Welcome to the world!!!

So it's been WELL over a month since I last posted and I am pleased to announce our newest addition, Maxwell Lee Clough born May 23 at 11:55am. Max weighed 7lbs 7oz and was 19 inches long. He is truly a blessing from our GREAT Lord! He is perfect in every way!

Maxwell Lee!

PROUD big sister!

how handsome!

So.......here's our story. On May 8th I went into the hospital b/c I was having consistent contractions that were 3-5 minutes apart. Now I had been in to my dr earlier that day b/c of these contractions and she checked me and I was only 2-3 cm and only 50% effaced. She told me to go home and relax and time them for a few hours and if they continued to come in. Well I did just that. Once we got there they checked me again and I was still the same. They gave me sprite and once I started drinking that my contractions started spacing way out. They told me that I was dehydrated and that that can cause contractions but you wont progress. I went home and drank water like I was deprived of it! I felt better the rest of the week but was having consistent contractions again. My friend Krissy was walking me like crazy and Saturday, on my birthday we as a family went to our local zoo and walked around and then went to Target and one other store. I was having some very intense contractions then. After that we went home and I just sat on the couch and relaxed b/c I was wiped out! I started timing my contractions and they were pretty intense and were 2-3 minutes apart for about an hour.

We decided to go in and what do you know??? My contractions STOPPED!! They were literally like 15 minutes apart AND I still had NO progression! Nathanial and I were surprised b/c we both thought that I had progressed at LEAST some! NNNNOOOOOO!!! Then Tuesday rolled around and I was having horrendous back labor. I had been up since 2:30 that morning in SO much pain. So I called the dr after they opened and I got in to see the nurse practitioner. She checked me and I was STILL at 2-3 and 50%. I was like you are kidding me!! I had a dr apt that Thursday, which was my 39 week apt. I told Nathanial that I wanted to talk to her about inducing me and he was totally fine with it. So I go to the dr on Thursday still having back labor and consistent contractions all week. She came in and right away said to come in Monday to get induced. She checked me and STILL no progression!! By this point I was like man this kid is STUBBORN!! As I met the dr outside at the nurses station and she told me Monday was full so it had to be Wednesday, I was bummed but excited all in the same. She told me that I would go before then.

So Wednesday rolled around and Nathanial and I didnt get much sleep the night before. We got up at 6:30 (had to be there at 7:30). I had started having hard back labor early that morning, which is one reason why I didnt get a lot of sleep. We got to the women's center and they took us back almost immediately! It was nice to finally go there and know that I would be admitted into and actual room instead of triage! So we go in our room and I got ready. My nurses were super amazing! I had 2 b/c my actual nurse had a nursing student with her, which was fine, they were both amazing! Nothing happened right away, except they did get my iv in my hand to get that ready. My dr came in at 8:30 and checked me guess what?!?!? I actually progressed!!! I was 5cm and 80% effaced! She broke my water, I got my pitocen started, and my iv fluids so I could get my epidural. I got my epidural and it took a little bit for it to kick in. My awesome nurse hit the button about 3 times, this basically just sends a lot at one time instead of just the continuous slow drip that it does. It took a bit to get it flowing and I felt my right side go numb a LOT sooner than my right side so with each contraction it seemed like it had not kicked in. Really it happens quickly, like with in 10 minutes of the dr starting the epidural (he shoots the epidural into the line to get it started b/f it gets hooked up to the machine. I could still feel the contractions a lot and they were VERY intense so she kept hitting the button (she can only do it like 3 times b/f you can to call the dr back in). I am not for certain what time I got the epidural but I know it was like 10 minutes after I had JUST gotten comfortable, like super duper numb, that my dr came in. She came in I think around 11:40 or 11:45 and checked me and said I was ready to push. He arrived at 11:55am and he came out in 4 pushes!! I literally didnt feel ANYTHING!! As you shouldnt with and epidural but with Lillian I could at least tell when I was fully dilated and needed to push, but still didnt feel anything. This time around I was so numb that it actually hurt my lets and stomach to push! Also I it was about 5 hours after he was born that I was able to feel my legs enough to get out of bed!

I was so happy that this time around was super duper fast. My dr did tell me that she was certain that I would have been in and had him before my induction and when she saw that I hadnt been she said that he was stubborn, I agreed! She also said that if I had not been induced that day that I would have been in at some point during the day, and I also agreed with her. So......he could have been born on the 23rd or on his actual due date of the 24th!

We are just SO happy he is here and he is healthy and just a true blessing from God! He is absolutely perfect and really having a boy doesnt seem that different from a girl except of different body parts and keeping them covered! I am STILL getting used to that and he is 11 days old! Since this post is a novel I will post pictures on another post.