I can’t believe our little bunny is actually here. The whole birthing process was a painful, yet surreal experience. All throughout the entire thing, I thought “I can’t believe this is it!”

All day last Thursday, Feb. 16th, I was at work and was experiencing some cramping. I thought I was experiencing “fake labor” pains (aka Braxton-Hicks contractions) because our childbirth instructor described labor pains to be something that sort of emanates from the back, rather than in the lower abdomen. So throughout work, I was in slight pain, but thought it would go away. I had a check-up with my ob-gyn that night so I figured she’d tell me what was up.

7 pm, doc’s office. Everything was fine. I was exactly 38 weeks and she examined me and told me I was 2cm dilated just like the last time. She said the baby can go anyday now. I told her I was experiencing some cramps but that they come and go. She said it was normal. So we went home.

After dinner, the cramps got worse, but I just walked it off. By 11 pm, the cramps were quite painful. Up until that point, I still thought they were just cramps, but then I also figured, why are they so consistent? I figured they were coming about 10 minutes apart. Still, I think I was in denial and tried to go to sleep! The poor hubs tried to hold my hand whenever the cramps came because all I did was toss and turn and did my Lamaze breathing techniques.

Around 2:30 am, my water broke! Talk about gush of water! So I told the hubs “we’re going to the hospital!” I called my doc, told her my water broke, and she told me to report to the hospital after I gathered up my stuff. Well at that point, I had no hospital bag ready! Heck, I didn’t even any baby clothes washed or anything! We had nothing prepared because we didn't think he'd come 2 weeks early! So we scrambled, threw stuff in a suitcase and headed to the hospital.

While in the car, both the hubs and I said “so I guess those were labor contractions after all!” They were coming in at 4 minutes apart and they hurt. I did my breathing, but realized there was no way I going to do this without an epidural!

3 am – hospital. I was in the labor and delivery room. In pain. I told them “epidural please!” We had to fill out forms and do blood work first before I got the ok for the epidural. By the time I got the epidural, it was about 5:30 or 6 am. By then, I was already fully dilated to 10 cm. Can I just say that the epidural is the best invention ever? Instant relief from the pain! And to think I was considering going “natural”! But by then though, I was almost at the pushing stage. The doc arrived shortly thereafter, and at 7 am, the nurse said “it’s time to push!” and both the hubs and I were looked at her in disbelief!

And so I pushed dammit. Pushed for 2 freaking hours. My epidural dose was low so I still felt the contractions coming (without the pain part). We pushed each time the contraction came. The hubs held me up, the nurse held me up, and each push was a team effort. I was ready to pass out. The hubs was ready to pass out! In fact at some point, he got a little light-headed and he had to sit down! The nurse had to give him some juice to revive him while I was pushing away! But then he recovered and we persevered.

I kept looking at the clock and saying “for the love of God dear baby, just please come out!” Each time I pushed, the doc and nurse kept saying they see the head and that’s what I visualized –that the baby was almost there. At the same time, I still couldn’t believe that this was it! Finally, a little after 9 am and very little of my strength left…. the baby finally came out!

After that, everything was a blur. Someone said “it’s a boy” but we don’t remember who. They placed him on my belly, the hubs cut the cord, and then they brought him to the side to get wiped up. The hubs hovered around him as he got cleaned, while the doc took care of the “after birth” and all that other fun stuff. Oh man, the carnage! But you literally forget all that pain once you hold your baby in your arms! Instant euphoria I must say, and the rest is history!

And now baby Jacob makes three....to be continued... For more pics, click here.