OK so I am a little delayed in getting this on here but better late than never right?
So on June 4th, 2008 after having a fun dinner at my house w/ my mom, Kristy, Danielle, Travis, Nick, Steph, Drake, Kiowa, Johnny, Molly, Justin and myself... Justin & I went to the hospital for my induction appt. (Now, I am drawing a blank on who all was or was not at the dinner so I am just guessing on that part! hehe)
Anyway we got to the hospital pretty close to midnight and arrived to have a bunch of cop cars blocking the entrance and all around the hospital which was interesting but I was too excited to care or even ask so I still don't even know what was going on! We went straight up to our room and got hooked up to the monitors and IV's etc. We hung out and talked for a while and then Justin got sleepy and took a nap. I, on the other hand was WAY too excited so I just layed there and watched tv. Luckily The Four Feathers was on, so that was entertaining. We were there alone til Danielle and Stephanie came to hang out. I think that was around 3 or 4. I am so hazy on the details!!
So this whole time I've been hooked up to the pitocin drip and not having any contractions at all! I had been dilated to a three for a couple of weeks before even getting there though! So around 5 or 6 I was talking to Kristy about if she and my mom should head up and I was complaining about wanting to feel at least one contraction before I got my epidural when I had one! Woohoo! The nurse had told me that I would need to get my epidural soon or I might not get one due to scheduled C-sections! So I told her to get the anethesiologist ASAP!! :) I got my epidural around 6 or so and the nurse upped my pit. I think I was around a 5 by that time! I was getting pretty tired but of course could not sleep!! GRR!
We had to wait for Dr. Folkestad to get there before they would break my water and since his office is connected to the hospital it would be around 8 before he got to work. My mom and Kristy (Kristy by the way was only there for 2 days to see Linkin) got there around 7. When Dr. Folky got there he checked on me and broke my water which was at about 8:30. So after sitting there for an hour or so I noticed that I was having a lot of pain on my right side. My epidural had only numbed my left side anyway but I wasn't feeling any pain anywhere. So I rolled to my right which is supposed to make the epidural medicine move to that side but it just kept getting worse! OW! The nurse came and asked if it was just uncomfortable or painful and I said PAINFUL! By now my left side was no longer numb and I was crying everytime I had a contraction. The nurse thought I was probably ready so she checked and I was at a 10!!! WOOHOO!!! She told me to do a practice push and as I was pushing I suddenly remembered HOW to push so I relaxed and pushed and she said "WHOA WHOA WHOA!!! You did that TOO good! We need to wait for the doctor!!" That was at about 9:45. I, by the way LOVE the whole labor process!! So I was having a good time even with those hideous contractions! I just get way too excited to meet my babies I guess!
It was so annoying cuz I was super tired and couldn't stop crying so I hadn't opened my eyes since I first started feeling the contractions and by this point I couldn't open them even if I tried!! Justin was being so sweet and hadn't left my side except when I was in pain and he went out to tell the nurses to come check on me and he told her that there were a bunch of women telling him to get the nurse so he was doing what he was told! Something like that! It was hilarious!! So anyway he had one hand holding mine and the other one on my chest where I was holding on to him. It was so sweet and he was so worried about me. I am so blessed to have him in my life and I was so happy to have him there with me! It was so perfect!!
I love Danielle's and Justin's faces in this one!
Justin being so sweet!Bradie had gotten to the hospital and she and Danielle were moving things around to get a good spot to videotape and take pics and Danielle leaned down and told me that the reason why my epidural wasn't working was because the stinking IV tree had been sitting on it and had put a kink in it! AH!! By this time though, I was ready to go and as soon as Folky got there I only had to push 3 times thru 1 maybe 2 contractions and he was out!!!! It was awesome!!! I could feel everything and it was amazing! Not that I loved the pain, but I'm sure I still had some epidural so it wasn't hideous! :) Anyway they handed him to me and Justin and I got to get a good look at him for the first time and he was adorable!!! My first thought was that he looked a little bit like Aubrie! It turns out that besides having my squinty eyes he looks just like his Daddy so that makes sense!! Although now when he is with Drake & Kiowa I totally see them in him too! Crazy! I love genetics!!
Dr. Folkestad
The whole gang!
Proud Nana
Bradie
Ok now that I've got the main part of the story out I am going to add the things I have thought of since then... For one thing this was the first time poor lil Stephie had seen a baby being born and so I'm sure was quite traumatized!! She was very sweet though and crazy enough one of her really good friends who is going to be a nurse was in the room! Somehow about 6 students ended up being there to watch and if I had been able to open my eyes or think I probably would have said "NO!!!" instead of "i don't care"!! haha
Michelly pooh got there RIGHT after the little guy popped out!! But she was very happy to get to meet him!! 
Michelle Drake & Kiowa got to come see him soon after he was born but the nurses had taken him to the nursery to check him so the first time they saw him was through the glass!! They were so totally excited!! It was adorable!! When he finally got back they had a great time holding him and we all got our picture taken together! We are still waiting for Linkin's other sister, Aubrie to get to meet him!! My beautiful niece Madi, also got to come to the hospital!!
Meeting Linkin
Kiowa & Madi
Big Sis
Big Bro
Happy Family
Later that evening we of course had our usual "hospital party"!! As many of "The Girls" that could come, came to visit us at the hospital. Nelly, Aly, Jen & of course Bradie & Michelle all met him that day! Thanks Jen for the awesome hospital shot! And thanks girls for coming and always being so amazing!
