Labor started on Tuesday evening. I began timing contractions around 9:30 p.m. They were six to eight minutes apart. Also, my mucous plug started to fall out at the same time. Hubby and I walked to the store to get things going and I ate what I thought would be my last meal. I called my mom and told her to start driving in the morning from Phoenix to San Diego.

As it turns out there was no need to rush. She got here Wednesday afternoon and we all went to dinner at Soup Plantation. I'd wait for a contraction to stop and run up to the buffet and fill my plate. It was a little amusing to be in labor in a room full of people.

We all went to bed to get some rest because surely Thursday would be the day. I couldn't sleep and the contractions were getting more intense, so I sat up alone on the couch counting them. When they were two to three minutes apart I woke everyone to go to the hospital. Hubby and I studied the Bradley method and intended on a natural birth.

We arrived at the hospital around 4:30 a.m. I was checked by triage and was 100 percent effaced and dilated only 3 centimeters. The doctr said it so rudely it made me really disappointed. Anyhow, by the time I got into my room and settled into bed my water broke.

By 1 p.m. I still hadn't progressed and Baby's heart rate kept dropping. I had to lie on my left side just to keep his heart rate up. The doctor began talking Pitocin or a Cesarean section. My hubby and I tried walking the hospital floors to get things going. I tried a shower and it made me vomit.

So shortly after 1 p.m. I declared I couldn't deal with the pain anymore and was given an epidural and Pitocin.

Nine hours later I was ready to push. The cord was wrapped around Baby's neck and the doctor said I had two minutes to push him out or else they were taking me for an emergency C-section. With the help of an episiotomy, vacuum extractor and some hard-core pushing I got him out in the allotted two minutes. Pushing him out was like an out-of-body experience. It hurt but it didn't. It was so weird. I was aware of all the doctors' voices but wasn't really "there."

Anyhow, the baby came out and I lay there like a zombie for a few minutes trying to kind of come to. The baby was born blue and lifeless and was immediately cut from the cord and taken to bring him to. I wasn't aware of any of this. I only noticed after a while my mom and sister were crying but I didn't hear the baby. I asked why he wasn't crying and a few seconds later I heard him.

The recovery has been awful and I swore I'd never have another baby, but we'll see.

There was a point in my labor just before I started pushing that I began crying and begged them to just cut him out of me. I didn't even care about having the baby anymore. I just wanted him out and I wanted it over with! I also broke down when I asked for the epidural. I was devastated that I couldn't have a natural birth as I'd planned. I try and tell myself I made it 30 hours before asking for pain relief and that makes me feel just a little better.

My sweet boy (Lucas) and I are now at home and he's 3 weeks old. We are getting used to each other and he is the most precious thing in my life!