Robbie's Arrival: July 23, 2008!

THE RUN DOWN:
1) My dad called the night before the induction and sang, "The sun (son) will come out tomorrow/bet your bottom dollar that tomorrow/there'll be sun (son)...Just thinking about/tomorrow..." etc., etc.. I needed the laugh.
2) 5:30am: Drove through viscious storms to arrive at L&D at 6am.
3) 7am: 1cm dialated. Received pitocin.
4) 7:30: Still no pain but now at 4cm. Because things are progressing quickly, Doc orders epidural.
5) 7:50: Anesthesiologist begins epidural procedure. Due to excessive swelling (yes, even in my spine) he struggled.
6) 8:25: Epidural complete. To his credit, anesthesiologist states he's worried because I felt tingling too quickly.
7) 10am: No change in dilation. Disappointed.
8) 10:30: Doc breaks water to move things along. Doc chit chats with hubby telling him what a saint he is to be married to me. "No matter what wrong you do in your life, you're going to heaven because you're married to her. From the moment she walked into my office, she let me know who was in charge...and it wasn't me." Okay...maybe I've been too proactive.
9) 12:00pm or so: Six cm.
10) 1:30: Turn on Yankee game to help pass the time. Doc and hubby sit and watch the game.
11) 2:45: Doc tells me I'm fully dialated and asks if I can wait until the game is over before we begin pushing. He and hubby laugh and then proceed to sit down to watch the game.
12) 2:50: I ask Doc and hubby if I needed to turn off the TV to get the show on the road.
13) 2:53: Pushing began.
14) 3:06: Robbie arrives!
15) 3:15: I about vomit as I watch the doctor sew what seems to be a quilt down below. He later states it was "just a couple of stitches". So much for perineal massage.
16) 5:00: Spinal headache began do to epidural going "too far". The worst migraine I've ever had. Drugs didn't work, hydration didn't work. Was informed of a last ditch effort to relieve the pressure build up. Have to make decision whether I should "ride it out because it may go away in a week or so" or to do the procedure.
11) 35 hours after Robbie's arrival (1:30amThursday night/Friday morning): a different anesthesiologist and a nurse arrive to do what is called a blood patch. They withdrew 18CC's of my own blood, went back into my spine and injected me with blood to try to create a clot to stop the leakage. I seriously wouldn't wish a blood patch on my worst enemy. It really sucked.
12) Discharged Friday afternoon and I've arrived home to enjoy a family of four!