On Sunday, 11/21/2010, Ryan & I arrived at the hospital at 5:15 pm to start Cervidil. It was time to get Mommy into labor since Bubble was now 11 days past due date and still curled up comfortably inside. The examination alone that Dr. Cindy performed at 5:30 pm got contractions going and we settled in for a not so sleep filled night.
Aside from the contractions keeping me/us up, and the monitors around me/Bubble, who could sleep when we knew we were so close to meeting our baby?? The hope was that by morning I would be effaced enough to go into labor on my own.
The next morning when Dr. Cindy arrived to check my progress I was still effaced 50-60%. No progress overnight!?!? This meant that we would begin Pitocin within the next few minutes. We were ready!
After Pitocin and before "active" labor... notice the relaxation and smiles.
Our room was the first one on the left. This meant easy access for anyone brave enough to enter. Since I was in labor for 32 hours, there were MANY pages monitoring me and Bubble.
Granny, Pappy, Aunt Samantha, Mimi, YaYa, cousin Emily, and later Papa, Uncle Adam and Aunt Angie waited anxiously in the waiting room...
...and waited...
...and waited...
Around 3:00 pm, 7 1/2 hours after Pitocin started, after a few questions and answers from our nurse (we had several) I requested an epidural. Oh sweet relief! Time to get some rest and save up some energy for when Bubble was ready to make an appearance.
Good time for Uncle Adam and Aunt Angie to come in to say "hello."
Several more hours passed and Bubble and I were progressing more and more. 4 cm dilated, 5 cm dilated, 6 cm dilated, 7 cm dilated....halt! I was not dilating anymore and Bubble was staying put. Dr. Cindy was really trying to help us along with a "natural" delivery. After she had tried everything and I was still at 7 cm 4 hours later, she broke the news that it was time for a c-section birth..
I was taken off to the O.R. to be prepped for surgery. Ryan informed our "waiters" of what was going on and then got into his scrubs. It seemed like it was forever before Ryan was in the room beside me. After that things went by very fast, and before I knew it Ryan was announcing, "Look at our baby. . .BOY!!!"
Bubble, eh-hem, Liam was born on 11/23/2010 @ 2:51 am. He was getting all cleaned up while daddy was snapping pictures to come back and forth to show mommy.
Our first gaze into each other's eyes. Once I spoke, Liam stopped crying. It was truly an indescribable moment. I finally got to say, "Hi Liam. I love you so, so much."
Mommy and Liam's first kiss.
I was too happy to be exhausted.
Daddy proudly introduced Liam Jackson to our waiting family.
Time to get checked out in the nursery.
While they were cleaning me up in the O.R. a phone call came from the nursery. Dr. Cindy asked me if I would like to know how much Liam weighs, to which I excitedly responded, "Yes, please." She said, with a kind of disbelief in her voice, "10 lbs! No wonder he wasn't coming out the other way."
After spending some time with Liam in recovery, he went back for some finishing touches in the nursery. I was wheeled glamorously through the halls to our post partum room, where we would be living/recovering for the next few days.
Liam Jackson's first close-up.
Luckily, we had both sets of grandparents to bring us some more things to the hospital. We really thought we'd only be there for a couple days...ha!
I realize these are all only slightly different... I just can't help myself!
Mimi & Papa brought Mommy & Daddy Thanksgiving dinner. We were very grateful.
We definitely had time to make ourselves comfortable at the hospital. 
... and snuggling.
This was not posed. We found it adorably hilarious that Liam was doing the "one-million dollars" pose all on his own on his birth day.
Liam's first bath was even in the hospital.
Daddy did most of the bathing. I helped a little as I was not able to get out of bed yet.
Liam didn't love every part of his first bath...
...but he sure was relaxed afterward.
Liam with his Granny
Liam with his Pappy
Liam with his Aunt Samantha
Liam with his Granny & Pappy
Liam with his Mimi
Liam with his YaYa
Liam with his YaYa and, very curious, cousin Emily
Liam with his Papa
Maybe Liam will look as much like his Daddy as his Daddy looks like his Papa?
Liam with his Uncle Paul
YaYa & Uncle Paul celebrating
Liam with his Uncle Adam & Aunt Angie
Liam with cousin Clint
Aside from the contractions keeping me/us up, and the monitors around me/Bubble, who could sleep when we knew we were so close to meeting our baby?? The hope was that by morning I would be effaced enough to go into labor on my own.
The next morning when Dr. Cindy arrived to check my progress I was still effaced 50-60%. No progress overnight!?!? This meant that we would begin Pitocin within the next few minutes. We were ready!
After Pitocin and before "active" labor... notice the relaxation and smiles.
Our room was the first one on the left. This meant easy access for anyone brave enough to enter. Since I was in labor for 32 hours, there were MANY pages monitoring me and Bubble.
Granny, Pappy, Aunt Samantha, Mimi, YaYa, cousin Emily, and later Papa, Uncle Adam and Aunt Angie waited anxiously in the waiting room...
...and waited...
...and waited...
I was taken off to the O.R. to be prepped for surgery. Ryan informed our "waiters" of what was going on and then got into his scrubs. It seemed like it was forever before Ryan was in the room beside me. After that things went by very fast, and before I knew it Ryan was announcing, "Look at our baby. . .BOY!!!"
Bubble, eh-hem, Liam was born on 11/23/2010 @ 2:51 am. He was getting all cleaned up while daddy was snapping pictures to come back and forth to show mommy.
Our first gaze into each other's eyes. Once I spoke, Liam stopped crying. It was truly an indescribable moment. I finally got to say, "Hi Liam. I love you so, so much."
Mommy and Liam's first kiss.
I was too happy to be exhausted.
Daddy proudly introduced Liam Jackson to our waiting family.
Time to get checked out in the nursery.
While they were cleaning me up in the O.R. a phone call came from the nursery. Dr. Cindy asked me if I would like to know how much Liam weighs, to which I excitedly responded, "Yes, please." She said, with a kind of disbelief in her voice, "10 lbs! No wonder he wasn't coming out the other way."
After spending some time with Liam in recovery, he went back for some finishing touches in the nursery. I was wheeled glamorously through the halls to our post partum room, where we would be living/recovering for the next few days.
