It's a Boy!

My water broke at 4:30 am. I figured that I would labor really fast due to my other pregnancies. I quickly woke Mike up and finished packing my hospital bag. My brother-in-law, Steve, was on stand-by so we called him to come over and watch our other kids.

Mike took his sweet time and took a shower. I was urging him to hurry up in case I went fast. I didn't even shower or put makeup on. I looked pretty rough, but Mike looked and smelled good. We finally took off to the hospital. I was contracting every 3-4 minutes in the car but they slowed down once we arrived at the hospital.

The nurse checked me when I got to triage and I was still a 3. I couldn't believe I wasn't further along. The nurse told me that you labor more slow if your water breaks first.

They kept me since my water broke and we settled into the labor and delivery room. They offered me an epidural once I was settled in my room but I decided to hold off for awhile. The contractions weren't too painful and I wanted to walk around to get things going. I walked the halls for quite awhile and the nurse checked me around 9 am and I was dilated to a 5. They didn't want to start pitocin on me at that time because they were having some icky situations on labor and delivery. I saw the neonatologist walking around and people running in the hallways. Those are never good signs on labor and delivery. I was thanking God that it was nice and calm in my room!

They offered to start pitocin to get things moving around 11am. I was still a 5 and decided to get things moving faster.  The contractions were coming closer and I decided I wanted the epidural before it was too late, so I had that done at noon.

Once I had my epidural, they really started upping the pitocin. I was complete around 3:30pm but the doctor was finishing up in the clinic and they let me labor down. They didn't want me to start pushing until he arrived.

The doctor arrived about 4:15pm and I got ready to start pushing. It didn't take long at all and Oliver Henry Schmidt was born at 4:37pm. He weighed 7 pounds 14 ounces and was 20 1/4 inches long. We couldn't be more in love with him.

 He came out with light hair! I couldn't believe we had another blond baby. That makes 3 out of the 4. He has Mike's nose and doesn't resemble me one bit.

 He weighed 7 pounds 14 ounces at 37 weeks and 5 days. This was the longest I'd ever stayed pregnant. Thank you Dr. McNamara!

 The kids were so excited to meet him. We didn't find out the gender beforehand, but I thought it was a boy. We all would have been shocked if Oliver came out a girl!

 Ethan dressed up in his church clothes to come meet his little brother. They couldn't get enough of him. We were all fighting over holding him!

 Grandma Joanne with Ollie. He was such a calm baby. He barely cried after he was born.

 Our first picture as a family of 6.

 Cousin Jude holding Oliver.

 My sister, Sarah, brother-in-law, Steve, and nephew, Abe. They brought me those lovely white roses in the background.

We are so thankful and blessed to have a healthy baby boy!