Welcoming Miss Lily

She's finally here...or should I say I'm finally close to a pc again to announce it ;)

Miss Lillian Madeleine arrived April 6, 2010 at precisely 7 pm and weighing in at 6 lbs 12 oz, born at 38 weeks 5 days

To say April 6th was a busy day would be an understatement. I'd been pretty miserable all weekend with some pregnancy complications and after my apt on Wednesday I had shown no signs what so ever of being close to delivery. Although...I did get a whole lot of cleaning done before I got sidelined, heck I even cooked a turkey for the boys on Easter Monday.

At 5:45 I woke up to a weird sensation and thought I should run to the bathroom. It would have been quite amusing to watch in hindsight because I was waddling down the hall with my knees together whispering 'sh*t, sh*t, sh*t' the whole way there. I was worried that if it really was my water breaking I'd ruin the finish on the new hardwood floors. Needless to say it was that...and the floors are still in tact ;) This time around wasn't nearly as bad as when I had Alex, I wasn't trapped in the bathroom for half an hour.

So after I got myself comfortable, it was close to when we get up for work and get Alex up for school so I woke Matt early and I think he was running on pure adrenaline and shock. We decided not to tell Alex and then unleash the waiting big brother on the school system. He seemed to have a sixth sense though as every little thing we did he asked if I was having the baby. So we got him ready, I demanded we make a pit stop into Tim Horton's knowing they wouldn't let me have anything delicious again until this kid was out and dropped Alex off at the sitters as per the norm.

We arrived at the hospital just before 8 and because I was positive for Group B strep the wired me up immediately. My OB just happened to be finishing up rounds and dropped in to check me, I was soo discouraged that besides my water breaking I had no progress what so ever :( I began to panic. They wheeled the ultrasound machine in to make sure Baby C wasn't breech and I had a really unsettling feeling. Head was down so we were good to go.

They started me on Pitocin because apparently my body has no problem breaking it's water on it's own, which is only supposed to happen in 25% of all pregnancies but it just does not want to go into labor. After my experience with Alex I knew I was in for a long day. Mid afternoon I made it to the grand 4 cm but there was something in the monitoring that was beginning to worry my nurse, and the dr on the floor and subsequently my OB. When they started talking surgery I was needless to say devastated. I wasn't the screaming patient (although the one beside me was frigging hilarious, nothing breaks the mood like someone screaming 'poop'/'pee' every so often), I was polite, I wasn't complaining through my contractions , I was trying to go as long as possible without meds to get things working, and darn it all I'd done all of the walking, sitting on the ball, exercise you're supposed to leading up to delivery...why was I getting the shaft? When my OB, who is one of the most cool calm and collected doctors I ever met came in and said his recommendation would be a section I was hysteric. I wasn't at an emergency point so he let me see how things went for the next hour. It was the fastest hour ever, I spent it all crying, or more precisely in chest racking sobs.

The hour passed and my body had done nothing, I was so mad. I think signing those consent forms was one of the most laborious things I have ever done. I'd love to have a writing analyst tear apart my signature as it looks nothing like my loopy lofty signature that I'm used to signing with. The worst part was being wheeled to the OR, all I wanted to do was crawl in a corner and die. No one wants to be seen mascaraless (or at least when you're a redhead this is not ideal), puffy, scared crapless, disappointed beyond belief...

The OR was so bright I was blinded, or maybe it was the initial 'happy' drug they'd given me, a small concession they'd made because I was pretty adament about not being awake through this whole thing. Although as soon as things stopped looking like a supernova I happened to notice one of my old elementary on friends behind all of the scrubs. I never thought I'd want someone I knew in L&D with me but she was a godsend. I could at least relax some, or at least behave knowing someone would later keep me accountable for my actions.

A section has to be one of the most degrading things in the world. Being strapped to a table fully exposed, and poorly shaved for that matter did nothing for my dignity. You'd think if you have an epidural in they could at least do a bikini wax ;) It's about the only way I'd get one done. Anyway, I was back to cracking jokes, and attempting to get a liposuction out of the whole ordeal by the time it started. It wasn't too long before Lillian made her entrance into the world. It seemed like forever between Matt looking over the curtain to see her head (I would have passed out) and hearing her first cry. Apparently my little girl tried the same sunny side up position her brother did but because she hadn't dropped like he had (the joys of a first pregnancy) she just wouldn't come down and had her cord tangled up. I got to see her before she was whisked away, the sleepy time doctor gave me some wonderful concoction that made 'putting humpty dumpty back together again' as she put it go by in a blur and while they did that Matt disappeared to whatever location they were cleaning up Lily.

Shortly therafter I was wheeled to recovery, which would in fact top the degrading experience surgery was. I hated my postpartum shower with Alex but the 'sponge bath of shame' as I've dubbed it was worse. Being moved on a blanket and then having two older ladies scrubbing you down and rolling you around, isn't fun, no matter how stoned you are. I was so frustrated with my arms too which weren't as under my control as I'd liked. I couldn't hold Lily unassisted although we somehow managed to get breastfeeding going.

All that aside, my heart grew about 10 sizes that day. Lillian is adorable, extremely petite compared to the 8 lb 6 oz brother I delivered. She's strong, loves to smile and has hair that depending on the light, either looks strawberry blond or blond. I love her to bits. By the time I was cleaned up visiting hours were over so her big brother had to wait until the next day, he was not pleased with this. It's hard to keep him away from her, he's deemed himself her protector and loves to cuddle with her, this warms my heart. :)

We're home now and recovering well, and without further ado, some pictures :)

Now to go feed one demanding little monkey again as I can hear her from down her on another floor... ;)