I woke my husband up and started getting dressed. I woke up my Mom and told her to stay with Darling Girl and I'd call her from the hospital. My OB called me to say she was so happy for me (I was to be induced Monday). I called my doula and she said she'd meet me at the hospital.

So far, so good.

The one hour long trip to the hospital was pretty uneventful except for my continual badgering of my husband to slow down! I don't know if he feared birth was imminent or if he feared I was leaking onto his new car's upholstery!

I was contracting (but not regularly) all morning. I called my Mom to come in and bring my older girl. I wanted to see her before the crazy labor pains started. Mom traded out with my hubby; he looked after our daughter while my Mom and doula helped me through my new set of contractions aided by a bit of pitocin. Yeah, not fun, I guess that's why they call it "the pit"...

My Dad and great-grandmother arrived. They were ushered in right after a contraction and quickly hustled out by the nurse before the next one hit. I think I said something along the lines of "Good-bye Grammmmmmmmaaaaaahh!" Thankfully she is very hard of hearing!

The transition phase started. I could no longer stand for my contractions so I opted to lay on my side. Doula was applying counterpressure to my back while Mom was facing me, rubbing my shoulders. I made it to about 5-6 cm dilation when I literally begged for some drugs. ANY drugs. I would have taken crack at that point. Apparently as they called my OB she could hear me screaming in the background and ordered me some Fentanyl and Demoral. (not sure I am spelling that correctly, just read "something with street value").

I got my shots.

Bliss.

The contractions were still painful but I could feel them and not freak out. I could hear my Mom and Doula talking about me but I was so far inside myself I couldn't answer them. I am not sure if that was the drugs alone or the drugs were allowing me to concentrate, but man I was WORKING those damn contractions!

Then I felt everyhting kind of shift.

I tried to yell, "The baby is coming!" but apparently it was only the faintest whisper.

My doula was saying to me soothingly, "Yes, the baby is coming..."

I tried again, "The baby is coming OUT!"

"Yes, the baby WILL come out."

I tried a third time, "I am PUSHING!"

"DO what your body needs to do..."

Okay dammit! I just laid there and pushed. I thought, "Well, they'll figure it out." A few minutes later I was checked by the nurse to see if I had dialated any and suddenly they are telling me, "Oh hey, you're 10 cm, fully effaced and I can feel the baby's hair, WOW!"

I have only the craziest drug-addled impressions of everything else, but I have to say, pushing and feeling the baby crown, even the dreaded "ring of fire" business, OMG! That was amazing! I felt like I could do anything after that! My Mom and doula held my legs, I just bore down and I could see my amazing, darling little girl's head coming out! I reached out to touch her and then freaked out! It was such an overwhleming sensation. I pushed maybe 4 times and then there she was! She plopped on my stomach like a wet fish. I was trying to hold her but I had gone completely limp. My Mom was crying, the doula was crying, my husband was crying. I was just stunned. I kept asking if she was okay. I just wanted them to leave me alone so I could hold my fish-baby.

Anyhow she was born June 21st at 6:43 p.m. she was 7 pounds, one ounce. She was 20 and half inches long. So, the ultrasound predictions of a giant baby were totally wrong!!! Today was her first whole day at home and she's lovely and precious and I am totally in love. I am so happy, my older daughter is ecstatic, my husband is just beaming. And as soon as I figure out how to do it I will post pictures.

This post is probably not the best I have ever written and its a shame because I'd love to be able to communicate the extraordinariness of the event, but you guys know what I mean. How do you put it all into words? These amazing people, our children, our families? How they change us every day and how we can only hold on and do our best and the enormity of that? Anyhow...how was your weekend? LOL!