This is how the birth unfolded (in short)....

went to the hospital on tuesday night to begin induction. the nurse inserted a cydotec??? I think that's what it's called. at any rate, it's a small pill that prepares the cervix for what is to come. I started contracting throughout the night, while cory slept in the chair/bed at the foot of my bed.

first thing weds. morning my doc arrived and broke my water...it had meconium (sp?) in it. That is where the baby has a bowel movement in the amniotic fluid. doc said it would be fine, he would need to suction out baby before she begins to cry.

I contracted w/out pain meds for as long as I could possibly stand it (I think it was about 10am)...they were INSANE, so I asked for an epidural and I got it. I felt worlds better after I got the meds.

I contracted throughout the day and had only dialated to 3 cent. by 2:00.

They started to administer Pit0cin very slowly at first. By 4:00 I was at 6 centimeters, then by 8:00 I was at 10 centimeters and the epidural had started to wear off. the nurse started having me push slightly with each contraction to see if the baby would begin to decend down the birth canal w/out much effort on my part. doc arrived at about 8:10 and had me pushing agressively w/ each contraction, and he cranked up the pit0cin. i pushed for a total of 30 minutes, he gave me an episodomy at the very end b/c I couldn't get the babies head out. finally, she was born. cory was there, along w/ his mom and dad....I got a good quick look at L0la and the nurses wisked her away to clean out her lungs before the crying started. she was grey and covered in stuff, but beautiful. then she cried.

after about 1/2 hour of laying there being repaired by the doc (by this time cory had left to the nursery w/ l0la)..oh, first I breast fed her for a few minutes. anyway, I was up in bed being preped for recovery. Cory's parents went to In N' 0ut for me, I was STARVING...and hadn't eaten in about 25 hours....I also threw up alot laboring..I think I was sick from the epidural.

anyway, I arrived on the 7th floor to recover. I had a wonderful room, and wonderful nurses, I was very happy w/ how things were going.

I stayed until Friday, visiters coming in and out constantly, I never had a chance to hold my baby b/c everyone else wanted dibs. I cried alot and I am still crying alot.

I love my baby, she is wonderful, but I am so incredibly up and down with my moods, and I almost always just break down and cry for no apparent reason.

I have to get over this hump.

I took care of baby all night last night so C could sleep b/c he had to return to work today. He's still gone, and won't be home until tonight...which makes it just that much harder. I'm sitting here crying now. I hate it.

that's my story, and I'm beginning to adjust the best I know how.

More later.

Oh, thank EVERYONE for signing the g-book and thanks LYDIA for the ecard!! It made me cry, ha! Imagine that.