I have been keeping up by reading on my phone during feedings but haven't been able to really get on and post. Here is my ridiculously long birth story, for a ridiculously short labor!

as you guys know, I was having the bloody show last thursday and they pushed my appt to that afternoon at 3pm. my OB said that I was a solid 3 cm and that her head was "right there," and she'd bet that I'd have her by the weekend but that we'd schedule an induction for tuesday just in case. I stopped at the food store on the way home for some frozen pizza and got home around 4:30. I sat on my exercise ball and my Dad called to see how things were - while I was on the phone with him my water broke! I totally thought I peed myself.. lol. but then it kept happening..so I grabbed a hand towel and waddled upstairs to change.

I called the OB on call (who I'd never met) and she said since I could talk that I was ok for now and to hang home until 10 or 11 pm (it was around 5pm now). By 6, I was on the floor and thought for sure I was being a total wuss. I couldn't imagine how if it hurt this bad this early, that I'd even survive. My husband went to get gas and drop our dog off at my parents and was gone only 20 minutes, and I was panicking. He finally got home and I was trying to throw last minute things in the bag but my contractions were a minute or two apart. I still thought since I could talk through them that I should stay home (although I was being a wicked witch!!) but within minutes I decided we needed to go.

The car was actually not bad because the heated seat was nice on my back, but when we got there I almost threw up in the parking lot from the pain. They checked my BP in triage and it was really high so they took some bloodwork (meanwhile I was writhing in pain!). Then they sent me to sit in a chair and wait. I was so, so miserable but again..thought I was being dramatic. After all..I was what, a 4 by now? We had arrived at the hospital for 7 and it was past 7:30 by the time I got a room in triage. The nurse was such a witch - I kept saying, "these contractions are different now! I'm going to throw up" and she was like, "that's because you're HYPERVENTILATING YOURSELF. breath slower and you'll be fine." I wanted to kick her in the teeth. and she sent my husband away to register me - I just wanted someone there to be nice to me! I was alone with the mean nurse. well, turns out I was in transition - I was over 6 cm dilated when the triage OB checked me. take that, bitch nurse!

So they finally got me upstairs around 8:20 pm (so I was writhing in pain on a triage gurney for another 50 minutes!). I was in so much pain but thought that it was fine - after all, it had to get worse, right? i begged for the epi and then all of a sudden was yelling at the nurses that I was bearing down and couldn't stop. they said they had to check me, and my OB came in (thank god, I love him) and I was a 10 and +3. He tried to talk to me about skipping the epidural but I just kept telling him I didn't want to talk to him. They said if I sat still I could get it - and then for the rest of the night talked about how they'd never had a patient sit that still before, LOL - will power, I swear. So I got the epidural at 8:30 and labored down for a half hour and was a totally different person. I was SO HAPPY. The epidural did not hurt a smidge. Going in or coming out.

At 9, the nurse noticed her little head (quarter size?) and said we should do some practice pushes and that she'd be here by 10pm. well, 2 pushes later they had to run for the OB because she was coming on her own. I could move my legs but couldn't feel anything so I totally thought they were just trying to make me feel better when they were telling me they could see hair. Then all of a sudden the OB was suctioning her nose and said, "her head is out!" I think I yelled, "seriously?!" and moved the johnny so I could see. I did NOT believe them. 2 seconds later and she was here! I didn't feel the local, stitches or placenta. Thank god, that was my biggest fear haha..and them pushing on my belly was uncomfortable but after naturally laboring to 10 it felt like nothing.

So that is my ridiculously long birth story! Really long story for a 4.5 hour labor from start to finish. Haha..water broke 4:50, 6 cm at 7:30, 10 cm at 8:20, born at 9:27 pm on 9/27/12! She was 7 lb 10 oz and 18.75 inches long (so short!). She dropped to 7 lb 5 oz at discharge and 2 days after was up to 7 lb 7 oz (we had a pedi appt yesterday). She's a nursing champ, although she gets over excited and doesn't latch great all the time. But that's alright..we're working on it.

I have a TON of pain from my stitches but I would do it all over again in a heartbeat. It's just crazy.

Some pictures!

this picture was after her first meal after my milk came in: