Right, the milk monster is sleeping so I'll try and get my birth story written!
So Monday morning I had stretch and sweep number 3 at 40+1 - midwife wasn't very hopeful as cervix still "unfavourable" but she gave it her best shot. I had a tiny amount of spotting just afterwards but nothing else. Picked DS up from school in the afternoon and had just got home and go to the loo for a wee when I heard and felt a "popping" and waters broke on the loo. Kept trying to get up but was loads more waters kept coming so DS brought me the phone so I could ring DH and my mum. Eventually was able to get up and get a pad on and gave labour ward a ring. They advised to watch for signs of infection and ring them back once contractions started and became regular.
I decided I needed to fuel up so was making a hearty dinner when I had a call back from a midwife on labour ward. They had looked at my notes from DS's birth and decided they wanted to check me over at AAU so DH and I headed down there after I'd had my dinner 
Had started to have some irregular contractions at that point and they just checked me over, listened to baby and advised me to go home and try and rest.
I did attempt to sleep when I got home but contractions were too painful so I spent the evening bouncing on my ball with my Tens machine on (really rate the Tens machine!) By midnight the contractions were quite regular and painful so we headed back down to labour ward. Once there I was devastated to be told that the contractions were doing bugger all, as I was only 2cm dilated (same as when I'd had my sweep that morning!) And to top it all a waterbirth would be out of the question as the birth pool had been condemned by infection control due to rust on the taps!! I felt really despondent and thought that it was going to be a repeat of DS1's mammoth labour!
We went back home and back to the bouncing - it was a long painful night and it was difficult to relax as my mum and stepdad were in the spare room as DS really didn't want to go to theirs so I couldn't go in the bath as it is right next to their room. I was really glad when they took DS off to school Tues morning so that it was just DH and I and I jumped straight in the bath!
By 11.30 I felt I couldn't cope with the pain much longer and was contracting every 3 mins so back to the hospital we went. I was examined at 12.20 and was still only 4cms - again I felt so despondent that everything was so slow and I was saying to DH that I felt I would need an epidural if there was still hours to go!
Anyhow - it all changed very quickly after that! Baby's heart rate had dropped massively during the examination (I'd had a really big contraction at the same time) so they wanted to keep the monitor on. I walked from the assessment room to the labour room they allocated for me and the contractions began coming almost continuously. Baby was very distressed during contractions and heart rate kept dropping, ended up with lots of panic and people in the room and talk of theatres being prepared. Then they put a scalp probe on DS and realised that all the distress was because things had progressed so quickly and I was 8-9cms 
I was away with the fairies using gas and air at that point and before I knew it I was ready to push. 20 minutes later and my beautiful big boy had arrived! I did need an episiotomy to get his head out which did tear slightly more too but they were very afraid I would have ended up with a much worse tear had they not intervened. I still can't quite believe that there was no shoulder dystocia this time as he is even bigger than DS1 but he was apparently in textbook position - clever boy! Can't remember if I said on here but they initially converted his weight slightly wrong so rather than 10lb 14oz he was in fact 10lb 15oz! (4.97kg) My midwife was really chuffed as it's the biggest baby she's ever delivered!
I am definitely experiencing the elation that you other ladies have talked about - he is absolutely perfect and I feel so blessed to have 2 fabulous boys and a wonderful DH (who was an absolute star during labour!) It's making me all teary now just writing it down! I am still knackered as T is definitely a night owl at the mo and my lady bits are VERY sore but it is sooo worth it for the end result! I have told DH that we are sticking to 2 though, I dread to think what size a 3rd might be!
Wow, what a mammoth post, hope you're all still awake by the end of it!