Erik and Afton birth story

On 12/28 I went in for an induction at 41 weeks. I had been having back labor symptoms for several days and was having non consistent contractions before we got the the hospital. When the Midwife checked when we got there I was 3cm and 50% effaced. She decided that I may benifit from a cervical ripener and gave me half a dose of mesoproal at 5:30pm. At 10 they checked and I was having more than 12 contractions in an hour so they couldn't give me anymore. At around 2 am they check and I was 4.5cm and fully effaced. We had been moving around the room with Dh helping me sway during contractions and giving counter pressure on my back. At some point I got in the shower for the pain relief from water for  a while. Around 330 am they let me be off the monitor and gave me some benedryl to see if I could sleep a bit. I had to wiggle through the contractions and breathe a lot but did get a little rest. At 450am my nurse came to hook me back up to the monitor and as soon as she got by my side my water broke. I decide the contractions were just too close together and I couldn't relax and was fighting them so I asked for an epidural. Woke Dh up and he held me while they did the epidural. Around 6 or so they checked and I was 5cm. I slept for a while and by 950am I was fully dilated. They had me labor down for an hour but I fell asleep and so when I woke up around 1140 they got me ready to push. Leif Gregory was born at 1:17pm. He weighed in at 8lbs 9.2oz and 21 inches. He didn't latch well at first but picked it up well later. I had a second degree tare but everything else went well. The nurse and the Midwife were shocked at how close together my contractions were and said they were glad I had the epi because otherwise I wouldn't have had the energy to push him out. 

He's a great baby and we are totally in love. Dh has been absolutely amazing. Even more than I imagined. L is an exact copy of Dh and doesn't really look like me at all but that's okay.