3am: I wake up with contractions. They must just be Braxton Hicks, walk around for a minute, get a drink of water, go back to sleep.
5am: Wake up again, this time to get ready for work. I am still having contractions. Much stronger, closer together contractions. This cannot be good. I call my parents to let them know something may be up. Call the OB/GYN on call, tell Aaron to get dressed, and begin to pray.
6-7am are a blur. I know I ended up at the L&D of the hospital where I work as a RN. They started an IV, inserted a foley catheter, asked me 101 questions, and assessed me. I see the doctor for a few minutes. I throw up. I am told I am 6cm dilated. And I begin to freak out. Without anyone saying a word, I knew I was going to have my baby soon. WAY TOO SOON. 12 WEEKS TOO SOON. I close my eyes and cry, while praying harder than I have ever prayed in my life. I receive a dose of steroids to help Aiden's lungs produce the surfactant they have not yet produced. I throw up again. I am loaded onto a stretcher and taken down to an ambulance. I am being transferred to a hospital, literally across the street, that has a NICU. That 5 minute ambulance ride was the longest 5 minutes of my life. I was strapped to a stretcher with 2 nurses, a paramedic, and my terrified husband staring down at me. My doctor and my parents were in cars behind us.
8am: We arrive at Suburban Hospital and are taken upstairs to L&D. Again I am asked 101 questions, one of which was if I wanted an epidural. YES PLEASE! The anesthesiologist comes in and places my epidural (after the first 2 attempts.) I meet Dr Ellis, the neonatologist and Dr. Nusz who is taking over for the OB/GYN who was on call.
9am: I start chomping on some ice chips, when the delivery team wheels in their cart and goodies. Once again, without anyone saying a word, I knew that this meant I was having my baby. This time it meant right now. I hand Aaron my cup of ice and tell him to start praying. He still hasn't realized what was about to happen. In the room are Aaron, my mom, and his mom. All crying at this point. The nurse begins to tell me what I have already assumed. Dr Nusz instructs me when to push. The epidural is really throwing me off, it was so hard to push when you cannot feel a thing, but I kept pushing... and crying.... and praying.
9:10am: I hear the most amazing sound I have ever heard.... my baby's cries. I see him for a few seconds and he is taken to the other side of the room where Dr Ellis and the nurses check him out. I am breaking my neck to see him, as my doctor tries to stop my bleeding. I continue to pray while Aaron takes pictures and video of out little guy. Then I hear what I was waiting to hear.... he was healthy! Perfect APGAR scores, 10 fingers, 10 toes, lungs that sounded as healthy as could be. Aiden Michael, our miracle, weighed 2 lb 15 oz and was 15.5 inches long. Much bigger than we expected!
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