on Sunday, April 10, 1994, at 6:18 a.m., weighing in at 8 pounds, 3 ounces, and 21 inches long.

Near the end of pregnancy with Dakota we stopped going up north for the weekend. We were living in Schofield at this time in our lives and were staying closer to the hospital near the end of pregnancy "just in case."

On Saturday, April 9, we spent the day in Eagle River and Watersmeet. I can remember crying on Kelli's shoulder that I was going to be pregnant forever! My due date was April 19, I was thinking I had two weeks or more to wait yet. On the 9th, We arrived home from Eagle River around 5 pm. Wade made dinner on the grill and I wasn't hungry so I didn't eat.

At around 9:30 pm, we were sitting watching TV, and I had my first contraction. It was a cramp/backache thing. I looked at Wade funny and told him I just had a contraction and, of course, he immediately calls me a liar. After about a half hour of this, Wade said we should time them (skeptic that he is) and they were about 15 minutes apart.

I was afraid to go to bed but Wade talked me into trying. Every time I got to sleep, a contraction would wake me. At about 1:30 a.m., I had to get up as lying down was very uncomfortable. I couldn't sit and watch TV and there was nothing on. I tried to wash the dishes and had to stop many times to walk with my contractions. I lost my mucus plug and had bloody show. That's what made me decide this really was labor. I woke up Wade to share the news. I was having very slight contractions in the front, but nearly excruciating back labor that only eased if I was walking, nearly running, in our tiny apartment. I paced a path thru the apartment, and spent a bit of time outside walking in our driveway and down the street (alone!).

At 2:30 a.m., Wade timed contractions and they were about 3 minutes apart. He wanted to go to the hospital and I wanted to wait. I felt totally fine between the contractions so I didn't think we had to rush as this was our first baby. I finally gave in a little while later and we arrived at the hospital around 4 a.m.

Upon first cervical check, I was already 5-6 cm dilated! I was happy, ecstatic! I couldn't believe I was more than half way there and had what I called a mild labor so far. With this being my first baby, I didn't know what to expect except for the worst.

By this time, I had to start using breathing with the contractions as I was no longer walking around. The contractions became much stronger and at 5 a.m. the nurse checked me and I was 9 cm. The nurses scattered so fast! None of them wanted to deliver my baby since the doctor was still at home. They got everything ready for baby in this whirlwind. My water broke. I started pushing. My parents arrived at this time and my mom came in to watch the birth and to catch Wade if he was feeling faint (which didn't happen!) and my dad went to the father's waiting room.

Pushing was the worst part. Each push was excruciating pain in my back and hips. I asked for pain meds but it was too late for that. I was extremely tired and slept between contractions. Around 6:15 a.m., they decided that I needed vacuum extraction assistance. Dakota was trying to enter the world face up and was going to come out in the anterior position (thus the back labor). I had an episiotomy and with one pull of the vacuum, Dakota was born at 6:18 a.m. He did a big twist as he was born and was delivered in the correct position. What a relief to have him out of me! I felt so wonderful afterwards.

Bryan and Tina arrived from Kenosha to see Dakota soon after he was born. I was finally allowed to eat and I had breakfast, I was so hungry and had such an adrenaline rush. I got up and took a shower.

We spent two days in the hospital because that is what our insurance paid for so we stayed (but we should have gone home after one). Homecoming was Tuesday, April 12, and I went back to college on Wednesday, the next day. I couldn't miss school!

So two became three and life has never been the same since.
It was quite strange at first to have a baby at home with us. This was *our* baby and was going to live with us forever. Now, I couldn't imagine life without our boys.