What was I doing...

8 months ago??

5:15 AM

Woke up because my back was killing me.

5:30

Couldn't go back to sleep so I took a long hot shower.

5:45

Starving. So I ate some waffles and watched a little tv.

6:00

I decided that maybe this was more than just back pain so maybe I should start timing these back contractions.

6:15

Woke Ryan up to tell him that the back "labor" was happening every 5 minutes so we should probably get a bag packed.

6:45

In the car on the way to the hospital. There was a beautiful full moon! Ryan was much more calm about the situation than I thought he would be. We laughed between contractions and there were several since the hospital was about 20 minutes away.

7:00

Getting close to the hospital and at this point I am doubting that this is actually labor. The contractions aren't hurting very bad and I'm super excited so...this probably isn't it.

7:10

Pulling into the parking lot Ryan and I realize we don't really know where to go since we did not attend the baby class. I decide we should go to the ER but Ryan sees a sign that says "Deliveries" and he thinks we should follow the sign. I am almost laughing too hard to tell him that I think the sign means deliveries to the hospital not baby deliveries.

7:11

As I am getting out of the car a red sports car zooms by and stops in the first parking spot. And my doctor hops out! He sees me and asks what I am doing there. For being a doctor this guy might not be real observant...I told him I was having contractions so I thought I better check it out.

7:30

I get wheeled to a room and checked by the nurse and I am at a 3. She laughs and says that my doctor told them I was down there but that he doubted I would be ready because I was laughing so much.

8:30

My doctor comes and tells me that we are officially having our baby today!! He breaks my water and tells me that I can have my epidural in about an hour.

9:30

Epidural time!! Or so I thought. The contractions are still pretty mild at this point. I am having to breath through them but things are still going great!

9:45

They come in to tell me that the anesthesiologist is assisting in a c-section so it will be awhile. They give me some demarol (sp?) and phenagrin (sp?) for the pain.

10:00

I get a contraction that just about sends me over the back of the bed. From this time on, all contractions could have me climbing the wall and I am only at a five. It is at this point that I think that all people who deliver naturally are completely insane and must be superwoman (no offense, just a personal opinion!). Ryan also tries to do a little recording and quickly realizes that is not the best decision.

10:30

I tell my nurse (and I have already told Ryan several times) that the medicine is not working AT ALL.

11:00

The nurse comes in and says the c-section is over!! So she needs to flush my IV before he comes to give me my epidural. Yippee!

11:00 and 30 seconds

Conversation between me and the nurse:

Me: Wow, did you just put more medicine in my IV?

Nurse: No just saline.

Me: (slurring slightly) Are you sure?

Nurse: Yes, it's just saline.

Me: (Right eye roaming the room, left eye barely open, still slurring) I don't believe you.

Nurse: Hmmm, it seems that maybe all that medicine we gave you before was stuck in your IV and when I flushed it you finally got the dose.

Me: Sounds really good to me.......(eyes closing.....)

11:15 (or so I am told)

The anesthesiologist comes to give me my epidural. The nurse has me lean against her. I am pretty sure that if she would have moved I would have fallen flat on my face on the floor. I don't remember much about this process. Because of my scoliosis it took him about seven tries to get the needle in the right spot but I never felt a thing. At one point, I said "Okay, I am going to try really hard this time."

No clue what time any of this happened:

I slept off an on until about 3:30. During this time my family came in to see me several times, Ryan ran to get him some lunch, I made several drug induced comments such as "That guy's throwing peanuts right at me." and "Lola (our dog) loves cat food. She is eating it right now.", and I got some really good rest.

4:00

They told me I was going to start pushing. So I had to get off the phone.

4:30

Because of the AWESOME epidural I can't really feel ANYTHING so I am having to pretend a lot while I am pushing. As I am pushing I am trying to remember what women look like on tv when they are having a baby and I am trying to look like that because I am afraid that if they realize how strong my epidural is that they will take it away.

4:45

Ryan and the nurse are encouraging me and telling me how great I am doing. I tell them that if I was really doing great then I would already have had the baby.

5:10

My doctor comes in. Uses the salad tongs, twist her head a little and in about three more pushes...

5:12

Blake is here!!!

5:15

My doctor begins the task of sewing 712 stitches. Okay, not really 712 but for those of you who speak "baby" I had a fourth degree tear. Yikes! That doesn't sound good even if you don't speak baby.

5:20

Blake is all cleaned up and we are holding her for the first time. I can't believe how beautiful she is!! And I can't believe she has hair...and that it's dark! We love her instantly!!!