Bryce Russ Hunsaker has arrived!

Just a warning this is really long... I have been putting off writing Bryce's birth story partially because between feeding, changing and rocking there hasn't been much time but also I don't know where to begin. I guess I'll start the weekend before he was born. Russ and I went to Cafe Rio for dinner the Friday night before he was born and by the time we went to bed I was feeling this pain under my ribs on the right side. It wasn't that bad so I tried to go to sleep but I couldn't. No matter what way I turned it still hurt. Finally I got up and went into the living room and tried standing, kneeling, laying on the couch but nothing worked. At about 2am I woke Russ up and told him that I needed to go to the store to get some Tums because I thought I was having heart burn from the Cafe Rio. We went to Maceys got the Tums and sat up for a few more hours hoping the pain would go away. I decided that if it didn't stop by 6am we were going to the doctor. At some point I decided to sit in the rocking chair and I fell asleep, when I woke up the pain was gone. It was terrible and I still don't know if it was heart burn or what it was. We spent the rest of the weekend putting together his cradle and attempting to get things ready for him to come. The upcoming week was my last week of work and I was exhausted from the week before so I knew it was going to be a challenging week. Mondays are always so busy at work and the day went by so quickly but I was so tired by the end of the day. Tuesdays usually are a little slower so I went to work telling myself I can do it, only one more day after today but that Tuesday was so busy. It was 2pm and I hadn't gotten a lunch yet, I was starving and just did not feel good at all. I had felt sick all day and even after I inhaled my lunch in 5 minutes I still didn't feel good. I knew that the day had to end eventually so I just kept working. Most of the other hygienists were going to a CE class and had to leave as soon as we closed at 6 pm. I wasn't going and a patient showed up at 545 for his 5:20 appointment and I knew that if I didn't hurry and get him back I would be there all night. I got him back and finished a little after 6 but since there were only 2 or 3 of use to do all the close down we were there until like 7. Monique and I were cleaning up the lab and she said we'll Misty it looks like you are going to make it, meaning I was going to be able to finish out my last day of work. Little did she know. After work I stopped by our house that we are building and then picked up some tacos from Del Taco. Of course I dropped my card as I was handing it to the lady to pay so I had to squeeze out of my car and pick it up. I'm still not sure how I got that belly between the door and the drive thru window. I finally made it home to find Russ, Tyler and Nicole watching the BYU basketball game. I quickly ate my food and decided that I was going to bed. I felt bad leaving everyone out there but I was so tired I just couldn't stay awake even though it was only 8 pm. Apparently I fell asleep quickly because Russ said they could all hear me snoring in the living room. (I started snoring while I was pregnant and it was so bad Russ slept in the spare room probably 3 nights a week.) I woke up to Russ and Tyler yelling and cheering. When I feel asleep BYU was down 25 points and I figured there was no way that they could win but I was wrong because Russ came in and said aren't you watching. BYU had come back! I got up and came and watched the final minutes with Russ and Tyler. Since they won they would be playing again on Thursday. All weekend today would be a good day for a birthday so Tyler told me that I couldn't have the baby on Thursday but as he left I said I can still have him tomorrow. Russ and I got ready for bed and I woke up with that pain again. I was up most of the night and thought there is no way I am going to be able to work today. When my alarm went off at 7 am I got up and took a shower. I was gagging and thought I was going to through up but since my stomach was empty I didn't. I got out of the shower and was drying off and noticed something was leaking. Lets be honest at this point in pregnancy you sometimes can't hold it when you have to pee. I went to the bathroom and thought that was the end of it. I went into my room and started getting dressed but with every movement a little more clear liquid leaked out. I decided I better wake Russ up. I told him that something was leaking and I was pretty sure I wasn't peeing my pants. I decided to call my Aunt Sherri and ask her what she thought. I told her what was going on and she said it sounded like my water broke. She told me I better not go into work and I should call my OB. I knew they opened at 8:30 so I figured I'd just wait until then. Russ got up and got in the shower and I finished getting ready. I called my mom and she was freaking out because she had an 8 hour drive to get here and her boss was coming into  the bank from out of town that day to meet with her. She tried calling him but since there isn't cell service around Chama she didn't get a hold of him. Russ called his mom and told her that we were going to go into the doctor when they opened. I was surprisingly so calm. I was taking my time getting ready but as time went on Russ started rushing me to hurry and Sherri called again and said you better just go into the doctor now. I text my boss and told her I was having contractions and was going into the doctor to get checked. That wasn't quite the truth but I didn't want to say that my water broke if it hadn't. I had already packed him hospital bag except for my clothes and make up. After changing my clothes several times I noticed to the clear liquid had gotten a pink tinge to it. We got everything ready and I got a cup of cereal to eat on the way because I knew that if they admitted me they wouldn't let me eat until he was born. My boss finally text back and I told her my water broke and we were on our way to the hospital. She told me almost every day how worried she was that I was working so close to the due date. I had almost made it. Our OB office is in the same parking lot as the hospital so as we pulled in we just decided to go to the hospital because I was 99% sure my water broke. I started having some light contractions. I don't think I had any Braxton Hicks so I didn't know what they felt like until then. We walked into the hospital at about 840 and went up to the labor and delivery floor. Since they are locked floors Russ got on the phone and told them I am pretty sure my wife's water broke. They let us in and we checked in at the front desk then a nurse took me into a triage room and told me to put on the hospital gown and lay on the bed. She came back and used a strip to check if it was my water that broke. She said if it turns a bright blue then it was my water. She took one look at it and said that is exactly the color it should be. She took a health history and put two monitors on my stomach. One checks the baby's heart rate and the other monitored my contractions. I go to a group of OBs so I didn't know who would be delivering my baby. I asked the nurse what doctor was on that day and I was so happy to hear that it was Dr. Lamereaux! He was my favorite. She said that there were so many women in labor that they had to call the scheduled inductions and cancel them for that day. All the nurses kept joking that the BYU game but all the women into labor. At about 10 am they took me to the delivery room. The nurse went over more paper work and gave me an IV. I told them that my mom was coming and she was 8 hours away so they didn't give me any pitocin. By about 11 am the contractions were starting to hurt a bit more but I didn't want to be a wimp and get my epidural too early. I started getting really irritated every time Russ would talk to me. I swear he would only talk to me Finally I asked the nurse and she called the anesthesiologist. I was at a 3 or 4 cm at that point. I was so nervous to get my epidural because everyone makes it sound so scary. It didn't hurt one bit. There was a tiny bit of pressure and that was it. Before I knew it I couldn't lift my legs and I could no longer feel the contractions. The nurse checked a couple times and I got to a 4 cm. The day was kind of a blur. We were in the delivery room all day watching TV. I threw up a few times after drinking juice. We noticed the baby's heart rate started dropping and 2 nurses came in and started doing stuff and checking things. We were panicking a little and the nurses wouldn't tell us whet they were doing then they decided to put the monitor inside on his head to better monitor his heart. They made me wear a blood pressure cuff, oxygen and lay on my left side. The nurse said while I am in here I am going to check you. She said you are complete and I thought she meant I was completely effaced because I was at 90%. I said so how far dilated am I and she said you are complete meaning you are at a 10 and ready. This was around 4 pm and my mom had left at about 12 so we knew she wouldn't make it. Tanner and Lauren came to the hospital and came into our room to say hi just as the nurse came back in and said it's time to push. I told them okay guys go wait in the waiting room. Russ' family also came and were waiting for baby Bryce to arrive. The nurse came in and gave Russ instructions. She told him he was going to have to hold a leg and count to 10 for me. We started pushing 3 ten second increments. It was nothing like I thought it would be. I wasn't in pain but I knew when I was having a contraction because I could feel pressure. The nurse was just small talking with us and Russ was keeping everyone updated through text. At the time it was really irritating me that he was texting during our push breaks but now when I realize it wasn't a big deal. Sherri thought that I was texting while I was pushing. She text quit texting and push! At 6 pm the nurse said lets take guesses on when he will come. Russ said 6:20, nurse said 6:35 and I said 6:45. The doctor came in and out. He was delivering another baby down the hall and said let's see who goes first. I really wanted to go first. I was ready to hold my precious baby. The nurse and the doctor said that I was a great pusher. I am not sure if they say that to everyone but I was trying so hard! The nurse kept saying you are motivated to get that guy out. We started doing 4 ten second increments. Russ said he wasn't going to look but he did. The nurse kept saying he has blonde hair. Finally the doctor came in and with a few more pushes baby Bryce was born! He was born at 6:54 pm on March 14 at 7 lb 11 oz and 19 inches long. Russ got to cut the cord and they laid him on my chest. As I held him I just couldn't believe he was mine and I created him. Tears filled my eyes as I held our little miracle! It's an overwhelming thought to know that he was just with our Heavenly Father and now he was here with us. The nurse took him and cleaned him up and put drops in his eyes while Russ watched like such a proud daddy. I will never forget the way Russ looked as he held him for the first time.  Russ never lift his side. After the doctor finished and the nurse wrapped up the baby we let all the family come in and meet him. Russ' mom held him first then his Uncle Tanner and he just got passed around to all the family. The nurse had Russ order my food before Bryce was born because the cafeteria was going to close so while everyone was holding him I ate my dinner. Everyone left and I had my first attempt at breast feeding then they took Bryce down the have his first bath and get checked out. After everyone left the nurse helped me get cleaned up and moved me to another clean delivery room since there was no room on the postpartum floor.  I didn't mind because the rooms were so big. My mom arrived while Bryce was getting his bath so her and Tanner and Lauren went to watch. Russ stayed at the hospital with me that night. Russ wanted to keep the baby in the room with us because he said that they keep the lights on in the nursery and he wanted Bryce to get a good nights sleep. We kept him in there but he would choke on the amniotic fluid he still had in this stomach and it made me really nervous so I had them take him for the rest of the night. The nurse brought him in so I could feed him a couple of times. At about 6 am I woke up and wanted them to bring him back. We spent the rest of the time in the hospital resting and visiting with family and friends that came to meet him. Friday we got to come home. It was so crazy to put him in his car seat for the first time. He looked so tiny in that big seat. The next few days are a blur of diapers, feeding and cuddling. I was so worried about him not getting enough food or making sure I'd wake up to feed him. It was so nice having my mo here because she would get up with me while I fed him and change his diaper for me. I wish I could have kept her and Nana here forever. He had his 2 week appointment this past week and he weighed 8 lbs 4.5 oz and was 20 inches long. He was 7 lbs 2 oz when he was discharged from the hospital. He got circumcised and the poor little guy has been a little fussy every since. He very rarely cried before his circumcision and now he cries. It has been such a blessing to have Bryce in our lives. We are still adjusting to the sleepless nights and demands of parenthood but I would never give it up. We are so grateful to have such a healthy baby. We are so grateful to know that our family can be together forever. SEE PHOTOS BELOW! For some reason, maybe this post was too long, it wouldn't let me put them in the same post.