Birthday Girl

I cannot believe a year has gone by. This has been a super fast year.  In some ways I am glad- glad to get past the collic, the neediness and my inability to meet whatever that need was.  In some ways I am sad.  She's my last baby (unless something really goes wrong).  I am already missing the stage when she'd nestle up in my neck.  I thought sitting on the couch holding her would never end, now that it has . . . it might be nice to have it back for an evening.  

However, here's a little story about this day, a year ago . . .

Doug and I showed up at the hospital at 8am, right on time for me to be induced. So they started pumping the Pitosin and around 11:30- I said "That's it, I must have my epidural."  I was starting to approach the "writhing in pain." that my doctor said I should have to be sure I was progressing.  So . . . the drug doctor (whose title I cannot spell) comes in and starts going through her whole spiel.  Doug's standing there with me- following the rule of not indicating how big the needle is, everything seems fine.  I am a little distracted by the discomfort of the numbing drug and then doctor maneuvering the epidural around in my spine.  When suddenly Doug says, "I don't feel so good."  The nurse looks at him- and says- "Go sit down!"  So he goes to sit down- and then he gets even more sick- as in passing out!  So they call in about 5 more nurses- to deal with him.  They have to get him lying down on the floor, trying to give him juice, fan him- check his blood pressure- the whole shebang.  So he decides he's better and can sit in the chair without passing out or getting sick.  I am getting settled- my legs are falling asleep- they're trying to shift me b/c my left side is completely asleep the right side is not so much- I can still feel contractions- blah blah blah.  When suddenly Doug goes to fall out again!  They ended up taking him to the emergency room to get checked out and make sure he's ok.  I fall asleep- b/c for whatever reason the epidural makes me sleepy.  But then suddenly I start throwing up!  So that whole event passes it's probably 1pm or so.  They come in to check me and realize that I am 9cm!!  So suddenly it's like- "oooh, we need to slow her down so she doesn't give birth - without her husband here." (I was thinking- if I have to go without him- so be it.  Let's not prolong this affair any more than we have to. So they back off the pitosin- call the emergency room, and tell them to hurry up down there.  Doug shows up around 1:40- my labor and delivery nurse checks me again and has me push once to see how well I move the baby- says- "Girl- you're going to push once- and this kid is coming out!  Let me call Dr. Wicker and the baby nurse- and you can push."  5 pushes later- Alexa was here and the rest they say is history.