This is Marley's Birth Story...
When I decided that I was ready to have another baby it took some time to get Brad on the same page. Once we started trying it took 10 long months before we conceived.
We knew Brad would be deploying early 2012 and it started to come down to "Is he going to be home when the baby is born?" and boom were pregnant.
I found out I was pregnant around the end of May.
My pregnancy was uneventful. First three months I was sick, second trimester I was fine, last two months I was tired, and my last month...well I didn't get a full last month because Miss. Marley Elizabeth came three weeks early! (Thank God)
December 22nd I went to the doctor because the day before I had contracts pretty close together and lasted for a few hours. He wanted to check me out just incase. He put me on bed rest until the baby was born.
My weekly doctors appointments were on Tuesday's. Tuesday January 3rd I was seen and everything was good. I was 80% effaced and 2 cm dilated and you can sit on those numbers for weeks.
Brad had orders to leave that Saturday for a two week class for the Army. I knew that I wasn't going to make it two weeks longer and was upset because after all those months of fearing that we would get pregnant too late and him miss it he really was going to miss it! He was scheduled to come home on the 20th and I was due on the 25th. After whining to the doctor he just gave me a pat on the back and said "I'm sorry I can't induce you until a week before your due date." Whomp whomp.
So to home I go for an uneventful night. I went to bed around 10 pm and fall fast asleep only to wake up a short while later not feeling so great. I was up all night contracting but not laboring. With my first pregnancy and this one I never wanted to be "that girl" that called the doctor at 2 am or show up in the ER just to be sent home. I didn't want to see the nurses roll their eyes at me because Im being a baby about some Braxton Hicks. Brad got up for work about 5:30 am and I told him I hadn't slept all night because I was having contractions. He asked if he should stay home and I brushed him off and told him not I was fine they didn't hurt that bad. He then asked if he should drive so if he needed to he could come home. Again told him no I just needed some sleep I was fine. He left.
I got up about 10 minutes late because I need to use the bathroom. I know when they say you lose your mucus plug some people call it a "bloody show". This was much more then that. I thought CRAP now what?!?! So I did what any normal person would do and I took a picture of it and sent it to Brad, my mom, and two sisters lol. The response by all was call the doctor and get to the hospital.
I call the exchange and they told me if the doctor didn't call me back in 2 hours to call them back. Really 2 hours lady?! Moving on. My dad calls and ask if Im okay and wants to know where Brad is. Duh dad I sent him to work!!! He offers me a ride. No Im fine. This is about the time that I stop pacing the house and start squirming in pain every 3 minutes. Ahhh Im home with a 4 year old, my husband is at least 30 min away at this point and no doctor call back! I call Brad and tell him its a good idea that he comes back because I'm pretty sure his daughter is coming out!
After about 5 minutes I realize that waiting for Brad is no longer an option and call dad back. Ten minutes later my dad is there, dresses Allie and were off to the hospital. On the way to the hospital I'm pretty sure this baby is going to come out on the floor of my dad's work truck because the amount of pain I'm in compares to nothing I have ever felt and I would have bet my life that my body was splitting in half. This of course only happens every 3 minutes and I return to normal. Man 3 minutes never went by so fast. For some reason I picked the hospital that is the furthest from my home and as we are driving down three different highways we pass 4 hospitals. I cursed them all.
As we arrive my mom is there waiting for her baby. She gives me a wheel chair and the receptionist ask what I need. Um lets see.....I have a large round belly and Im curled up in a ball...IM IN LABOR LADY!!!!! Up to labor and delivery we go. They stick me in a small room to check me. When Nurse Jenn arrives she observes one contractions and hears me screeching and decides that's not necessary and they give me a room. After I strip off my clothes and lay in bed she checks and Im 5 cm. THAT'S IT?!?! How women make it all the way I have no idea but their something unnatural.
A few minutes later or so it seems Brad appears. Thank you Jesus my husband will see the birth of his second child!
After what seems like years they tell me the neurologist will be in soon to give me my epidural, he had 2 more to do before me. I object. There is no way that anyone else on this planet is in more pain then I am at this time. She just smiled and left the room. At this point I'm cursing, spitting, screaming, ripping sheets. Finally they arrive. I'm welcoming the bee sting in my back to get some relief. About 10 minutes later I'm in half the pain I was in because only half my lower body has went numb. Perfect! HELP!!!!!! They come back pump me with more drugs and fix my epidural and Im in high Heaven.
No one knew what Marley's name was. Everyone told us to keep the sex a secret and that wasn't possible for a man that want a son so bad. So Brad wanted to keep her name a secret. We didn't decide on one name until about 7 or 8 months. It was either Marley (MARy & bradLEY) or Cadence which is a military march. Both had meaning to us. He got to pick her name and he kept me guessing which it was until the end because he thought I would spill the beans and tell others. I kept my mouth shut and didn't tell anyone! Back to my story....
