K & A Bertholf: Bradley's Arrival

Bradley James Bertholf arrived September 14, 2013 at 11:27 pm! And we honestly didn't see it coming!

The Saturday before Bradley arrived Kyle and I went into Labor and Delivery triage thinking Bradley was trying to make his appearance then, but I wasn't contracting regularly enough for them to admit me. My doctor later told me if she was on call that weekend she would have just had me stay since I was so far along. But like all things, everything happens when it should. So we went home and I rested up and Kyle went on to the OU game. Tuesday of that week we went to the weekly doctor visit and scheduled my induction for Bradley's actual due date, September 17th at 7:30 in the morning. My doctor really felt confident that I wouldn't make it that long since I was already dilated to a 3. But I really felt since he hadn't come that he just wasn't going to come on his own, and had it set in my mind that we wouldn't be going to the hospital till the 17th. So I let my school know that Friday the 13th was my last day till after my maternity leave and tied up all the loose ends there and Kyle and I had already decided we'd get everything at home ready during the weekend.

Saturday the 14th was an OU home game and unless we are really ill we always go to the games, so we went! It was an 11 o'clock kick off and we were actually happy about that so it wouldn't be too hot for me and we'd have the rest of the day to get things done. We got down to Norman right before kick off and made the long walk to the stadium and another long walk to the top of the stadium and enjoyed most of the game. About the middle of the 3rd quarter the sun started to hit us and I started having small contractions. Which I had been having for about a month now, so I really didn't think too much of it, especially since they didn't seem regular. I told Kyle I was having them and it was getting hot so we went ahead and left. Then headed out to Chuy's for a nice Mexican food lunch date. When we got back home Carson was still down for a nap, so we decided to do the same! Once we all got back up we went to run some of those last minute errands we kept putting off, by the time we were all settled back in at home it was time for Carson to go to bed, around 8 pm. Kyle and I rotate nights to give a bath so it was my night and when I went to get the bath ready I realized I was having such bad contractions I had to close my eyes and breath through them. And up to that moment I really didn't feel like I was going to be delivering a baby that evening! We started timing them and found they were four minutes apart and getting longer. We got a hold of my mom and she flew over to our house and we got to the hospital a fast as we could.

We checked into the hospital at 9:45 pm, they found out I was a 6 almost 7 and rushed me to labor and delivery. I was laboring so fast they were afraid I wouldn't get my epidural or my doctor in time! Everyone worked as fast as they could and luckily my doctor walked in right as they said it was time to push and the medicine worked at that exact moment, thank you Lord! Bradley was here at 11:27 pm, we were literally at the hospital an hour and 45 minutes before our son arrived! Thank goodness we went when we did.