I slept pretty well and awoke to the first snowfall of the season around 6 am... It was a beautiful 1-2 dusting that covered the trees... I was confident that this was a good sign of things to come that morning... Pat said he had awoken around 5:30 due to his excitement about Baby Kate's birth. I piddled around, wasting time as I do when I am nervous, blogging to Baby Kate and gathering a few needed items...
Mom arrived around 6:45 and I finally headed downstairs... soon, one by one, all of the 5 big kids came down... I decided it was a great time to do a final photo shoot... just Baby Kate and Me; Pat, Baby Kate and Me; The kids, Baby Kate and Me; and Mom, Baby Kate and Me...
Before I knew it, it was 7:15- the time we were told to arrive at the hospital... after another round of hugs, we were out the door... then I decided I needed a few photos of Baby Kate and Me in front of our home, in the snow... luckily Pat has learned to be patient and that it is faster to follow through on my requests than to argue, then follow through...
Pat had been warming up the car for a LONG time, which he knows drives me crazy because it wastes gas and I know that he does it to get me to move faster... finally we climb in... and I realize I forgot my purse, which has my photo id and insurance card in it... back inside Pat goes...
On the way to the hospital we hardly talk and occasionally hold hands... once there, Pat insists on opening the car door and helping me inside to a wheel chair, then he goes to park the car... this gives me a moment to reflect on the beautifully decorated Christmas tree in the lobby... I really was to pose in front of it, but know we are out of time... I settle for a photo of Pat entering the hospital and hope to get a photo of Baby Kate and I in front of the tree as we are safely heading home...
Since Pat and I had been to the Woman's Evaluation Unit (which is across the hall from Labor and Delivery) just 5 days earlier for dehydration from the stomach flu, we knew just where to go...
Since this was a scheduled C Section which I was preregistered for and had completed the blood work for the day before, we were escorted to our awaiting room from the Labor and Delivery front desk... I was more excited than nervous at this point...
Once alone, we begin our usual belly photo shoot before I put on the gown... I also had time to grab a set of paper hats and booties for the Middle Peeps (Lizzy, Jack, and Mary C.) to play dress up with later... then the nurses came in to review my health history and start my IV...since I am well hydrated, the IV only took one try...
The nurses left and soon after the doctor who I met during my anesthesia consult the day before came in... I confirmed that he DID get to go home and sleep between our consult 19 hours earlier... he said he got off at 5 pm and did get some sleep... I was relieved to see him as I liked his personality the day before... the only part of the epidural that hurt was the part that he said would sting like a bee- and boy did it!!!! This time I insisted Pat stay in front of me as I was VERY nervous!!!! Briefly, I did have the "side effect" of a tingle or shock feeling running down my right side and leg... not really painful, just creepy and scary... Soon after the numbing medication was added, I began having my blood pressure drop and I would begin to feel nauseous... At one point, I pulled my numb lower half on my left side and rested on the bars holding me in bed... Soon I realized I would have a fuzzy feeling in my numb legs each time my pressure began to drop, so I was able to warn the anesthesiologist and he would watch the monitors then inject medication into my IV and I would feel much better within 30 seconds...
Before I knew it, the time for Pat to get dressed in his scrubs had come...
Then the nurses appeared and it was time to go to the Operating Room... They had Pat sit outside the room until the blue curtain was up...
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