London Grace

Sorry for the little hiatus this last week.  Minor details like having a baby, no big deal or anything.
Just kidding.  It's a really big deal.  We're so glad London finally decided to join us!  She's most likely the cutest baby in the world.  But I may be biased...probably not though.

I mean, look at her!  Who wouldn't love a face like that??

London was due March 16, but that day came and went and I'd felt nary a contraction, minus a few (very few) Braxton Hicks.  I had a Dr.'s appointment a few days later (Monday), where he informed me I was already dilated to a 3, despite my lack of contractions.  He said if I started having any, she would probably come shortly thereafter, but if not, I would be induced on Thursday.

After I got home from that appointment, I went on a walk with a friend, and about halfway through started feeling like I was having the worst period cramps of my life.  FYI, if you've never been in labor, that's about what contractions feel like.  I started to get excited.  But then they went away.  Which Dan was really excited about, because he had a big test on Tuesday he didn't want to miss.  I didn't feel any all day on Tuesday, and had pretty much resigned myself to the fact that I was going to be induced.  I even procrastinated my laundry and a few other tasks, because I figured I still had a whole 24 hours to worry about them.  Don't ever procrastinate anything when you're past your due date.  Just a tip.

First family photo.  I know I look like h-e-double hockey sticks, but my baby sure is cute!

 At 9:30 pm on Tuesday, those really bad period-feeling cramps came back.  And this time, they didn't go away.  They kept coming all night, waking me up every few minutes.  Finally at 3 AM I decided I should probably start timing them.  By 5 AM I decided were coming every five minutes..and oh yeah, they hurt.  I felt like I was going to barf.  They lasted about a minute each...maybe longer.  However long it takes to sing the ABC song two times through, because that was how I focused away from the pain.  I decided to wake Dan up at the point.  The first thing he says is, "Well, can I shower?"  At first I wanted to scream that he absolutely could not, we had to leave immediately, but I realized I still needed to gather up a few things anyways.  Dan ended up being ready before me, because I had to double over in pain every few minutes and wait out the contraction...and also I threw up.  Gross.
Finally, around 6:20 we made it to the hospital, and all I could think about was that glorious epidural awaiting me.  But then I had to answer a million questions before they would admit me, and they had to check to make sure I was really in labor and everything took forever and I thought I was going to throw up all over everyone who was delaying the moment I saw the anesthesiologist!  Finally the nurse asked what level my pain was at.
"A six, at least."
"And at what point would you like an epidural?" 
"ASAP!"
Then she decided to check and see how dilated I was. 
"Oh, no wonder you want an epidural, you're already at a five!"

Finally they walked me down the hall to what I think was the last available room in Labor and Delivery, and a few minutes later a glorious man with a giant needle came in.  They made Dan leave, and I finally got what I had been waiting for.  My anesthesiologist told me that red heads need 25-50% more drugs to deal with pain.  Just a fun fact for you.

Grandma Carrie visiting at the hospital.

Shortly thereafter, my Dr. came in and checked me.  I had already progressed to a six.  Then he broke my water, and left me to labor/take a nap and rest up for the pushing portion.  Let me tell you, after that epidural, labor was a piece of cake.  A few hours later, I started feeling the urge to push.  I told my nurse and she checked me again...I was an eight!  I felt so triumphant, but then I realized that meant I had to just kind of resist that pushing urge for a little while.  I started singing my ABC's again.  A little after 10, she checked me again and it was finally time to push.  She said since the baby was already so low, it should only take 25 minutes to an hour.  ...Except then it didn't.

I pushed for three hours.  We tried so many different positions, I was given a delivery booster dose of epidural, I was being force fed ice chips and oxygen, I had no idea how long it had all been going on.  All I knew was I wanted it to be over and done with.  In between contractions I would curl up in a little ball and whimper; I was completely exhausted.  Finally, my Dr. came back in with a vacuum.  Not the carpet kind, the baby kind.  Two incredibly, excruciatingly painful pushes later, and a baby started screaming!  Ta-da, I did it!

After they plopped my gooey-still-attached-to-the-umbilical-cord baby on my (now flat!) tummy, I have to say, even though she was covered in gunk, it was all totally worth it.  (It was even more worth it when they handed her back to me all cleaned up.)  And I also have a new-found respect for women who don't take any medication.  You guys are troopers.

London had to stay an extra day at the hospital because she was at risk for jaundice.  It wasn't really anything serious, she just had to stay under the special lights in the nursery until her bilirubin levels went down some.  We were so excited to finally bring her home!

She was pretty excited to be home too.

Her first manicure!

Hangin' with Mimi.