The Arrival of Baby Maddox

We're parents! Maddox Alexander Dargis was born on October 27th at 11:17am. He weighed 7lbs, 4ozs and was 20.5 inches long! He took his mother quite literally when I joked that he needed to come early as I like to be punctual! Lol! On Tuesday afternoon I had an appointment with my Obgyn; she checked me and said I was still 1-2cm dilated (like I had been for the past 2 weeks) and reminded me that most first-timers go past their due date. Later that evening when Lucas & I went for a walk, I told him it was a reality check... I'd been hoping so much that he would come soon because I was so miserable but that I needed to just accept that I was going to be pregnant for another 2 & 1/2 weeks.... my water broke that morning at 4am. I still would have liked to see my face when it broke and my eyes popped open... maybe when I get to heaven I'll ask God to replay that for me. So I was sure my water had broken but Lucas was somewhat skeptical... he said "are you sure you didn't just pee yourself?" (the Ob had just informed us that day that uncontrollable pee was in my near future). After he stripped the bed and could see/smell for himself that there was no pee, he seemed to come around. We started to get our things together but since I wasn't having contractions yet, we decided to eat breakfast (since we'd been told you don't get to eat until afterwards) and call/email our families.
So about 40 minutes later with my contractions in full force we headed directly to the hospital. When we got there they verified I was indeed in labor and then took us to the labor and delivery room. After a million questions and some pretty intense contractions that were already coming less than 2 minutes apart, they checked and said I was 4cm dilated. I held out for another hour or two (don't really remember) when I finally said I needed the epidural. I honestly think knowing that I didn't have to be in pain was just more than I could handle, plus having a 30-90 second contraction every 2 minutes or less, it was just happening so fast that I didn't feel like I could catch a break. So I got the epidural at 6cm... all I can say is drugs are amazing and I couldn't ever imagine having a child without one now! I went from shaking with pain to playing spider solitaire while I waited for the next 2 hours to pass. 2 hours later they checked me again and I was 9 1/2cm dilated; they said they were going to set up and then we would start pushing... I can't tell you how surreal the whole experience was. I had anticipated being in labor for hours and being late, not being early and having a child in 6 1/2 hours! The pushing was hard; mostly because I couldn't feel the contractions to really push into. The only way I can compare it is like trying to have a bowel movement when you don't feel like you need to have one. Then at 11:17am Maddox was born.
He was born with the umbilical cord wrapped tightly around his neck, he was blue, and he wasn't breathing. Those were the longest 3 minutes of my life. We anxiously waited while 4-5 nurses huddled around Maddox and pumped oxygen into his lifeless little body. All I remember was pleading with God "please, please" I was so scared that I had carried this little man in my womb for the past 9 months and pushed him out and that I would never get to meet him. Fortunately, God heard and answered my prayer and he began to cry. So there you have it. The abrupt and fast entrance of Maddox Alexander into the world! He is so precious and perfect in every way and we are already blessed and forever changed for having him.