Recovering... and loving my baby!!!

I'm alive!!! Just so everyone knows... The nurses and doctors at the hospital all said I came through the whole thing really well. I even had a nurse ask me if I really did have a c-section because I was moving around so well by the 20th. I must say I really was not prepared for a c-section. The nice part was that we managed to have her before our anniversary.

We got to the hospital at 11:30 and by noon they had the I.V. in my hand and the pitocin drip going. The I.V. was my second least favorite part of the entire labor and delivery. Preston and I started watching movies while the nurses monitored my contractions and Chloe's heart rate. She kept squirming around so they couldn't keep track of it very well. My contractions never seemed to get really bad either. Meredith, my mom, Patty, and Preston's parents and brother Colin all joined us and we had a pretty good time just talking and speculating what the baby was. (The nurses all said it was going to be a boy because they had already had 6 girls before noon that day. We started to doubt it was really a girl in there!) As time passed everyone but my mom and Patty and obviously Preston left. The contractions started to get a little worse but they were still manageable.

After I had been in labor for 9 hours the doctor came in to check my progress for the third time since we started and I was STILL only 25% effaced and 1 centimeter dilated (the same as I had been since 38 weeks along). I had all of 20 seconds to register that that meant I was going to be there for a LONG time and it was going to be REALLY bad before I heard the word c-section. Instant terror... I was in shock till the doctor left the room to make phone calls and alert the O.R. I started crying as I slowly remembered what that meant. Apparently my pelvic opening isn't big enough to have a baby the regular way, and I will have to always deliver by c-section. Yippee!

There was an emergency down the hall and I got bumped back an hour from the original time they were going to take me in at 10. It was a good thing though because it gave me time to get my head around the idea a little. I was still super freaked out though.

They got me all ready and stopped the pitocin drip though the contractions kept going. They hurt a lot more once I knew they weren't doing anything anymore. It was all mental.

They had me walk myself to the O.R. The second they opened the door and I felt the FREEZING COLD and the saw the REALLY bright lights I started to shiver and bawl. I sat on the table and they took forever getting the spinal block in. THIS was my most unfavorite part of the entire thing. I have a huge bruise on my back from it. Once I felt the meds hit my spinal fluid my whole body went all tingly and limp. It was the strangest sensation. I'm also really short so I was numb from my neck down instead of from the middle of my chest to my knees. The only part I liked was that I felt a lot warmer.

It seemed like forever as they prepped me and put up the screens before they let Preston in the room to sit by my head. Everything seemed so much better as soon as he was there. I made him talk to me so I couldn't hear the conversation of the doctor and nurses. I didn't want to because I was already freaked out enough.

They warned me beforehand that my chest would feel very heavy from being numb and that when they delivered the baby they would press very hard on the top of my belly to help get the baby out and that it would feel like an elephant on my chest for a few seconds. The extra weight of breathing was one thing but I didn't realize the elephant would feel like a truck ran over me. But as soon as the pressure lifted I heard the most beautiful sound in the world! My baby was screaming and I started bawling all over again.

They brought her around the screen so I could see her and I couldn't believe how perfectly beautiful she was. I kept saying "She's so beautiful! She's so beautiful!" They took her away to clean her up and get her measurements and then Preston brought her back around so I could see her again. I'll never forget those moments. My worst day ever turned into the best!

They took Preston and Chloe out of the room while they sewed and cleaned me up. It seemed like forever being alone like that. I couldn't move my arms so I still hadn't held or even touched her but I was so happy.

After that I spent about 2 hours in recovery shivering cold (a normal reaction to the spinal block) holding Preston's and staring at my little angel. I got to hold her as soon as I could feel my hands again, she is the most amazing little person I've ever met. I think she looks just like Preston. She was 8lbs 1oz, 21 1/2 inches long and born at 11:32 PM on the 18th of November.

Chloe and I spent a few days in the hospital with me learning how to sit up and walk with pain in my abdomen and tons of drugs flowing through my system. Good stuff... I don't however like how fuzzy the drugs make me. My brain become very nonfunctional and then I get emotional. It's all getting better. We were released from the hospital on Friday night. Preston and I are now enjoying 1:00, 3:00 and 5:00 AM feedings and diaper changes. I love her so much that I don't care at all though. I think of it as an extra excuse to hold and love and kiss her. I am so happy to finally have my baby! She's my favorite part of every day now.

Charlie does really good with her too. He comes up to her whenever we sit down and sniffs her everywhere but I wont let him lick her (though her still hasn't tried to). He mopes a little too when I don't give him enough attention but he seems to be taking it all pretty well as long as Preston take the time to play with him.

Preston is such a good daddy too! He loves to hold her and kiss her and hates it when she cries. Fortunately she's such a calm and content baby that that never happens unless she's hungry or has a dirty diaper. It's so fun for me to watch them together. I LOVE my family!!!