We're finally home!

We're finally home!, originally uploaded by cel..

Just wanted to pop in and let everyone know that we're finally home!

Ready for the labor story? It's not that interesting, hah.

Late saturday morning (01/19/07) I was feeling ill. My nose was stuffy and my throat was itchy so I decided to stay in bed. At around noon, Miss G was watching cartoons in the living room and was busy entertaining herself and the Mister was...well, sleeping still. I started to have this dull lower back ache. Didn't think much of it, just thought it was because I wasn't feeling too good. It started to get worse and worse after an hour and it seemed to come and go. At this point I'm thinking..."hey, are these contractions?" so I decided to time them. Sure enough, they were 4-7 minutes apart. M woke up shortly after and asked if I was doing ok and I told him I was. I told him I might be having false contractions and that it was nothing to worry about so he asked me if I wanted to help him make brunch. I told him I would, thinking the pain would go away once I got up.

Nope. Not one bit. M told me to call the advice nurse just in case and she told me that it sounded like I was a bit dehydrated and to just drink 4 glasses of water. If within the next 20 minutes after drinking, the pain was getting stronger and the "contractions" were 2-3 minutes apart, just walk into labor & delivery.

Yep. They were getting way stronger and weren't only in my lower back but were wrapping around to my lower abdomen now. I told M "it's time" and he took for-freaking-ever to get ready and leave. Miss G was dropped off at a friends house down the street from the hospital and there I was admitted at around 3:30pm.

When the Dr. checked me, I was already 5 centimeters dialated and 100% effaced. Hot damn, great timing for an epidural!!! I swore I'd go all natural again, but these back contractions were a pain I've never experienced in my life. Abdominal contractions with Miss G felt like horrible menstrual cramps. After blood work which seemed like an eternity (2 hours later!), I finally received that miracle of a drug. You do not know how relieved I was! I was ready to take a nap and wait until later that evening to go into active labor.

But no no no. 15 minutes later, the Dr. checks me again just to make sure and there I was 10 centimeters dialated and fully ready to push this baby out!!! 4 or 5 pushes and 15-20 minutes later, at 5:57pm, Baby M is here.

Yea. Crazy stuff.

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Anyway, the whole time at the hospital I was in freak-out mode. First they suspect a heart murmur (later an EKG proved he's fine), then he fails to latch on properly the first day (he was totally un-interested in the boob), and the next day the Dr. says our blood type incompatibilities may cause jaundice. The day after, he's admitted into the NICU for phototherapy. Ugh.

But that's not it. Yesterday, the Dr. suspects Baby M has Galactosemia, a serious rare condition that can cause speech delay, growth problems, cataracts, poor motor control, and learning disabilites. Two urine tests were positive so a blood test was sent out and the results of that doesn't come back until next week.

Please pray/think good thoughts/send good vibes/cross your fingers for baby M. We really hope he doesn't have this condition. I've been an emotional mess since then and I'm really trying my hardest to stay positive.

Thank you.

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View more photos here: http://www.flickr.com/photos/mzcelaneous/sets/72157603791617571/