Enamored

Many years ago, when Matt and I began to date exclusively, I decided to introduce him to my closest friend. This was important to me only because I tended to pick boyfriends on extreme opposite ends of the spectrum. They were either too good or really bad. You know the types, so good you lose interest the next day - borrring - or the type of bad that made you cling to them hopelessly, knowing it was never going anywhere. I figured Matt had to be one or the other and I was too enamored to see it. Sarah was always good at telling me what I didn't want to hear or pointing out what I didn't want to see.

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Like the time we went shopping and when I came out of the dressing room sporting this dress that I just loved, she told me to take it off. It looked better on the hanger. You got to love that type of honesty.

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Anyway.

I asked Sarah and Gabe over for dinner. I believe, at this point, they had already met Matt at our favorite pub but who can really get to know someone screaming over loud music. I figured a quiet evening at home would open the conversation up a bit. I remember the four of us sitting in my apartment eating dinner around the coffee table - because we were young and poor back then, a dining room table was well beyond our means - hoping they didn't notice any serial killer tendancies or anything else that would make me scurry in the opposite direction. Towards the end of the evening, I quietly asked Gabe what he thought. He liked him. I then asked Sarah what she thought and her exact words were (I'll never forget them because it so wasn't what I was looking for at the time) "You'd make beautiful babies together."

(Choke. Cough. Ahem. Ooooo-kay.)

Moving forward nine years, Matt and I have made a baby together. I'm completely enamored with her. I stare at her all the time. I squeeze her and kiss her and smell her little head. I'm completely amazed that we made something so adorable. So beautiful.

I am in love.

Thanks for the warning Sarah, although it wasn't exactly what I was looking for at the time, you were so right. And no, I'm not biased at all.

In other news, our daughter is growing like a weed. At her 2 week appointment, she's gained 1 full pound and grown almost an entire inch in length when compared to her 1 week appointment. After double checking the measurements, the doctor stated the obvious. "Yep, she's going to be a big girl."

Thoughts On Motherhood

1. I've never worked so hard sitting and rocking in my recliner.

2. Where do belly button stumps go when they fall off? Is there a mythological creature that goes around and collects them? A stump fairy? (I swear, it was there when we last changed her and gone the next time.)

3. How is it such horrible sounds come out of something so adorable.

I Did This

As you know, I was supposed to be induced on the 30th of September.

Supposed to be.

Matt and I got up early and all ready to go, called the hospital as instructed and was told we were being rescheduled to the 3rd of October due to too many emergencies. The doctor had warned us that though its rare, it happens sometimes. Matt was mad, I was disappointed but ok.

October 3rd, we started all over again. I entered the hospital at 7:30am and was hooked up via IV to Pitocin by 8:00am. This is where the torturous part begins. Waiting. Waiting. Waaaaaaiting. Not a whole lot happened until noon when the doctor decided to break my water. Then, guess what we did - we waited. I didn't expect this to happen quickly but from the time we got started to about 6pm, nothing was happening. I wasn't progressing at all. At 6pm, I finally began to feel some discomfort and asked for an Epidural, thinking this was it.

Nope.

By 7pm the doctor decided to stop the Pitocin drip for half an hour in hopes that the break then restart would trick my body into getting serious about this birth thing. (HA!) He also mentioned "plan B", which Matt and I figured was doctor-speak for C-Section. (We're smart that way, you know).

7:30pm, we were restarted and hopeful this show would start kicking into high gear. (HA!) Yep, a whole lot of nothing was happening at my 9pm check and the doctor threw out the "plan B" option again.

At 10pm, the doctor checked the readings from my contraction monitor, our other vitals and sat down with us to seriously discuss "plan B". Basically, and obviously, the attempt to push me into labor was going nowhere. I was not responding to the Pitocin and "failing to progress" into active labor. My contractions were spaced about 2 minutes apart, but they were not becoming consistently stronger, and my cervix was showing little progression. Finally, he said my body and the baby was telling him to call it quits. My temperature was rising, her heart rate was rising and the Pitocin levels in my system were too high. We were having a C-Section.

Fine.

He had to take care of a couple of emergencies first then I would be moved into the operating room. In the meantime, Matt was gowned up and I was prepped. At 12:45am, October 4th, I was wheeled into the O.R. and the final prep went into full swing. Shortly after, with Matt at my head, it began. At 1:08am, almost 18 hours after this adventure began, a beautiful baby girl was pulled into this world. I didn't hear the typical screaming baby, I heard a whimper, then a small cry and more whimpering. She was here. I was happy - exhausted and doped up - but happy.

(Stella, 10/4/2009, 1:08am, 21.5" long, 9.0 lbs)

Matt was the first to hold her while I was still being tended to and one of the very first things I remember him saying to her is "You may not remember this, but I will never forget it." It didn't hit me at the time exactly how sweet that was - I was kind of out of it - but I hope I remember to tell her about it when she is older.

The hospital stay was a looooooooong 4 nights, and we were ready to go home. Very ready. Looking back, I find it funny now - not so much at the time - that there were 800+ nurses coming and going constantly - all saying "get some rest" as they walked out. About 2 minutes before the next person walked in.

We are now home, happy, healthy and settling in - we even have a semblance of a schedule. Here is a picture of Miss Stella just a few moments before leaving the hospital. I leave you with this beautiful face.

(Stella, 3 days old, leaving the hospital)