Part One

How can it be that my daughter is a week old already?



I guess I better get busy collecting my thoughts before they are distant memories in my mind.





It was a dark and stormy night......



Not really, but it was extremely early, 5 a.m., and dark.



I couldn't imagine why we needed to be there so early, figured we would have all kinds of time to kill, but they had scheduled the surgery for 7:30 (unbeknownst to me) and after filling out the papers (for the third time) and answering the same questions (Do you have a ride home?) and getting geared up, it was time to go. My mom barely had time to make it there with the boys, whom I deperately wanted to see as I was sure I would die and never be able to kiss them goodbye, but she did make it. Amazingly, I did allright being wheeled to my demise, accepted my fate I guess, but thanks to the wonderfully nice, well rested at the beginning of her shift nurse, I was able to remain calm.

So the husband had to dress in his alien suit and wait through all the surgery preparations. They set me up on the table to get the spinal and I started to freak. It was at this point last time that things began going horribly wrong, but my PA was there and explained that they were doing things a lot differently, new policies and all, and that I would not need an oxygen mask OR to be strapped down and that I would be getting the spinal versus the epidural and by then I had almost missed the numbing needle and my legs were going dead. OK, one obstacle down.

I have to say I loved my anesthesiologists. One was a lady with a Natasha from Bullwinkle accent and the other was her young, very young, intern. They were just so.....chipper. They were truly excited to be doing a c-section, not because they had never done one before (thank goodness) but because they loved being present at a new person's birth. Here I was, kind of feeling like been there, done that, and they were absolutely giddy about meeting my child. We talked like we were old friends and I felt when I was wheeled out almost like I should have gotten their phone numbers and met them for drinks after the whole breastfe*ding thing was over with. Anyway, things progressed quickly from there.....I was numb and draped and the husband was brought in as the doctor was beginning the surgery. I can't tell you how absolutely awesome it was to NOT have the oxygen mask and NOT be strapped down. It was actually rather pleasant, as far as major surgeries go, and I started getting a bit giddy waiting to hear the big gender announcement.........which totally deserves it's own post so I will get to that next time.