From the beginning

September 2009 I was sent to the doctor's office because I had a horrible asthma attack. I was given high doses of steroids to help get it under control...it didn't take many days to get back to breathing right!! A few weeks later, I noticed I had not had a visit from Aunt Flo...*ahem...sorry guys*. Right away I called my mom to ask her if she thought the medicine would cause that, she said she didn't think so, so I ran and took a test. All I remember saying was, "Oh my gosh, oh my gosh, oh my gosh!!!." Matthew came in and just kept staring at the test then back at me with a huge grin on his face. I squealed and immediately called my mom. She knew I was...she has that way about her!! I finally called a few of my close friends and my sister while Matthew called his parents and grandparents. Everyone was so excited!!
I immediately began getting 'ready' for pregnancy. No more cleaning!! No more kitty boxes!! No more stress (at least, I tried).
Never once did I have morning sickness..it's like she knew I couldn't have handled it. It was amazing hearing her heartbeat, seeing her on the ultrasound machine or feeling her kick. I was in love!!!
Towards the end of April, beginning of May, my feet started swelling...I didn't have ankles within a few days! It was bad...they looked like elephant legs. I was always standing at my job as a teacher, and it was frowned upon to be sitting in your classroom. Every chance I got, I put my feet up. The doctors told me to rest as frequently as I could, drink plenty of water and to prop my feet. I did all this, but I continued to be miserable.
Finally I went to the doctor in the middle of May and said I am so ready to have my feet back to normal and we scheduled an induction for May 20th.
May 20th rolled around and I was due to be at the hospital at 6:00 A.M. My mom and Matthew were there, and Nikki came around 11. I had packed for a few days and brought games and books to read (I had never done this before and I didn't know what to expect). My doctor came in after 8 and broke my water. Which was by far, the WEIRDEST sensation I have ever gone through. Soon I was under way!...or at least I thought so. I was given Petocin to start contractions, which occasionally happened. They were a little painful, but Stadol was my friend...it knocked me out!!! Finally, at 4:00 P.M. I decided that the contractions were better if I didn't feel them anymore. I wasn't allowed out of my bed anyways...so why not have an epidural (later...I found out how EXPENSIVE they are!!). I was so scared about having a needle in my back that I was shaking. Thankfully, my mom held and helped me get through it. After the initial prick, I didn't feel much. Soon, my legs were asleep! Back to playing Phase 10!! See...I DID need those games. My mom, Nikki and I played Phase 10 and watched a bunch of movies. I stared, drooling at them while they would sneak in some snacks. I wasn't allowed to eat anything in case I had to have a C-section. (But Nikki gave me a spoonful of her chocolate delight...yum!).
Around 7 P.M. I still hadn't progressed as quickly as the doctor was hoping for. We started talking about doing a C-Section. Again, the shaking started. I didn't know what to expect. I was so SCARED!!! They checked me again at 10 P.M. and then went to call the doctor to say that we were going to go ahead with the c-section. I don't remember if I cried or not, but I think I should have because of the way I was feeling.
Someone 'upstairs' must have seen how scared I was to have to have a c-section because the nurses checked me once more at 11 P.M and found that I dilated more and they were going to call off the c-section. I started trembling again because I had JUST gotten used to having to have to go to surgery.
The waiting game began again. I think I tried to sleep on and off to make the time go by faster.
Around 3 in the morning I began to feel the need to push, and I found that I was burning up!! Mom had to fan me, but eventually I got so hot that I thought I was going to throw up. The pushing had begun! Unfortunately, I found out later my epidural needle had come out some, so I was beginning to feel some of my contractions, which I guess was in a way, good because I knew when to push. After I started pushing, I started throwing up and coughing. The doctor, all good intentions I'm sure, said that whatever I was doing, was helping because the baby would come out further each time I threw up. What stories I will tell her when she's older!
At 4:05 A.M my baby girl was born. They wiped her off and handed her to me after she was weighed. She was 7 lbs and 7 oz. 21 1/2" long and perfect! A head full of hair (which people still comment on today).
She had jaundice and we stayed in the hospital until it went down to a lower level. Although it went down, we had to have it continually checked until it went below a certain level. She was amazing through all her tests, always sleeping.
She has slept through the night since we brought her home. If she does wake up, its around 5 A.M. but she hasn't done that in awhile. We had some problems getting her to nurse, but now she's a healthy chunk at 10 lbs 7 oz.
Tomorrow we are going to take her 2 month pictures, a few days late...but better late than never!!