December 16th, my official due date, I had just gotten a rash on my stomach the week prior ,so to relieve the annoying itching that i had, I decided to go over to my folks house to take a nice long HOT oatmeal bath. I took a bath for two reasons, (1)I was about to go crazy scratching my belly (2)I heard the warm water could bring on labor and I was so ready to get peanut out. Well about 4 o'clock I took my bath. I was out by 4:30. I was sitting on my mom's bed talking to her and my dad and I kept getting these cramps that would cause me to change positions. I just thought I was sitting wrong. I was change positions and it would happen again, it didn't hurt just felt funny. Well at 5 o'clock I had to go pick my husband up from work. So when I got my husband I told him about these weird pains. We timed them and they were 3-5 minutes apart. Well I wasn't really sure it was labor, I mean I wasn't in tremendous pain or anything and I didn't want to go to the hospital too early just for them to tell me to come back later when it hurts worse. Fletcher was freaking out telling me I need to go to the hospital now. I told him if I was in labor it is too early and they will just send me home to come back later. So I went home since I was driving and started making me some supper since I knew I wouldn't be able to eat until after I had the baby. Fletcher was so pissed off at me that I wanted to eat and then cleaned up the kitchen before I decided to go the hospital. We went to the hospital around 10 o'clock and they made me walk around for an hour to see if I would dialate. I did. I went from 3 to 4 cent. So they admitted me at 11 pm. Around 1 or 2 am I received an epidural because the pain was starting to get to me. It is strange I thought that getting an epidural would be really really painful, but it wasn't. I've had worse antibiotic shots than that (like the one a week earlier for the pregnancy rash). It was weird how the epidural felt. It was as if i had cut off the circulation to my legs and they were just at the tingly stage. And for some reason everyone wanted to rub my legs or feet or something. That was really annoying because if you know when your feet are at the sleepy tingly stage and you try to walk then it feels like needles. Well I started resting for the pushing part and about 4 am they started giving me oxygen because Keanu's heartbeat was going down. They gave me another dose of the epidural at 8 am. I definately didn't want it wearing off. Around 9 am the Dr. arrived at the hospital. About 10 or 10:30 I began pushing. The dr. used a vaccuum to help me along. She had to cut me down there and Fletcher said i also ripped. When Keanu was born I was just flooded with emotions and just started bawling. The doctor made sure Keanu was ok before she started finishing up the after birth process. He was born @ 11:40 am...7 lbs 13 oz....20 1/4 inches long. The healing after birth to me was the hardest part. I have never felt so much pain. I don't ever want to give birth again for the simple fact that I don't want to have to heal like that ever again. I could barely walk, and you can forget about trying to go to the bathroom, that was just like hell on earth.

Even though I went through all of this, it was worth it for you, peanut. You are my pride and joy, my everything. People say that before you have kids you can never imagine your life with them and then after you have them you can't imagine your life before you were here. Well sad to say it is true, I thought I would never be one of those mothers that would say such a thing but it is so very true. Thank you for choosing me as your mother, I am very lucky.
I love you with all of my being,
-Mummy-



How we spent the Christmas of '04 will never be forgotten.