My birth process follows a pretty standard pattern, when I arrived at my scheduled appointment at 9am I was taken to my room by the nurses. However, it took a long time before I entered the first stage of labor, where my uterine contractions were about 15-20 minutes apart from each other. My nurse was very kind and explained that contractions are what cause my cervix to stretch and open. As time went on my contractions got closer and closer together, after about 16 hours they were about 2 minutes apart. I thought it was a very long time and quite exhausting, the nurse also explained that it was a little longer than average for a first time mother like me, where they usually see this phase not last more than 12 hours but however it was not alarming. he said. After almost 18 hours the doctor told me that my cervix was about 4 inches dilated, which he said was a good thing, as this allowed my baby to move from the uterus into the birth canal. Next the doctor started the actual birth process, or second stage of birth as the nurse called it, where I pushed every time I had another contraction. This process was pushing the baby through the cervix and birth canal, I later learned, although at the time I was only focused on what the nurse and doctor were telling me to do. My contractions were getting closer together, I was having one almost every minute, they lasted longer and were more and more intense. After about an hour of this very intense and strenuous process, my baby emerged upside down. Once the head was out, it didn't take long and just a few pushes and Hannibal's entire body was out. After the second stage of the birth process, the placenta was released and the doctor cut the umbilical cord......middle of paper......his friends and worries if they are sad or crying and he is getting better in understand what his or someone else's things are. He is also getting much better at following multi-step instructions and understands when I explain that there is something in the oven or under the table and so on. He is surprisingly good at conversing with people, even strangers understand what he is saying. Naturally one of his primary interests are his toys, he loves playing with his toy cars equipped with levers and buttons, he likes doing puzzles by drawing with crayons and pencils, as well as reading his books and obviously his Legos. I also have to worry less, as he is a very good and stable runner, climber and walker and is getting better and better at pedaling his tricycle – all in all I am amazed and proud as a mother of what my sweet little boy has already accomplished.