we're having a party...

or a baby. Same diff.

Did I mention that I had 14 (or maybe more?) people hanging out at the hospital with me waiting on this baby to show up. We were the life of L&D. Party on....
Oh ya. So I made it to 4cm. Had some pretty strong, long contractions and the next time they said "so - do you want the epidural NOW?" at about 10:30p I accepted that epidural with a big fat drug seeking smile on my face.

It was really not that terrible. I was really scared - you know - big needle. in my back. EEEKKK.

He was gentle. It felt like I hit my funny bone. in my hip. STA-RANGE.

And then the numbness started... very slowly. I could feel and move my legs the entire time, except they felt like they weighed 200 lbs a piece. But no pain.

then we waited. Or watched movies....

Look how much better I look now that I got the drugs. And a little button to push in case I needed more.

And then they increased the pitocin which brought on some crazy strong contractions and from the looks of that monitor I could have made out with the anesthesiologist because those bitches would have HURT!

Did I mention that this entire time I was STARVING? All I thought about was how hungry I was! And sleeping....

So ya time for bed yet? Every time I attempted to sleep - something would happen. Someone had their hand up my vagina every 15 minutes. Or at least it felt like it.

My little one, her heart beat and the crazy strong contractions were not doing well together. Every monitor would start going crazy and as soon as I could open my eyes there were 10 people in my room and half of them were looking between my legs.

I'm not sure I ever really got scared - I think I knew I had no choice but to lay there and let them do whatever they needed to.

Eventually she calmed down but it was a long process of stop the drugs, calm the baby, insert some new monitor into my cervix, start the drugs - repeat from the hours of 11p-5a.

I did learn that an internal monitor makes the baby's heart sound like a ping-pong ball and that an amnio infusion is just as infusing as it sounds.

By the time all was said and done - I had about 5 wires/tubes/monitors coming out from between my legs plus my IV plus my epidural... I couldn't have ran away even if I wanted to.

Also. I could not stop shaking. All I wanted to do was get warm, but I wasn't cold. Eventually someone told me this was totally normal. Nice.
No one got much sleep......

I woke up eventually feeling like I was going to puke my guts out. And I did.

Then the nurse said - oh look, you're at 10. Let's start pushing.

And I cried.

"holy shit I am going to have a baby. NOW"