Labor and Delivery...by the numbers

25 hours in the hospital BEFORE baby arrives
2.5 hours prepping for induction
22.5 hours of labor starting and stopping

4 shift changes of nurses
2 on call shift changes for the doctors (24 hour shifts)

1 bored out of his mind hubby who
12 times needed to "get some air" and resulted in
3 unnecessary shopping trips and who consumed
5 lbs of junk food in front of his wife who only got to eat
1 cup of chicken broth and
4 pieces of toast in
29 hours

1 book read, now I want to see the movie, (the Secret Life of Bees)
2 movies watched ; 21 and Ocean's 13

7 unsuccessful iv attempts in my hands, wrists and arms
4 infiltrated veins resulting in swelling, bruising and annoying, burning, pain
1 port FINALLY accessed
10 hours after first iv attempt

3 doses of oral induction medication
1 iv drip of pitossin
1000 mil of saline iv
1 epidural that wore off an hour before baby came

38 minutes of hard labor with no medication
1 episiotomy resulting in
9 stitches to bring a
8 lb 6 oz beautiful baby girl to
2 exhausted but blessed parents who cried an
undetermined amount of tears of joy

Sister Love...for Wordless Wednesday

I do have time for Wordless, but that's about it. Maybe when we get our days unmixed with nights I can post more...I am exhausted!

It's a girl...

We're home.

I have lots to say, not enough time or energy to say it.

Thanks for the prayers and for the well-wishes.

We have once again been blessed:)

Baby girl, 8lbs. 6 oz., 20 and 3/4 inches long, she is beautiful!

Born October 15th, 10:13 a.m.

D(elivery) Day!

Here are some games to help pass the time...

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uh - oh

While crawling in the rafters dad put his foot through the floor, you guessed it, into my newly cleaned nursery.

*really huge sigh*

I really didn't even bat an eye. Two kids ago I would have freaked. Another wonderful blessing of being the mother of four, I guess. Some things just don't bother me as much as they used to...

24 hours and counting

This morning at the breakfast table my daughter asked me if I was going to breastfeed. I tried not to choke on my cold cereal as I answered her. Her face twisted into a grimace when she heard my reply. "Well, I am not breastfeeding my babies!" she said with her typical 6 going on mommy tone.

We all can't stop thinking about it. I suppose it doesn't help that I am as big as an elephant, sort of hard to hide it, you know?

People who see me out and about say things like;

• You're STILL here?
• No baby, yet, huh?
• Are you ready?

I try to smile and answer but inside I am screaming. LET'S GET OVER WITH IT ALREADY!

I spent all day Saturday packing up toddler toys and cleaning out the 'toy room' for the babies. We put the crib up in there a while back and #3 is napping in there. Now, with the toys gone, it looks like a nursery. The bassinet is out again and the bedding is washed. The infant car seat has been cleaned, again, and is ready to safely harness another little miracle for us.

Dejavu aside...this time IS different. It feels different. I can't really explain it. Maybe I am finally feeling like enough is enough instead of questioning if we are done building our family. I have never been really good at anything except maybe singing a solo in church. Making babies is something I can do. My body is able to handle these aches and pains for the miracle of life inside me. I complain about it, but I cam DO it. I feel extremely blessed. It makes it hard for me to turn it off when I know there are people out there who want so badly to have a child and for reasons only God could give us, can't.

Still, I am nervous. It is not an easy thing, labor. Fresh in my mind is the pain and the sweat and the first few moments of that baby's life when he/she takes a breath and cries. It is amazing, but emotionally draining. This will be the first time that the ob who has been with me for the birth of all my children will not at least check in on me. It will be someone new, who knows me only by the interesting name on my chart...who doesn't know about my history of bringing big babies into this world and my fear of epidural needles and my need to have my husband holding my hand the whole time and my desire to hold that baby immediately, no matter what.

We check in tomorrow morning around 9 am. I am certain the medicine for the induction will not begin until closer to noon. Twelve or so hours later we should have a bouncing baby. It is so close we can taste it. Get ready for a ride #4, we can't wait to meet you...

UPDATE 12:15 pm: Don't think we're taking it easy today. Dad is in the rafters putting insulation in. I have round steak strogonoff in the crockpot and breadsticks rising. I already cleaned out the freezer and am toasting the leftover bread to make crumbs and have apples thawing to make DeAnn's apple dessert! We had an easy bake tea party already this morning and a friend kindly took the kids for a bit so dad and I could get some 'work' done.