Bertram has arrived.

When I last left off, I'd been contracting since 9 pm on February 26th.  It continued through the whole night, with no breaks.  (We're supposed to be across the street right now, taking our birthing class, lol).   I took a couple hot showers, and called L&D twice.  Mostly, I moved around on the couch, trying to get comfortable.  I dozed for an hour between 4-5am, but still woke up for each contraction.  Between 5-6 then got really strong, I was moaning and crying.  Aaron got up around 5:30, and we got ready to go.  He showered, I got a couple last minute stuff packed, we both had a little breakfast.
From the amount of time I'd been contracting, and the strength of the contractions, I was hoping I'd been at 7cm.  When I got checked, I was only at 4cm.  With that I knew, natural was not going to happen.  They started me on narco (norco?), because the anesthesiologist couldn't get in right away.  The narco helped a bit.  I was nervous about getting an epidural, and having a catheter.  But it was surprisingly not bad.  The numbing shot was the worse part, and the sitting still.  Once that kicked in, everything was fantastic.  I couldn't feel any contractions, and dozed a little.  That was around 8am, I didn't have to do anything until 2, since I was still dilating.  Sometime during this period, they started me on an oxygen mask, to make sure Bertie was getting enough.
Dennis (Aaron's dad) came by briefly  to say hi and see how things were going.
Starting at 2, I pushed for about 30 minutes, and then rested some.  Aaron was really great during all this.  He was worried about being squeamish. He doesn't do great with blood, or seeing me in pain.  He mostly stayed near my head, but had to help pull my legs or support my neck at some points.  So I know he looked a little bit.  He insisted he didn't want to cut the cord, but more on that later.  But he was great, got me ice chips, encouraged me to breath (which, as the time, was annoying), and kept count during the pushing.
At 3ish, we started pushing again.  This was when the epidural started wearing off.  And things started hurting.  The oxygen mask was really bothering me, I was too hot, I felt nauseous every time I had to push.  Baby was not making the type of progress they wanted, and he was in distress off and on.  Also, he was turned sideways, his ear was facing up.
Around 4, floor doctor came in, and said this will be our last shot, we're going to use the vacuum assisted device while you push, and if that doesn't work, we need to do an immediate c-section.  At that point, I was ready to say skip the vacuum, lets go to the OR.  I was so tired, and in pain.  Plus I was starting to lose it.  We did that, there was no success.  So then everyone was rushing around.  They told Aaron they'd bring him back after everything was set up.  I think I was sobbing at that point (I'm crying now as I type this, too many emotions).  They whisked me down the hall, and resumed the epidural meds.  Either because they'd just started or because I was freaking out, they weren't working as fast as the doctors wanted, so they opted to sedate me.  In all honesty, it's just as well that they did.  Once I go into panic mode, I'm useless.
I don't remember much of that.  They had me take some deep breaths of something, and I went to sleep.
I woke up in a different part of the same room.  A nurse was talking to me about nothing in particular.  Aaron was either there, or came in shortly after.  He showed me some pictures of Bertram, and told me about him.  I found out that his cord was around his neck, not tightly, but enough to distress him, and keep him from coming out vaginally.  He is a tiny guy, 5lb7oz, 18 inches long.  So skinny.  He was put in the intermediate care nursery, since his lungs weren't quite ready.
Usually they can only take wheelchairs in the nursery, but the nurses made an exception for me and wheeled the gurney in.  I was able to do skin to skin for 30 minutes, and he latched for 5 or 10 minutes.  That was awesome.  Just great.  I miss him, and want to snuggle him more.
I got settled in my postpartum room.  Aaron folks and my dad come by to meet the baby.  He's the first grandchild for everyone.  They were all here from about 9-10.  Then we went to sleep.  Aaron slept, I slept intermittently an hour or two at a time.  I got up and walked briefly last night, I was really dizzy.  I've also started using the breast pump.  Nothing is coming out yet, but it's good for stimulation.  I'm still on a catheter, but that will be coming out soon.
I'm not sure why he, or my body decided to come so early.