I was angry and exhausted. I had been in early labor for 22 hours, and despite showing signs of progress early in the day, I stalled at 3cm overnight. Everyone told me this was “normal,” but I didn’t want to hear it. I just wanted to have a baby. When I met Jen, I told her this, and she replied… “Oh, you’re going to have a baby.” For the next twelve hours, Jen worked her magic (I’m convinced) and skill to help me dilate and prepare for active labor. She recognized right away that I was determined and needed a strong, steady hand. She contacted my doctor and kept me in the loop about what we were doing to move labor forward: upping my Pitocin, breaking my water, getting an epidural, and moving me into ridiculous positions so my daughter would get the hint and MOVE OUT. Ultimately, I wound up delivering after Nurse Jennifer’s shift ended, but that didn’t stop her from coming to meet my sweet girl in postpartum the next day. Her dedication to personalized care meant everything to me. One standout moment I’ll never forget was getting the epidural. I’m not a fearful person when it comes to my health. I have Type 1 Diabetes, so needles and white coats don’t bother me. I felt confident about the epidural, nervous, but confident. Jen explained to me what was going to happen, and I thought…okay, this won’t be so bad. I can do this. The initial sting of the epidural went fine, but about a quarter of the way through the insertion, I started to fully panic. I looked at my husband and immediately regretted it. I love that man, but dang…his face looked so stressed and helpless. He was trying to stay positive, but seeing me scared and in pain was a lot for him to bear. So instead of looking at him, I looked at Jen. Immediately, she locked eyes with me, and for the next several minutes…she didn’t look away once. Her eyes are a beautiful blue, in case you never noticed. With a strong, gentle command—she kept saying “breathe” and “you got this.” Over and over again— “breathe” and “you got this.” She reassured me that everything was normal. This was all going according to plan. Eventually, the epidural was successfully placed, and I was able to relax. From that moment on, I knew I would never forget Nurse Jennifer— her blue eyes…and her unfailing dedication to my care. Nurse Jennifer switched shifts four hours before my sweet girl made her appearance, but it was her efforts that got us there. I will forever be grateful for her.