sent me over to City Hospital in Martinsburg to have more monitoring. I was put on the monitors and I had already made progress and they were every 5 to 3 minutes apart. They had me get up and walk for about an hour then put me on the monitors again. The walking seemed to help make them stronger. I got up to do some more walking then I was rechecked. I was 4 cm and 100% effaced and Anna my favorite midwife admitted me. She said "I think we'll keep ya! Your progressing slowly but progressing,"

I decided to give the whirlpool tub a chance and I ended up getting out after a short while. I never liked hot water and even after my wonderful nurse cooled it off the contractions became so intense that I needed to get out. She told me that the heat and jets tend to do that but they also help relax you. But for me it ended up being too intense.

After I got out and got rechecked I believe somewhere in there my mother came to check on me. I know I was on the monitor for awhile again. And they had given me some morphine because it seemed like the contractions were getting stronger. I remember telling my mother that they had given me some morphine and she said that I was going to get loopy. I don't remember feeling that way. I remembered feeling more relaxed but I still could feel the contractions. They just didn't seem to feel as strong so when they said that it would just take the edge off that is all it did.

Anna checked me and I was 5 cm. She said that my forewaters broke and decided to break my bags of water. I don't remember feeling much. I remembered that it took her a few minutes maybe about 10 minutes to get it to break. She said "We're committed now!" so we were going to be having a baby. She told me that it would be a good time for me to get the epi. I wanted to hold off for a little bit longer. I didn't think the contractions were all that bad yet. I think an hour or so later I got the epi and I was feeling really good. It didn't hurt as much as I thought it would and I managed to stay very relaxed when he did it. I did feel some pressure or like someone hit my funny bone in my back but it was just for a few seconds. He was very good with the neddle.

I managed to get some sleep and so did my mother. Before I knew it I was feeling the pressure that the nurse was telling me that I would feel when it came time to push. Anna said that there was still a little bit of cervix left but I was a good pusher. She had me sleep some more then rechecked me when I told her the pressure was too much. She checked me again and I still had some cervix left and she massaged it away then it was time to push.

I started pushing at 3:09 am. The nurse Sara was really nice and she looked about due. They said that I was a good pusher. I could feel pressure whenever I needed to push. I could feel the ring of fire (still do in a way.) and I kept pushing through it. I remember them telling me "ITs the ring of fire!" and your virgina feels like its on fire like the outer ring (probably right where the head stretches it to come out that is why it feels like a ring of fire). I was hoping the more I pushed the quicker that the ring of fire would be over with. They told me the head was out but I wasn't done pushing until the shoulders were out.

As I was delivering the shoulders I could hear my mother talking to Anna something about big shoulders and she might still need to help. I remember feeling like something was tearing and telling them. "I think he tore me!" I remember seeing Anna helping Jonesy out. I remember his first cry as I vaguly saw them cleaning out his nose and mouth.

The next thing I know was that I had fully delivered him and he was placed on my stomach and they called the time. 3:52 am on August 21st 2012. They gave me pitocin to help me deliver the placenta. Then it was time for me to get stitched up. Anna had to call in another doctor because she didn't have to do stitches all that often. The epi wore off and same with the local when the other doctor was half way done. So I got to feel the reminder of stitches. I had to get stitches in two places. One was near the clitoris and the other was a 2nd degree tear of the perineal. I remember her saying that I was toned down there. So that was a good thing.

None the less I am happy that my miracle is here and safe and sound. Even though it still hurts to pee ten days later. The joys of childbirth but now I am feeling better about it all as my body is getting closer to normal and I am below my pre pregnancy weight.