Happy Birthday Austin!!

My oldest turned 11 today!! Austin is 11. Can't believe that just a few short years ago he was born ... October 14, 1994 at 7:49AM.

He was a tiny little thing ... all 10 pounds 3 ounces, 22 inches of him ...

I woke up with gas pains at 3:30 the morning that he was born ... at 3:37 more uncomfortable gas ... 3:44 ... and so on, roughly every 7 minutes ... I was home alone, his Dad didn't live with me and was already heading to work anyway. At 5:30 after not being able to shake these gas pains, I headed over to the hospital just in case .... Because, everything I had heard about labor, this wasn't it ... this was just an uncomfortable feeling, no real pain ... SO .. I load up my truck and head over to the hospital, I figured, I could always stop at the 7 minute mark and wait it out and go again ... I didn't call anyone, just headed over.

I arrived at the hospital ER around 5:45AM. Got up to my room and hooked up to monitors around 6ish. Told the old nurse that I felt some more gas and she replies back, "Honey, thats not gas, THAT is a contraction." She said that they would monitor me for awhile, but would most likely send me home since I only felt "gas pains" About 6:30/6:45, I called the nurse to unhook me cause I had to pee ... I called her about 3 or 4 times ... when she finally came in, I was totally embarrassed cause I didn't have to go anymore, I had already gone ... She, in her nice old lady tone, says "Honey, you didn't pee, your water broke and you aren't going anywhere, cause the contractions (which I still can't feel as bad) were closer and stronger." She tells me that I'm dialated to a 6. She tells me that I should make my calls to have someone be there with me. I request an epidural .... while we are waiting for the epidural I asked the nurse to get the tray ready in the room w/me instead of in the hall, I was starting to get scared, the pressure was starting to get VERY uncomfortable (I know, your thinking its about damn time) The epidural man walks in and I tell the nurse that it feels better to try to push a little, she tells me to go ahead, cause I'm complete ... the epidural man walks out .... no drugs for me ... :( Things didn't go as well as they should have and its good that she stayed with me ... Doc and another nurse came in and after I pushed a couple of times, he cut me and the other nurse was on the bed pushing on my belly to get the baby out, Austin wasn't breathing, he had the cord around his neck 3 times. They took him right over to the table and worked on him, finally after what felt like forever, he started to cry . At that time, Dennis walked in ... very proud Daddy he was! Austin's beginning scores weren't good ... but he got better after that ... much better! He did have a broken collar bone, but other than that, he was perfect!!

Austin is still doing wonderful ... tonight even, we finished up the Hunters Safety Course ... Austin and I both got 100% on our tests ... yippee ... I can hunt now!

Happy Birthday Baby! I was proud of you the day you were born and am even more proud of you today!!! I Love You Austin!! Love Mom