Introducing...

Ty Joseph Dougherty

Born 2-3-2014

19 1/2 in.

8 lbs. 1 oz.

THE STORY

I went into the hospital on the morning of February 3 for my scheduled induction (my babies never come on their own).  Usually all the doctors have to do is break my water and my body takes it from there.  This baby was no different.  They broke my water at about 8:30 and we were off and running!

Of course, I hadn't eaten that morning and I was STARVING, so my goal was to get this baby out by lunchtime.  At first my contractions were small and sporadic, then after a couple of hours they picked up to be pretty intense.  By about 1:00 p.m. my contractions were really intense, and very close together.  I was sure that I had progressed to at least a 9 so I had the doctors check me.  I had only progressed to about a 6!  Ugh, at this rate I was going to be in labor and without food ALL DAY LONG!  I was beginning to think that I was being a little ambitious to think that I could have this baby by lunchtime.  I was in a lot of pain, but I was pretty insistent that I didn't want an epidural at that point.  I decided to have a painkiller drip through an IV instead to just take the edge off the pain.  Joseph had also not eaten all day, and he was getting pretty hungry.  The nurse told me that the IV medicine could slow labor down and it was also making the contractions more manageable so I told him to go ahead and go to the cafeteria to get something to eat.  I certainly didn't want him eating in front of me!  

After Joseph left all of a sudden my contractions REALLY picked up.  I mean, INTENSE!  For about 15 minutes my contractions came one right after the other.  Finally I asked the nurse to check me again and she said I had progressed to an 8.  She said, "You better call your husband and tell him to get on his way back here...I don't trust third time moms, this baby could be coming any minute!"  So I called Joseph in the middle of a crazy contraction and, you guys - he didn't answer his phone!  Where the heck was he?  I left a message that went something like, 

"Hey......Joseph....eeeeeeeehhhhhhhh....hmmmmmm.....uuuggghhh.....you gotta get back here, I'm....AAAHHHHH....just.....UUUUUUHHHHHHH....GETBACKHEREBYE."  

Literally 3 AGONIZING minutes later I was screaming, "I GOTTA PUSH!  I GOTTA PUSH!!" The nurse checked and sure enough, she said, "OH YES YOU DO!!!  GET A DOCTOR IN HERE NOW!"  But Joseph still wasn't there!!  The rest was a blur.  People kept saying, "Call your husband!" but I could barely breathe, my doctor hadn't walked in yet and all I wanted to do was push that baby out!  Somehow I garnered the wherewithal to call Joseph again, and this time he picked up.  That conversation went something like this:

Me: WHEREHAVEYOUBEEN??

Joseph: Uhh, I went to get some food...what's going o-"

"GET BACK HERE NOW!!!!!!"

"Ok, I'm in the parking lot!"-click

My doctor still was nowhere to be found.  Luckily, another doctor had been roaming the halls and she ran in ready to catch the baby.  She kept saying, "Push any time, push any time!" but I was trying to wait for Joseph to get there.  Finally, after what seemed like forever (but was actually only one minute) Joseph and my doctor both ran in at the same time.  The doctors looked at Joseph, let him take off his jacket and put down his Quiznos and yelled, "Grab a leg!"  After one intense push, Ty Joseph Dougherty made his grand entrance into the world at 1:38 p.m.  He weighed 8 lbs., 1 oz., and was 19 1/2 inches long.  I ate Joseph's Quiznos immediately after.  :)  

Ty is a joy to have in our family!  We are so blessed.

My Boys

My beautiful mom and baby Ty

My precious boy