Where to start... 

This weekend was supposed to be a family reunion in Zion.  The plan was to go down Tuesday night, camp one night then check into a cabin for the rest of the week.  Tuesday morning I went to the doctor for my weekly check (I was 38weeks and 2 days) and he said that I was only dilated 1cm and I hadn't had any contractions so I should be good to go as long as there is a hospital close by.  So we went!

Wednesday at 3am I woke up at the campground (we were sleeping out under the stars - I was on a cot though, ha ha) and noticed a little "fluid" had leaked, but it wasn't a ton.  So I waited till the morning to really think about it much.  When we got up, the family was all going to go canyoneering and I was going to go to the cabin.  Well, I talked to Rich and we decided he would stay with me and we would make a "quick trip" to Cedar to just make sure things were ok and maybe say hi to a few friends.  

We got to the hospital and they were doing some tests to see if it was amniotic fluid, but they were all coming back negative.  Luckily the nurse was convinced that it WAS even though the tests said no (I was having regular contractions at this point) so she kept checking.  Finally, 4 hours after getting to the hospital, we got a positive test back!  So instead of the big gush of my water breaking, it had just gotten punctured and was leaking.  Once someone's water breaks, they like them to deliver in 12-24 hours so that they don't get any infections or anything since that barrier is no longer intact.  

SO, we get admitted and they induced me the rest of the way (I still wasn't dilating, just contracting and effaced 85%).  By about 7:30 or 8pm it was time to start pushing!  (we were excited cause she just told me I was at 10cm.  Notice the smile- I had gotten an epidural so I was good by this point, ha ha)

 At 8:23pm, Rich delivered our little Mason Jay Brandt (with the help of the Nurse Midwife of course - Laurie Hansen).  He was 19.5" long and weighed 7lbs 12oz.  He's already a little champ at everything so far - sleeps good, eats good, poops good (he he) and he was even put on bili lights for one night and his levels were perfect by this morning!

This is the last picture we took of my belly before he was born

 And thank goodness we already had the nursery set up before we left on the trip!  We have so many wonderful neighbors and friends who gave us the stuff they don't need or aren't using anymore, so thanks to them (and KSL) this cute room only cost us about $2-300 total :)

I'm trying to not make this too long of a post so that I can get back to my cute little kid sitting next to me asleep, so if I forgot something, I'll just add it later :)

We love being parents and didn't plan on having our baby in Cedar City, but we couldn't have been happier with the whole delivery and everything!  It's been great!