The Peeler Playbook: "Hey Hunny- I think I might be in labor?!?!?"

Chase had a race on Sunday right outside Birmingham, AL. We debated on whether to go or not... I mean I am 9 months pregnant and all- but in the end we went. I mean people used to have babies in covered wagons, so surely I could have a baby at a hospital in Birmingham as opposed to Murfreesboro, right?!?! Plus I felt great! No signs or symptoms of labor at all.

So we got up early Sunday morning and headed south. While Chase raced I sat in a camp chair soaking up the sun, just taking it easy.

When Chase got done he loaded up and we headed back home. On the way home I could not get comfortable, my back started aching, and there was more abdominal pressure than normal. I didn't think much about- just chalked it up to riding in a car with such a big belly.

So when we got home, Chase unloaded the car while I changed into my "Tummy Tuesday" outfit (I always take my tummy tuesday picture on Sunday nights because that is 1/2 way through my pregnancy week).

And then Chase jumped into the shower, and I put a heating pad on my back. When he got out I jumped in. We were gross from being outside all day.

I was still having a lot of pressure, but still didn't think much about it- but now my boobs hurt too.

I got out of the shower- dried my hair and put on my pj's so I could go to bed, but while putting on my pj's I thought my water might have broken. At first I thought I may have peed on myself a little- I mean I did have a 6 lbs baby jumping on my bladder! So I changed my pj's and started getting ready for bed. But then the "pressure" I was having started coming and going- Then it dawned on me.... "Maybe I am in labor?" So I walked in to the den where Chase was on the computer and said "Hey Hunny- I think I might be in labor?!?!?".

He looked up from the computer and said, "What are your symptoms?" but before I could answer he started reading symptoms off the website he was looking at. :) Apparently he had some sort of 6th sense that I was because he had gotten out of the shower and googled labor symptoms.

We came to the conclusion that my water probably had broken (but was more or less just leaking) and I was having contractions, but they were very mild and about 7 minutes apart. The doctor had told us not to head to the hospital until they were 5 minutes apart for an hour, so I started folding the laundry (if I was in labor I didn't want to come home to a pile of clean cloths on our bed!) and Chase called the family to let them know to be on stand by, then started getting our bags together and in the car. We could not get ahold of any of my family, but come to find out they were all at William's play!

We gave Libby a bone (just in case I wasn't in labor and we were going to be in a few hours) and headed out the door to the hospital!

We rode in silence for about the first 5 minutes... It was kind of surreal... Were we really about to have a baby??? The silence was broken when my family started returning our calls. When we turned on the radio "I Need a Doctor" by Dr Dre was on! HA!!!! Neither one of us could wipe the smiles off our face :)... We were headed to the hospital to have a baby!!!!

Welcome to Middle Tennessee Medical Center 9:00pm

We got checked in and we found out that I was indeed in active labor and they admitted me.

We called the family in Memphis and told them to head on. Chase's parents were already in Jackson, and mine were just getting home from William's play and about to head out.

Then we called Mary Leigh to let her know it was game on! But with one catch... we needed her to go to our house because we forgot Mary Claire's bag in her nursery.. oops... and if she could grab Libby and take her to their house since we are obviously going to be in the hospital more than a few hours now.

We were on Cloud 9 looking around the room

Our daughter was going to be laying there in just a matter of hours!!!

My Labor and Delivery Nurse was AWESOME! Her name was Julie, and it turns out she went to UT Martin with a bunch of people Chase and I graduated with. It's such a small world!

Now it was a waiting game.....

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About 10:00 or so my contractions were getting pretty bad, so I was ready for the epidural.

The epidural was a NIGHTMARE!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

I am semi-needle phobic, so I was already a little anxious about getting one- but it was ridiculous. The anesthesiologist spent 30+ minutes and used an ENTIRE tray of needles trying to get the epidural in. Wanna know how I know it was 30+ minutes? Well- because I was still have severe contractions every 3-4 minutes that I had to hold really still though. It was awful! I was in tears at one point and Chase stood up to see what the issue was and the anesthesiologist told him "Sir, you need to sit down"- and he quickly returned with "Well, you need to hurry up!" :) God love him!

At one point she thought she had it, but then realized she was in a blood vessel. UGH!!!

Finally my amazing nurse Julie realized I was sitting in a hole in the bed so my back was croocked. So she repositioned me and then the epidural went right in. FINALLY!!!!