Introducing Connor Richard Draggoo

Bringing a baby into the world.......

Last Friday morning at 5:30 am I had a very strong contraction, I got up to use the restroom and it was like I couldn't stop going...... I won't go into the details, but basically my water had broken and I was slowly and steadily leaking fluids. I went into crazy Nicole mode and started doing dishes, making guest beds, packing my bags (that weren't packed already.. I had most of my stuff ready months ago) and of course this whole time with a towel between my legs.. I called the clinic, and the doctor on call said as long as I was comfortable I could stay home for a while, but to go into the hospical by noon. I let Jeremy sleep until about 8, then he too got up and helped get the animals fed and get things around the house done. We headed to the hospital just before noon.

Jeremy and I in front of the hospital about to begin one of the biggest days of our lives.

One last belly photo in my hospital room

waiting for things to progress...

trying to help things progress :-)  like an excersize ball on wheels.. it was awesome :-)

getting settled in as the contractions started to hurt a little more.. they were also monitoring me and baby..

I had called my mom at 6am and suggested she get on the road, she did, very quickly :-) and got to Omak at about 3:00, perfect timing because thats when I had progressed to 3cm and my contractions were starting to hurt. She helped me breath through them rather than squeeze the life out of the railing on the hospital bed! Jeremy and my mom Shelly were with me from this point until baby's birth.

I progressed from 3cm at 3:00 to 10 cm by 7:00pm. When I got to a 4, they placed my epidural and it was smooth sailing from then on... well until the epidural line/catheter broke right before I started pushing.... I thought Jeremy was going to leave when he heard this! Here's how it happened: When I got to 10 cm and was getting prepped to push, my nurse suggested that I remove the nursing tank top I was wearing so that the baby could be placed on my chest immediately after he was born, I was all about that, so mom helped me get my tank top off, well we forgot to check where the epidural line was taped to my back, and somehow when we pulled the tank top over my head, we literally snapped it in half. We didn't notice it was broken until the nurse said "wow you are really moving your legs well" I replied "yeah i'm getting alot of the feeling back" she checked the epidural and realized uh oh! So I was given 2 options: 1- wait for the anesthesiologist to get to the hospital and place a whole new epidural and hope it kicks in by the time I start pushing or 2: Go without and hope I am a good pusher and get him out before it wears off (I had 1 hr from the time it broke). I chose option 2, pushed for exactly 50 min and at 8:36 pm on March 4, 2011, Jeremy and I met our son Connor Richard Draggoo.

Me holding Connor right after he was born, Jeremy was likely cutting the cord at this point

The happy new parents.. exhausted, but it was all worth it!!!

Connor being cleaned up and checked. Scored 9 on both of his apgars!! Yeah :-)

My fabulous doctor checking Connor out..

Ahhhh time to eat :-) He was SOOO soft and warm!

Sleeping sound already.. he is a very calm baby, cried very little the whole time we were in the hospital

Jeremy changing Connors first diaper... Dad has changed the majority of the diapers so far.. he is great at it~!

You can see the love in Jeremy's eyes... Love at first sight is real!!

Tired but happier than ever holding my new love

"All because 2 people fell in love"

Enjoying every second!

He has been a thumb/finger sucker all along.. all of the ultrasounds looked like this! loves to have his hands by his face :-)

Resting after his bath..

Admirine him after his bath :-)

Look at those tiny wrinkled fingers!!!

We stayed in the hospital Friday night (didn't get any sleep: between the baby eating, uncomfortable beds and nurses coming and going all night..) We would have gone home on Saturday but I was having problems when I would stand up with being lightheaded, dizzy and short of breath, so they kept me one extra night on "bedrest" (yeah I thought I was done with that!) to monitor me. They decided that it was just pure exhaustion, hypoglycemia and indigestion causing my problems.. So SUnday afternoon, we were cleared to go home!

His "going home" outfit... the Outfit is from Connors Great Grandma Yagues, Shoes from his Grandma Shelly

Sleeping.. again :-)

Just before we loaded him in the carseat.. So ready to go home and start this new chapter of our life

He looks so small in his carseat

Leaving the hospital

Arriving home!

He didn't mind the carseat at all! Slept the whole time he was in it...

We are now home and adjusting to life with a baby.. We will add pictures later of all of the visitors Connor has had, life at home and the newborn photo shoot pictures of Connor.