We're home! Matthew is just adorable! It is so great to be able to bring a baby home with us, instead of having them stay in NICU for three weeks! He had a tough time latching on, but is quickly getting the hang of things. Megan was so excited to see him the few times she came to visit us in the Hospital. She is definitely going to have to get used to some new rules at home though. It will take time, but will be fine.
Okay, so I had a Dr's appointment on Wednesday. The Dr stripped my membranes to try to stir things up. I was 4 cm at that point, but no contractions were showing up on the non-stress test. So I went home, and started having some back pains about an hour later. With Megan, my water broke, and I started the contractions right away. This time, I really didn't know what I was looking for. It just felt like I was constipated, and couldn't get a bowel movement out. Although I did get a few passed an hour later. Then, I noticed some brown mucus, and started to wonder if it was my mucus plug. Joe had already called out of work because he was concerned that I was 4 cm already, and he works an hour and a half away during the night. So I felt better about that. So an hour or so after I got home from the Dr's, I called my mother to come over and hang out, just in case. Joe's sister was going to be in the delivery room, so we called her to come and hang out too. If nothing happened, then we would just bring some dinner in and watch a movie. I also decided that I should pack Megan and myself a bag. Nothing like the last minute! My mother got there, and we went for a walk. I was still feeling the occasional back pain. My mother decided to take Megan home with her, and keep her for the night so Joe and I could get a break. I called my Dr around 5:30 pm and she said that if I wanted to get check out, I could head over in about an hour. Joe's sister got there, and we ordered a pizza! I started to notice that the pains were slowing down, so I was a little dissapointed. We ate, and went over to get check out. Luckily, the Hospital is about 5 minutes away. So nothing was going on. Not one contraction, and I was still 4 cm. Bummer!
So we went for italian ice and went home! Joe's sister decided to stay over, since we lived closer to her job. We watched 50 First Dates, which was cute, and I went to bed around midnight. I slept for about an hour and a half, and got up a few times to pee and noticed that my back hurt again, but it was a constant pain. It was around 1:30 am. I went downstairs and Joe was still awake. He rubbed my back for a few minutes, and I got up to go to the bathroom again. Then I felt the back pain again, but it hurt this time. Then they started coming every 2 to 3 minutes. Suddenly, I realized that I had to do the breathing to get through the pain. Uh-oh, maybe we should go to the Hospital? But I didn't want to go and get sent home again. I went upstairs to get my stuff, and I knew that we had to go then. I couldn't even talk to my Dr on the phone, Joe had to do it.
We woke up Joe's sister, and headed out. We got checked in and they hooked me up to the monitors. I was in the triage room by 2:30 am. I asked Joe and his sister if any contractions were showing up. They better be, because I was hurting! And they certainly were, and coming on top of each other. So the nurse came in to check me. I was a good 7 to 8 cm already! I was thinking, damn, I won't be able to get an epidural! So they called the Dr, who lived 20 minutes away, to come in. 10 minutes later, I was still in triage, and I felt a lot of pressure. The nurse checked me, and I was 9 cm! It was all I could do to walk across the hall to the delivery room! The nurses were already setting the warmer and everything else up in the room. I got on the bed, and started to feel like I had to push!!!! I remember that feeling with Megan. Where was my Dr, I needed to push!!! Thank God the Dr got there a few minutes later. She broke my water, and I started to push. I think that I pused 3 or 4 times, and I felt his head come out. The cord was wrapped around his neck twice, which was scary!!! But the Dr cut it off, and out he came!!! It was such a wild ride. I had a feeling that the labor would be faster than Megan's 7 hour one. We are going to wait a long while before we even think of #3!
So Matthew Joseph was born on Thursday, June 17th at 3:29 am! 3 days past his due date of June 14th. He weighed 7 pounds, 11 ounces, and was 21 inches long. And everything worked out. Joe didn't go into work, my mother already had Megan with her, and Joe's sister was already at our house. They all might not have made it if things were different! Someone was looking out for us! Here are some pictures of the newest member of the Riley Family!
http://www.pbase.com/mjr0483/matt
But I never thought that I would get this close to my due date, and even go past it!
DD (baby #2) went past her due date. Not only was I induced, they told me that the labor wasn't working and "she didn't want to come out"! 
As a last resort, they had a labor and delivery nurse squeeze me like a tube of toothpaste in order to get the baby to drop into the birth canal (a bit uncomfortable but it sure beat a C-Section!
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) Take baby #1 to your inlaws....have a nice dinner to 2............have some "alone" time.............then have your bag packed for the hospital!! 
