Baby oh Baby!

How much can somebody complain about pregnancy! I managed a good deal in the last ... 9 months. Some love being pregnant, I remember being over the clouds for the first two, but this time, I just couldn't wait it to be over. Tired, sick to my stomach and just uncomfortable, that's how it was. Oh, I did love the little kicks and the views of the little creature on the ultrasounds, of course I did. But it didn't stop me feeling like I was weeks overdue 3 weeks before my due date. I was just so sure this baby was going to be early, I think I gave everyone around me the same feeling of impatience.

When I went to the OB on Monday to hear that I was at just two and a half centimeter, I was truly disappointed. What was my fortune cookie saying just the Saturday before that: 'Good things come to the ones who wait. Be patient.' The air was full of signs that as a primer, this baby was coming after my due date. After March 26??!! That's like ages.

Then Monday evening at 11.30, I decided that I was not 'comfortable'. I couldn't go to bed. I walked around thinking, 'Will this go away, or are we on something?' 2 hours later, I decided to wake up P, I just couldn't count the minutes and honestly, I just didn't want to have contractions alone. P was deep asleep. Poor guy, he looked tired when he came downstairs to meet me. Then the contractions started to get stronger. I still wasn't sure, I didn't want to alarm everyone for nothing. But finally we decided to call Chris, who was my biggest support for this pregnancy, she was to take care of the other girls. P started calling, but we kept on getting her voice mail. The same for the home number and the same for Steve's cell. Then I started to get anxious. I was hoping that they were not at some other hospital with Steve's mother or something bad like that. I was also trying to think about our options. Who would come over to take care of the girls, or who would take them to their house? Who can we call in the middle of the night? P said he will go to Chris' door and knock, and tried to call their home for one last time. To our luck, Chris answered. She was over 15 minutes later and we were on our way to the hospital. It was after 2.00 am.

Last time at Condell, the ER was very crowded and I had to wait in line. This time I was lucky though, there were no one else to see. I got in a wheelchair in no time and was brought to the New Life Maternity Center. Everyone who saw me said "Oh, you are looking uncomfortable." They knew right away that I was to stay. Normally pregnant women go to the first room to be checked, if they are far enough, they are admitted. They brought me to the first room and after a look at my face, they brought me straight to the delivery room. The doctor was called, she was to come from Lake Forest. Mary Ellen, our doula arrived quite fast, she lives across the hospital. To my luck, the OB was Dr. Nakanishi, the nicest of the whole practice. While waiting for the OB, my contractions got stronger and stronger. I was afraid I wouldn't be able to wait for the doctor to arrive. But it was really our lucky day, she arrived just on time, and short after, Miss N was born. It was 3.43 am.

I wanted to hold her right away, Mary Ellen told the nurses to give the baby to me. I was in a state of extreme happiness. "She is so pretty" I kept on saying. After all the cleaning and apgar score etc, when they brought her back to me, I actually thought she was not so pretty. Oh well, Miss N, if you read this later, for your information, I think you are the prettiest little baby on earth. I just didn't like that they washed your hair I think. Oh, that hair of yours, the whole maternity wing had over your hair. So much and such a nice dark shade of brown.

I was brought to the recovery room, more a hotel room than a hospital room. P went home around 7am to wake up Chris and the kids. He brought the kids to the school and came back. He picked the kids up at 11.30 and brought them to the hospital. The girls were over the clouds!

I spent two nights at the hospital, which was really great for me. I let Miss N go to the nursery in the evenings so I could get some rest. P and the girls came over to visit everyday. Thursday, I went home with Miss N and now life goes on again. P spent 7 days at home and did such a great job running the household. We hardly had to cook thanks to the beautiful tradition of bringing over food when somebody is out of the hospital for any reason. We are still in this euphoria of happiness and I hope it will not leave the house for a long time. Miss N is already a part of this family, it's like she was meant to be here for years and we were waiting for her to come! And now, here she is!!