37 weeks: an unexpected surprise

So, um, I had big plans.  Plans to talk about pregnancy and body image, plans to take more bump pictures (and perhaps be told by random lady-strangers in my neighborhood, again, that I should be taking more naked bump pictures), plans to cook  freezer meals, plans to see Stew and Heidi of The Negro Problem, plans to see the Daily Show (and try not to laugh so hard that my water would break right there in the studio audience) ....  I had plans.  When asked about my concerns for labor, I would remark that the odds of a first-timer like myself going early, or even having the water break as the first sign were very low.  And also, I had plans.  So clearly, this was going to happen on some sort of schedule.

Well, our little Monkey had other plans.  At midnight on January 22, I was officially 37 weeks and was considered "at term."  At 3:00am, my water broke while I was sleeping.  At 3:45, I decided that perhaps I should call my OB about this new, moist development.  She told me to go directly to the hospital.  At 3:50, I calmly woke Zac.  We checked in to the hospital at 5:45am where I argued with the staff that I most certainly did NOT need a wheelchair, I could walk myself to the 6th floor, dagnabbit. I was fine, if a bit -er- damp and mildly crampy.  They disagreed and wheeled me around.  I offered to kick open the doors, karate-style.  They asked me nicely to refrain.  About 30-40 minutes later, it was confirmed that labor was starting and that I would be staying. The resident said that it might be Monday before the Monkey made an official appearance, as these things take time, especially with the first.




We got set up in our swanky delivery suite (not as swanky as Beyonce's, I'm sure) and Zac fell asleep in the chair next to me as I idly stared at the Japanese Bridge Monet print.  The sound system couldn't connect with our iPods, so the suite was pretty quiet except for the steady beep-beep of the Monkey's heartbeats. By 8:00ish, things got a little more painful, so I asked for some sort of analgesia.  The nurses rang for the anesthesiologist for an epidural.  That stung like a [expletive deleted], but then there was peace in the world again.  Yay, drugs.  (I did get a bad case of the opium-itchies, and Zac lovingly referred to me as his "junkie wife" as I begged him to scratch my face, my arm, my back, anywhere, everywhere, ohmygod, itchy itchy itchy)

At 11:30, my OB arrived to check me out.  She joked that she had a list of people who she expected to call her over the weekend ... I was not on the list.  Not even close. And yet, here we were. She examined me, said it was almost go-time, and she was going to change into scrubs.

At 12:02pm on January 22, 2012, our little Monkey made her official appearance, and it is with joy that we present to you Lorraina Marie.  She was 4.87lb (4#14oz) and 19.25in.  We love her.  Very much.  And we hope that you'll all understand if the blog updates are a little slow for the next few weeks -- we've got our hands full.

LMR @ not quite 12 hours old

LMR @ ~48hrs, checking out the world, right before we were discharged. 

 

Before and After :)

Much MUCH love to all,
A+Z+wee-Lorraina