At my 32-week checkup I was 1 centimeter dilated. At my 33-week checkup I was 1 centimeter dilated. At my 34-week checkup I was 1 centimeter dilated. At my 34 1/2-week checkup I was 1 centimeter dilated.

That evening I went back home, and my water broke. So I went back in to the hospital. Not surprisingly I was 1 centimeter dilated. Since my first labor had come and gone in less than six hours start to finish, and my water had already broken, and I lived 45 minutes away from where I wanted to deliver my baby, they gave me a room and let me stay.

I was checked four hours later. No contractions yet, not even a single one, and yep, I was still 1 centimeter dilated. At eight hours, there were still no contractions, and I was still 1 centimeter dilated. At the 24-hour mark, you guessed it, no contractions and 1 centimeter dilated. I begged the midwife to let me go longer before she gave me something to induce me.

So while she was gone to consult with the doctor, my little one finally decided that enough was enough. I went from 1 centimeter dilated and no contractions and about 10 percent effaced to a beautiful 5-pound, 5-ounce baby boy. My first contraction began at 1:15 in the morning, and at exactly 4 a.m. they were washing him off and placing him in my arms, while Daddy waited patiently by getting ready to cut the cord.

Now my husband occasionally reminds me how painful it was to go that quickly, but I hardly remember a thing except those big brown eyes and that head full of black hair.