At Last

This is the first chance I've had to update the blog, so you may have guessed that B the G has arrived by now.  And she has.  

Weighing in at a healthy 6.8 lbs., she was put into my arms on Sunday, September 21, 2008, looking a bit stunned, but peaceful.  For all of the drama and trauma of my pregnancy, labor and delivery was remarkably straightforward.  Practically textbook.

Justin and I attended a local street fair on Saturday, with Elvis impersonators and men in drag on stilts, funnel cake and local art, both good and bad for sale,.  I was absolutely exhausted when I got home, but figured it may have moved things along a bit.  Sure enough that night around 7:00 pm I went into labor.  At first mild and manageable, by midnight, contractions were 3-4 minutes apart and had me on my knees.  

By the time we got to the hospital I was doing the panting and moaning act that you see in TV.  Sure now that I wanted that epidural, we were triaged in, I was told I was 4-5 centimeters dilated and to wait for anesthesia.  Sweet, sweet relief when that spinal hit and I could suddenly look around and feel the reality of knowing I was about to deliver a baby.  The drugs did slow down my dilation a bit, so I labored awhile until they decided to give me some pitocin to speed up my dilation.  Up down, up down.  

Around 10:30 a nurse checked me, told me she could see the head and asked me if I was ready to celebrate a birthday.  The rush of it when she said that...the imminence of my whole journey was right there in front of me.  I pushed for about 25 minutes under the nurse's rather drill sergeant like command.  The touchy-feely stuff goes out the window when they are trying to get that baby out.  But I was glad she was pushy.  Take-charge demeanor in a crisis is very comforting to me.  Especially when I have no idea what I'm doing.

11:09 and she was out, pushed into the world by brute strength, willpower, and her own determination.  Justin cut the cord and went over to look at her.  I was shaking with the effort and emotion, tears just pouring down my face as I stretched to get a look at her in the cleanup tank.  And then she was in my arms, outside of me, looking at us.  She has a head full of black hair and looks like a little Natalie Portman in the V for Vendetta phase.  She is tiny and pink and perfect.