Our Little Guy

Mason George Aamot arrived into this world at 3:08pm on a beautiful Wednesday afternoon September 10, 2014.

The last few weeks of pregnancy were spent having prodromal labor, meaning I was going in and out of labor. I was dilated and effaced and my body was doing its best to get things going. Mason however, was not quite ready. I had many doctors visits that left me feeling like I was going to just give birth at home. I was too early to be induced, but I knew my body was not going to get me there without some help. Finally after work on September 9 I met with Dr. Dowling who checked me and was shocked to find I was dilated to a 6. Most women are in the hospital by this point and she was surprised to hear I was still working and going about my usual business. She scheduled an induction for the following morning. I left the office with my heart pounding and my head spinning. I called Kyle to tell him, then headed to the grocery store to stalk up. I pushed the buggy around panicking with every tightening wave over my stomach, because even though I had felt them for weeks I knew this was the end. I would soon be a mom, and Kyle a dad.

I got home to find our mud room sprayed with unspeakable body fluids from our dogs. That's a whole other story, but long story short Kyle had thought it was funny they were eating things from our garden…he fed them a little too much. I could only milk being pregnant for a few more hours and so I took a picture with my phone, sent it to Kyle, and stepped over it and into the house. Picture a 38 week pregnant woman playing hot lava monster…only the lava was poop…and vomit.

We packed up the car. I don't remember now how we spent our very last night just us. Funny looking back I wish we had made a memory of it. You don't realize it's the last time you'll have that time until it's gone. It seems fleeting now, all four years of being just us. In the morning we woke up at 6am and called the hospital to check for a bed. Being a full moon the night before I guess a lot of women gave birth so we were told to call back. Kyle enjoyed a bowl of lucky charms. I refused to eat because I wasn't about to puke while giving birth. We called back again and were told to head in. I hadn't been that shaky or full of adrenaline since our wedding day. Fitting since these are the two days I love most.

We arrived and the nurse told me I looked like a deer in headlights. I replied flatly "well I have to push a human out my lady tunnel." They asked what number child this was for us and we said our first. She seemed confused and let us know coming in this far dilated and effaced doesn't happen often at all with a first…but most of what happened seems pretty lucky now. Around 10am I was dilated to a 7 and the doctor broke my water. You are choosing to continue this read so I'm not apologetic…it gushed. Like gallons of hot water pouring out. I tried to tell the nurse I was peeing the bed after about an hour of this because I couldn't believe there was that much liquid inside me. Around noon I chose to get a "dangerous epidural". We thought the nurses were going to high five us. They were all for it and even though the pain was doable I wanted it to be as comfortable as the whole giving birth experience could be. The epidural was insane. Did you know it goes up your spine?! I didn't and I felt it because the numbing didn't quite work. Kyle came two hot seconds from passing out which gave me a much needed laugh. I was hunched on the side of the bed with a giant needle up my spine when I finally felt a "contraction". Not to sound like a tough guy but through all this time contractions were not what I thought they would be. It was uncomfortable yes, painful not really. Cramps though, those are excruciating. I would rather give birth once a month than have cramps. So anyway, I sat there with my body shaking and tightening and a man trying to give me the epidural.

After he was done I took a two hour nap. Kyle went out to visit with his mom in the waiting room. I woke up to an epidural that had stopped working on my left side and was only half working on my right. I asked the nurse for a flipping popsicle finally because I was starving. I started getting stronger tightening feelings and I asked Kyle if he could come back in the room. Kyle came in and watched the machine and told me when the contractions were peaking so I could see the end of one in sight before the next began. I heard a lot of "this one's huge" and "This is the biggest one yet". He was amazing. The nurse finally came back with my popsicle. I did have tears streaming down my face but to be honest it was more out of fear of what I knew was happening in a matter of time. We were told it would still be several more hours, but then the nurse checked me just before 3pm. She checked me, looked up at Kyle and said "uh the baby is right there". She was holding up a finger and marking her first knuckle. She told me to give a practice push. I started to push and she quickly yelled stop and ran and got the doctor. Dr. Dowling came in and checked me and did the same thing. Once again I started to push and her face looked shocked as she said stop. In a hurry they got everything around us ready. They told me to push during the next contraction. We were all staring at each other and I thought I was waiting for the next one when they informed me what I was feeling WAS a contraction. I assumed it would hurt more I guess. More than just tightening. Four pushes, 8 minutes of labor and Mason George Aamot entered this world.

7lbs and 20 inches long. Tiny perfection. He army crawled up to nuzzle in my neck and that was it. I was overwhelmingly in love with this person I didn't even know yet. Funny how he knew exactly who I was and that all he wanted was to be as close to me as he possibly could be.