Live-blogging: Amelia's birth story

Well, I don't really know how this is going to go, since I didn't have a blog when I was delivering the boys. But I'm going to give it a shot.

Basically I'm starting now and will do my best to keep updating this same post until Amelia arrives. Hopefully I'll be able to include pictures sporadically, but again, this is all-new to me and it may just be brief text until I can come back in and add pictures tomorrow. We've already had a substantial change of plans, so I can't make any promises!

I got my IV around 11:00 last night, and then I felt more prepared for things to move along at whatever pace they needed to. You can't get an epidural until you have your IV (which I found out the hard way with Jake, when I REALLY needed my epidural but they'd stuck me six times for my IV and my veins kept blowing out ... loooooooong wait but finally stick number seven on the underside of my second wrist "took"), so getting the IV in successfully last night was a step in the right direction.

I have to say, it was really odd being at the hospital by myself overnight. I didn't want Grayson to spend a sleepless night in the room with me, so we'd decided in advance that he and my sister would stay at the house with the boys, drop them off for school today and then join me in L&D as soon after 8:00 as they could arrive. Still, it almost made me feel like I wasn't having a baby, since I was here alone and there wasn't a lot of hoopla. I wouldn't change it though ... I think we'll all have a happier day today for it.

On to what else has happened so far: 

2:05 a.m. - My water broke! That meant that the contractions started coming harder, and since they were already pretty strong, I was dreading it.

4:00 a.m. - Even with continued strong contractions, I still wasn't dilating, so my nurse did an ultrasound. SURPRISE! Amelia is transverse, meaning that she's sideways and won't be able to turn head-down for a vaginal delivery. She's going to be a c-section ... my first!

4:40 a.m. - I got my epidural! They were feeling sorry for me because I'd been contracting for so long, so I got my beloved epidural.

5:15 a.m. - I called Grayson to tell him the news. I am now waiting on him to get the kids off to school at 7:00 and then head over to the hospital. We think the section will be around 8:00.

WELL. That whole "live-blogging" thing kind of got shot out of the water when I went from vaginal to c-section. Sorry!

I'll do my best to fill in the blanks now.

6:00 to 7:30 a.m. - I got to sleep for the first time! It wasn't a peaceful sleep, but I'm grateful to have gotten any at all.

7:35 a.m. - The nurse and CRNA came in to prep me for surgery.

8:05 a.m. - Grayson arrived and got gowned and masked up, and the nurses rolled me down to the OR.

8:07 a.m. - Thus began a terrible experience that I don't want to re-live. I think the section went as well as it could have, and the end result is a happy, healthy baby. However, the epidural significantly affected my diaphragm -- and therefore, my ability to breathe -- and it also made me severely nauseated. Those of you who have done it -- and in many cases CHOSE the Section Path -- I applaud you. I couldn't do it again.

8:20 a.m. - Amelia Gray was born! I had to wait several minutes to meet her, but when I saw her, it was love at first sight. She is beautiful! (There was a flat-screen monitor beside me so I could see what was going on.)

Amelia Gray

7 pounds, 6 ounces

20.75 inches long

8:22 a.m. - The long process of closing me up began. Amelia was allowed to be bundled up and sent out with Grayson, but I was another 20 minutes or so in terms of recovery before I could truly go to the Recovery Room.

8:50 a.m. - I was wheeled to Recovery, where Amelia and I did an hour of skin-to-skin contact and she took her first bottle.

9:50 a.m. - We moved up a floor to the room we'll be in until Thursday. (I wouldn't have thought just a week ago that I'd be in the hospital from Sunday to Thursday. Just goes to show that the best-laid plans ...)

9:55 a.m. - My parents and sister came in to have some quality time with our new little star. Everyone had a chance to hold her and love on her. She loved every second of it.

12:25 p.m. - The nurse is prepping Amelia for her first bath! It will be done here in our room, and I'll be sure to take pictures.

We have lots of pictures already, but most of them are on other people's cameras. I'll have to see what I can come up with for you for tomorrow.

Most importantly, THANK YOU ALL for your thoughts and prayers in the days leading up to today, as well as today. Your Tweets, e-mails and comments have meant so much to me! You are really a special little corner of the Internet, and I look forward to continuing to share this journey with you.