Grayson had a lot of obstacles from conception. He is my third child and since both of my other two boys were preterm and tempted very early preterm labor, my physician decided to give me the progesterone shots to "prevent" him from making an entrance too soon. I am a single mother and so between work and stress from Grayson's father it was a stressful pregnancy.

At about 18 weeks I noticed I had started to feel some contractions but the doctor kept telling me that while early they were Braxton Hicks contractions. We just kept chugging along with weekly injections and check ups for my blood pressure until the day of 09/10/11; Grayson's very early birthday. He wasn't susposed to be here until November 5th and I kept telling myself this fact over and over but it wasn't changing Grayson's plans. It was about 12:30 when my water broke while I was taking a nap; I was exactly 32 weeks. I woke up and realized what had happend, called my mom and she kept asking "are you sure your water just broke?!" I told her yes to come up and get the boys because in my mind I was driving myself to the hosptial! I decided while I was waiting for her to shower and kept thinking that I really needed to shave my legs! By the time she got there I still wasn't contracting too much and felt pretty good and CALM! She had my dad take the boys and she and I headed for the hosptial.

Once we got there and explained what was happening things started to speed up a little bit. I wasn't dialted yet but 75% effaced. The doctor came that was on call that weekend told me that he was going to try to stop the contractions what were now 4 minutes apart (I wasn't really feeling them yet). After two failed attempts at stopping the contractions it was determined that I couldn't stay at the hosptial I was in because there was no NICU. The closest NICU was an hour away and there were NO ambulances to take me. That weekend there was a motorcycyle rally in my town and in the larger city where I needed to go was a college football game. Both events were taking up all the ambulances until later that evening which I would not last that long. The only other option was a Medflight to the larger city. 

At about 2:30pm I was checked again and still not dialted but fully effaced. The contractions were getting stronger and they couldn't give me an epidural because of the helicopter ride I was about to have and I wasn't dialted yet. By 4:30 they checked me again because the helicopter had arrived and I was a 6-7. BIG JUMP! By now I was in a lot of pain and I was given some stardoyl to help take the edge off. It really didn't help at all. I am alergic to morphine and Demerol so I could not have any other pain meds. They get me in the helicopter and we start our 20 minute flight to the new hospital. My Medflight nurse was Lyssy. I loved her! She was amazing and supportive and kept reassuring me it was going to be ok. But I as still CALM, other than the pain of the contractions,I was so go with the flow which is not like me at all! By the time I got to the hosptial and check into the delivery room and such it was approaching 5:30pm. The Dr that would deliver me came in and said he wanted to know exactly what we were looking at as far as baby size and when he looked he was right on what he thought and what my growth ultrasound had shown not two days before--Approximatley 3lbs. By the time he checked me I was a 7-8 and he promised that I was still going to get the epidural. About 15 minutes later he checked again because there started to be a LOT of pressure and he said "oops no time for an epidural now hes coming!"

Grayson was born at 6:57pm on 09/10/2011 weighing in at 3lbs 11 oz and 16inches long. He scored 9s on both APGAR tests. He was taken to the NICU where he was on the nasal cannual for about two days and then was just "in" as a grower and a feeder. The nurses kept telling me how strong he was that he just didn't want to be in there and was jumping hurdles like nobodys business! He got to come home 3 weeks later and is doing amazingly well now. He's my little miracle!!