The Good, the Bad and the um...Messy

It wasn't anything like the movies. After the insane walking situation on Sunday I spent most of Monday on the couch recovering. By mid-afternoon I was able to get around pretty well.

That evening I started having more regular contractions and watched my cell phone to time them. We watched a movie late and had some cereal. I climbed into bed around 2:30 and then realized I probably should go to the bathroom.

Could it be any more perfect that my water broke at exactly that time!? My thought was, "Hmmm, it sounds like I'm peeing, but I don't think I am."

Since it was "time" I took a nice long shower, made the bed and finished packing our luggage. Around 3:15 or so I went downstairs as Andy was still working in the studio.

"Hey," he says. "I though you went to bed?"

"Nah, took a shower instead."

"What's up?"

"Well, we should probably go to the hospital now."

Surprised look on face.

"Really?"

"Yep."

I think he wanted to rush around and just leave, but I tried to still take our time as my contractions weren't yet all that close together, but I knew since my water had broken, they wouldn't send me home.

Check in and triage were easy and we were taken up to our fabulous corner suite. We couldn't have asked for a better atmosphere for our delivery.

By 10:30 I was more than ready for the epidural. Not able to breath through the contractions any more and with Andy telling me he would ask for it if I didn't, they brought in the anesthesiologist.

My only thought after getting it all in was that it was way easier than getting the yellow fever shot I had last summer! Andy however didn't take it as well as I did.

He always finds medical procedures highly interesting and he made the mistake of looking over my shoulder as the catheter was being fed into my spine. At which point he needed both of the nurses to help him sit down on the couch!

As soon as the drugs took effect and I was sufficiently numb, we were both able to get some sleep. The best part was that everything progressed quickly while I was sleeping and by four it was time to really get to work.

Unfortunately, that's about the time when I started noticing the epidural was wearing off. I hit the button a couple times but by 5:30 I could tell that it wasn't going to be a very fun ride. The anesthesiologist decided that since the bag of medicine was almost out and it was supposed to take two hours to wear off she wouldn't give me any more. I tried to object, but to no avail. Needless to say, four plus hours of pushing without drugs is not something I want to repeat any time soon.

Hooray for those of you who choose the au naturale route, but believe me I would never be able to make that choice!

The doctor suggested we try using the vacuum to get her out and I was all for anything that would help. Merely two contractions later she popped her little body into the world.

I hear the doctor say, "If I knew that would help so much, I would have tried it an hour ago." Really, shouldn't this have been an internal monologue-type of comment? It was not something I was happy to hear by any means!

Oh, and the one thing they don't tell you that hurts the worst? The doctor getting the placenta out. I did plenty of moaning and crying during the pushing, but that was when I did the yelling.

An hour of stitches later and I was more than done. Guiltily, I didn't even want to hold or snuggle the baby. I was pretty much useless and non responsive for several hours.

They brought me food right away but by then I was not only too exhausted to eat, I was too far past hungry to want any.

The postnatal room we were going to didn't have a shower so I had to get one before we were taken down. Finally refreshed, but even more tired, I told the nurse I needed to rest before getting back in bed. She said she wanted to try to get me back anyway.

I tried to tell her I wasn't ready.

She didn't believe me until I passed out on the floor.

I finally ate, we made it up to our room and settled in and it was time to rest.

Five days later (has it really been that long?) we are still figuring out a baby schedule. Ice packs and motrin are still my best friends and my husband has been amazing.

Sweet Randall has lost most of the swelling in her face and is starting to get some true features. She makes tons of hysterical faces and silly noises and every day we are better learning what we are doing. Sleep is obviously caught whenever possible; I think I might go take a nap right now...

Thank you for all of your sweet comments and prayers for us. It is going to be quite a challenge and adventure to be sure!