Hey, can we get my kid the d*** spinal tap already?

So, I like to hear all the exciting birth details. If you aren't up for it, stop reading now 'cause I'm relating the birth of Lizzie highlight by highlight.

I was admitted to hospital at 8:15pm on Monday night. The midwife checked my cervix and it had NOT CHANGED SINCE MY APPOINTMENT TWO WEEKS AGO!! What a crazy cervix I have. They gave me some kind of gel on a string (Cervadyl?) to get things moving. I had the gel all night. I had to be on baby heart monitor and contraction monitor. Baby kept moving and hiding from monitor and so the nurse would come in every three minutes to reposition it. I got a great night's sleep. They wanted to take out the Cervadyl around 9AM and went to do so but it was gone. I guess it disappeared! So they were going to break my water. But there was no bag. I guess it already broke! I got hooked up to the Pitocin and they put an internal monitor on baby's head cutting out the every three minute reposition which was nice. However, contractions were much stronger at this point. I was breathing through them and doing ok. I got a shot of Morphine which did NOTHING!! I knew I had had it when the sound of Chris' voice made me want to puke and throw heavy objects at his head. I had the midwife check me and I was at an 8. At that point, I threw in the towel and got the epidural. It was the most wonderful thing I ever did. I am wondering why does it have to take so long to get it installed and going? I feels like hours! I told God I could make it through 4 more contractions at that pain level and then I was going to give up. He only made me endure 4 more before the meds kicked in. Baby was not happy with any position I would lay in and let us know it by slowing her heart rate way down. Midwife said time to push. I did 4 good pushes and on the 5th, she shot out like a rocket. I'm not kidding. I could tell I was so close and I just gave it everything I had. After she was born, they realized she had aspirated the meconium which they didn't know before because no water came out to check the color of. The peds team was slow in arriving to our room and when they finally got in, it was such a bustle of activity. She was a little white and blue and was not making any sounds. I was so worried but the midwife kept telling me she was okay. And she was. They just needed to work the meconium up out of her air passageway. Pretty soon she was in my arms, a sweet little bundle of joy. We spent a few hours snuggling and then the kids arrived. They were all very excited and very well behaved for the visit. Lizzie brought them all a Webkinz and they were excited to get that too. I don't know how she managed to fit all those in there with her but she did. We spent Wednesday holding Lizzie, ordering hospital room service and watching daytime TV. (UGH. There is nothing on!) On Wednesday night, I was released from hospital but Lizzie had to stay until Thursday morning, so they moved us to another room called "Nesting Room." This is code for really hot broom closet. Grammy came to meet her 8th grandchild on Wednesday night but had to endure the broom closet with us. On Thursday, the powers that be proclaimed us mother and father and daughter and we were sent home for better or worse never to part. We had a wonderful welcome from Anna and Lucy and Cameron and some very cute signs on the door. Anna stayed with the children for 4 days and 3 nights. She did a super job, even completed a science project with Emily. I really cannot say thank you enough to her for what she did for me.

I am so happy to be home. Happy to have Lizzie here. Feeling a little emotional, but ready to be mom to 6!