Home at last.

We are home. All three of us.

I took notes in the hospital so I could write up the birth story, but I don't have the energy right now. So, the short version -- we went in for induction at 7am on Wednesday morning (the hospital called to postpone us just as we were walking out the door Tuesday night -- too many women showed up unscheduled to labor and delivery). Things mostly went okay with just a few scary moments (meconium in the amniotic fluid led to the use of an internal monitor, etc) until I was about 6 cm dilated, then the baby started responding very badly to the more intense contractions. My blood pressure went way up (mostly due to the risks I felt we were taking if we continued with labor) and by 7pm we had decided to go to c-section.

Alex was born at 8pm, after a calm, controlled c-section:


(Click to enlarge photos.)

I'll just say that having surgery under epidural is a really freaky experience. But not scary at all, and oh, so worth it.



He spent the first night in our room and latched on right away. The next morning his blood sugar had plunged (the heel stick said 35 and the lab report said 13, both are terrifying) and he spent the next two days in the nursery on a glucose drip. I was scared to death, but everything was under control. The hospital was great and I have to hand it to them, they did everything they could to make sure we were all handled with care.


In the nursery.

Today we are home. I am hormonal and achy, but so very happy. It's still sinking in that we've made it. I cried over a ham sandwich at lunch today because there was a baby sleeping on my couch, and I realized how long I went wondering if we would ever actually have one.

We did it. And I feel like I need to send the entire medical community of Connecticut a thank-you note. This is amazing.

Thank you, all of you, for all the support. I hope with all of my heart that every one of you makes it here, too, however it has to happen.