Welcome to the world!

February 11, 2012 at 5:34 pm our son Lucas Rushton was born at Lester Naval Hospital, Okinawa, Japan.
Weighing in at 6 lbs 5 oz, 19.3 inches long.  He came out wide-eyed, screaming and perfect.

We came into the hospital when I was 34 weeks, 3 days pregnant because of a tiny leak of amniotic fluid and the doc said she wanted to make sure everything was ok...we thought they would check me out and send me home...
Nope!
They told us I was already 2cm dialated, 80% effaced and his head was pretty low.  However, I was by no means in labor....
We were put into a delivery room and I was induced at 4:30 pm on Feb. 10th with pitocin (pidevil)...I really wanted a natural birth, so for 20 hours I endured pitocin-enduced contractions, medication free.  Very very intense unnatural contractions!  They continued to increase the volume of pitocin throughout the night, until it reached a point when I was having no breaks between contractions, delirious with labor pain, the pain level peaked...
Doc came in continuously to check my dilation...around the 20 hour mark, after 8 hours I had not changed from 5 cm dilated; very discouraging news...even worse, they wanted to really amp up the pitocin...that's when (through gritted teeth) I told them I needed the epidural.
About 30 minutes later, I was laid out in the bed, napping and smiling.  Within 3 hours, he was getting very low and I was getting an intense urge to push.  They checked me and when the nurse said I was 9 cm dilated, it was pure joy!!!
About an hour later, it was time...the nurse wanted me to push just to see if I could move him at all.  Adam grabbed one leg, nurse grabbed the other, I curled around my contracting belly and pushed with a strength and intensity that I didn't know I was capable of...Yep, it was time.  I heard Adam say "woah, is that the head?"  The nurse said "Stop pushing!!  I need to get the doctor!"  The nurse alerted the doc... she told me typically it could be 1-2 hours of steady pushing...I needed my energy now.
I was SO ready.  After about 9 pushes in 12 minutes, out came a healthy, wide-eyed, screaming little boy.  He was immediately placed on my chest.  See video:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Ed3471cuHdE&feature=youtu.be


Next was:
Complete elation, surreal blissful peace, delirium, enchanting jubilation...rejoicing, love, love so much love, tears, disbelief, more love.


Still in hospital photos:

 

 Milk drunk

Finally home

I am a mother.

He couldn't be more perfect, more healthy or alert...he is ours forever, our sweet son.  We love him more than life itself.  This feeling that we cannot describe is wow.  I've always wondered what it would be like.

Well...my heart has left my body.  It is external now...can't describe it any other way.