Happy Birthday, Indy!

A narration on my life one year ago...

I awakened to my hubby coming in from working. My back was sore, my feet hurt and I only got a few hours of sleep. A couple of hours later, we were on our way to the doctor's office. I waddled into his office remembering what he'd said at our last visit, "If your pressure is still high and we don't see any more progress with the baby descending, we may have to admit you." I hoped the baby had motivated herself to move so that I wouldn't have to be induced. The nurse checked my blood pressure and I produced a urine sample, both came back with not so great news. My pressure was high and now, there was protein in my urine. My doctor's comments, "Guess who's having a baby today?"

I called my office and let them know that I would be induced. Hubby called my mother, who had taken my daughter to school, to let her know the news. We then went next door to the hospital and checked in on the maternity floor. My nurse was awesome! Unfortunately, I cannot recall her name but, she was thorough and made sure to tell me (in detail) everything she was doing and everything that was happening. The pitocin drip and other fluids were started and within an hour or so, I was in the midst of heavy labor. Phew! There is nothing like that sensation in the whole world. Your entire body radiates with it and I was breathing like air was going out of style. My water broke with the intensity and my discomfort level increased 10 fold. There's nothing like having major contractions and being covered in water. Eww! The nurses helped me up to change my garments and padding as I tried not to fall over from each contraction.

I finally caved and new nothing was probably happening down below (previous experience) and asked for the epidural. Oh, sweet drug enduced haze how I love you! The contractions were reduced to subtle flutter and I soon relaxed. As I suspected, I went from a 5 dialation to an 8. Unfortunately, that is where I stayed for the next hour. The doctor came in and basically stated that the baby still had not descended and that he was going to prep for a C-section. I told him, "Your the doctor, so I trust you know what's best." He rubbed my forehead and smiled at me. I love my OBGYN!

Another epidural was given to numb me completely from the waist down, hubby entered newly fitted in his scrubs and a sheet was draped high over my chest. I talked to hubby as he videotaped and watched the procedure at the request of my mother (brave man). I had the sensations of tugging and wrentching as the doctor tried to free the baby from my abdomen. He soon told me why the baby had not descended on her own: the umbilical cord was wrapped around her head. Poor little thing. I had been saying things like, "I wish she'd get motivated to leave and move and down," to friends and coworkers for weeks. Then, I realized that she probably would have, if the umbilical cord hadn't prevented her from dropping.

The baby was taken to the nursery and her apgar score went from a one to normal range. My mother, sister, daughter and husband all saw the new baby. I did not. It was 9:30 or close to 10 before I saw my newborn. Oh, what a pretty baby but, oh so pale. We (me, hubby, friends and family) all thought she'd be as chocolatey dark as her sister. What a surprise! She looked more like my mother's side of the family. When girlfriends came to visit a couple of days later, they each held her, her hand in theirs. Hers was the lighter of the two (did I mention my friends who visited were of the European persuasion?). At any rate, Indy was lovely and huge, at 8 pounds 6 ounces and 21 inches long. Her darker ears indicated the color she would become (a warm caramel) and a very visible trace of what the umbilical cord had done was left on her: the hair grew in a circular pattern to suggest where the blood supply was limited...think, Sherman Hemsley during the Jeffersons. I'm glad to say her hair is finally coming in nicely.

Indy will have a small party tonight with the family. A Strawberry Shortcake, baby cake with her photo and Chinese for dinner. We're even more pleased that, after looking for weeks, I was able to pick up a TMX Elmo from Wally World. They've been sold out and nearly impossible to find. We knew that we would wait to get her one for her birthday, but didn't realize that we'd still have trouble finding one, even after Christmas. I'm so glad they had them. I wonder who will play with it more, Indy or big sis? Either way, bring on the celebration!

Happy Birthday, Indy. Mommy loves you!