(I cut this version down a bit, editing a few personal things and other things so it wasn't so long, it is still super long so if you just look at the pictures that is ok, but here is Max's birth story, enjoy!)
I was kind of feeling tired at this point for some reason and just a little like somber. Jared suggested we eat at Chili’s that night because Nikki Gaskin, a friend from our Wymount ward had said on my blog that she and her sister had gone into labor after eating the chicken crispers at Chili’s, within 24 hours after. So I thought, hey, I could at least try it, I ordered the ginger ones. We got home and were totally out of milk for breakfast the next day. So, Jared and I walked some more, down to Albertson’s for milk. The cashier said congrats on the pregnancy and asked when my due date is, “yesterday” I told him. I actually think that same cashier had congratulated me before when I’d been shopping there. Anyway. We got home, watched a little American Idol and puttered around before bedtime. I crawled into bed around midnight, but Jared not until 1:00am, so I didn’t really sleep until 1:00am either. Around 2am I woke up. I figured I just woke up to go to the bathroom, like always. So I did. When I got back to bed I realized I had cramps. They were pretty uncomfortable, I realized they were probably what woke me up. I thought to myself “I haven’t gotten enough sleep to be in labor, I will just close my eyes and sleep through this and see if I still feel them in the morning.” But they kept getting worse. Jared woke up, realizing I was in pain. He started timing the cramps. They were less than five minutes apart. “This could be it honey” he said to me. I didn’t want to call the doctor. But after about 45 minutes of them being less than 5 minutes apart I called. Dr. Mendolson who was on call, called me back and said take a shower, and if they’re still that close after an hour then go in to the hospital, they’ll be expecting you. So Jared and I got up, got our stuff together, I totally thought I’d have time to do my hair before going to the hospital even while I was in labor, haha, yeah right. I tried to put on make up but Jared wouldn’t let me. I was still having contractions and Jared was helping me through them. I really didn’t like doing the "hee hee who" breathing through them, it didn’t seem to help, so I just groaned through them. Jared gave me a blessing. About 4:05am we were on the road to the hospital, Saddleback Memorial Hospital in Laguna Hills. 
We had to go in through emergency because it was the middle of the night. The man from emergency who got me a wheel chair didn’t know where labor and delivery was, it was kind of funny but we got there. 4:40am was my check-in time. I put the hospital gown on. The contractions really hurt now. Nurse asked me if I felt safe at home, that was an interesting question, and a bunch of other routine questions. She checked me, a 2! 2? Seriously. She also was really insistent I did the breathing techniques. They did help, but it was just to focus I guess. They couldn’t admit me until I was a 3 so had Jared and I walk the halls for an hour. We just walked around and around in circles and drank water. I felt nauseous from the moment labor started and while walking I threw up the chicken crispers, then threw up water again. I felt better after that though. During this time I was having weird thoughts like how can people do this and honestly want to have more babies and how wonderful it would be to just have a scheduled C-section. (i don't still feel this way, but these were just the thoughts going through my head at the time) So after an hour the nurse pulls me in the room and checked me again, 3 almost 4! Yay! So in I went to room 288. It was about 7am. The nurse that had been checking me, her shift was up so I got two new nurses, Christine and Megan who was training from UCI. I liked them much better, Christine was awesome, very clear and positive and on the ball. They told me MY doctor, Dr. Norene Norris- Walsh was was on duty that day and would deliver the baby! Yay! I was so happy about that. They told me she’d be in to check me around 8am and the epidural would come around 8am as well. I started to get really shaky, they said that was the hormones in my body. While we were waiting they started to get me on an IV. It took three different nurses and 4 different pokes to finally get it in! I still have the bruises. They just kept bubbling up. Honestly they were probably just as painful as the contractions! Nurses said if I could handle those pokes I’d handle labor just fine. But the contractions though painful really weren’t as bad as I’d imagined. They were just the worst menstrual cramps ever, and I’d had some pretty bad ones. Doctor had told me earlier that if you’d had bad cramps in your life it wouldn’t be as bad. And hey, at least with contractions you get a little break in between the cramps. My contractions slowed down to about 7 minutes apart after the IV went in. She said it was because I was hydrated. Well the epidural guy arrived before the doctor so they went ahead and got me started on that, I had one contraction right before, I just remember standing up on the side of the bed and holding on to Jared and totally shaking all over the place. Anyway, epidural didn’t hurt so bad going in. I honestly thought I’d be in a lot more pain before receiving the epidural! I couldn’t believe the worst was over, not that it was easy but I’d just imagined it getting completely unbearable before finally getting the epidural. I was at about 5 by this point I think. The epidural kicked on my right side, then my left, pretty quickly. It was so great. I was worried I wouldn’t be able to move or feel my legs at all and that would drive me crazy, but no I could still feel my body, it was just tingly. The best part is a few minutes later when the nurse said “you’re having a contraction” and I could just sit there peacefully. The epidural did make my skin really itchy though. Note: next time pack moisturinzing lotion. Dr. Norris-Walsh came in and shortly after and checked me, 6! This was about 8:30am. She also broke my water, which was clear. Finally we could just relax a little bit. This was the best part of the epidural, I could relax and talk to Jared and focus on what was coming and enjoy the experience instead of constantly being in pain and not wanting anyone to talk to me or touch me. Oh I love Jared so much, he was so great through the whole thing. Well, so we thought we’d sleep a little. Jared dozed off, I was just kind of in and out and started having weird thoughts go through my mind like I was walking down the street in front of my house in 
Jared was so awesome and took pictures and movie during this whole thing. Jared cut the cord (which I don’t remember the moment but he did). Later I was told the cord was around the baby’s neck a little bit when he came out but Jared said the doctor just slipped it right off and it was no big deal. They took the baby to the incubator thing and Jared followed him and took more pictures. Then came back to me and gave me a big kiss and we told each other we loved each other. APGAR 9/10. At first I thought they said his WEIGHT 9lbs 10 ounces but no, then they got out the scale and weighed him. 7 pounds 10 ounces. Perfect! Then they wrapped him up and gave him to Jared and I think I snapped a picture while on the bed. 
Jared brought him over to me. We took more pictures. I started crying and told Jared I was so happy because Heavenly Father had answered our prayers and this baby was a special little spirit sent to our family. I knew I’d felt his spirit in my heart before. I just loved him so much. Then it was time to name the baby. Oh boy, he was so perfect and sweet it was like there was no name in the whole world good enough for him, at least in my mind. So I tried calling him Maxwell, Max, which was our top choice. Then I went through the other names we were thinking of and Max just seemed to work the best. I haven’t regretted it since, it is a good fit. The next two days were a blur but wonderful. All my nurses commented on how long and curly his eyelashes were. He was also very hairy, fuzzy light hair on his back and arms. The Dr. had told me to get some sleep and to not hesitate to send him to the nursery at night but it was SO hard. I did have him go there for about a couple hours but I didn’t really sleep, I was so worried I’d forget what he looked like and they’d bring me back the wrong baby! I memorized things about his face and while I was trying to sleep his cute face just kept popping in my head
. Overall, the hospital was such a wonderful experience. I was so impressed with all the nurses and my dr. I even broke down and cried later b/c I was just overwhelmed with how wonderful everyone was and how they did their important job so well. I love my baby Max and being a family of 3!
going home!
