A HAPPY HAPPY Valentine's Day!!

Emma Riley is here!! Here is my birth story:
2/11/09 my due date
2/12/09 went to doctor, scheduled inducement for 2/16/09 (monday) as I was 4 cm dilated
2/13/09 (Friday the 13th!) We went to Old Country Buffet (grandma met us there too). Incidentally I was in labor at OCB the night before Maddie was born so it must be something in the food :) I was having ALOT of lower back pain which wasn't usual with my pregnancy. I downplayed it and pressed on, determined to make it to Monday to be induced (I was afraid of having an epidural free delivery, which in retrospect I needed have worried about as my labor was not as quick as I had anticipated). I came home and took a shower (just in case but I didn't shave my legs again and at this point didn't care how hairy they were). I tried to sleep, which was impossible so I got up and got all of my Ebay packages ready to ship (just in case). Went back to bed and slept fitfully. I woke up around 1:30am (made it past the 13th!) with contractions. They were not that strong and irregular but I was afraid to go back to sleep, fearing I may wake up with the baby's head down and ready to push :) So I got up. The contractions were now about 10 mins apart (I tried to time them with Steve's pedometer) but still not getting much stronger and I didn't want to call Gran too early. I tried to keep busy but there is not much to do at 2 am and I couldn't sleep so I started cleaning. I did the dishes, cleaned the downstairs, etc. If it wasn't so late/early I would have vacuumed. Kind of a last minute nesting instinct I guess since mine never really kicked in during the pregnancy. Drake had his friend Braden sleeping over and Hunter was on his first sleepover at Devin's (of course!). My contractions were pretty regular now at 8 mins apart. I called the OB/GYN at 4:30 am. They paged Dr. Jackson (almost the last choice of dr. I would want to deliver me). He said I could come in and get checked if I wanted but should probably wait til they were 5 mins apart and lasted 1 minute. I went to tell my sleeping husband and he said Lets just go in. I said I wanted to wait to call Gran for a little bit longer. I called her around 5:15am. She thought I was calling from the hospital. She arrived around 5:45 to sit with the kids til my mom got them later. We got to the hospital around 6:30 (Steve had to stop at Mcdonald's so he had something in his stomach). My contractions were getting longer and closer to like 6 mins apart. Dr. Jackson checked me, still 4 cm dilated. He put me on a monitor for an hour to see if there was any progression or if he would send me home (over my dead body). The contractions were building but still irregular. Steve kept looking at the monitor saying here comes one (like I didn't know) and I wanted to slap him (but didn't). I tried counting the hooks on the privacy curtain (37) to keep my mind off the contractions. Dr. Jackson left at 8am without ever checking on me. Dr. Russo (from another office, never met him before) came on. Steve later informed me he looks like Larry David. he did and I'm glad he didn't tell me til after I delivered as it would have been unnerving for LD to deliver my child :) Dr. R admitted me. My nurse Kelly (super nice but kept apologizing for every manuever she did) asked if I was planning an epidural. Yes PLEASE! She started the paperwork rolling and got the epi set up right away (love her!). The contractions weren't as bad now but I wasn't telling. She said I must have a high tolerance for pain several times that day. I got my epidural. It took the doctor about 3 times to get the right spot. I was starting to panic and think I would be the rare case of paralysis and my blood pressure started to lower. I HATE that feeling of them working on my back. of the tube going in, ugh! They began the meds when I calmed down and my blood pressure was more normal. I run low usually anyway. My legs got so numb and tingly. They were like dead weights. No pain at all from the contractions. I heart epidurals! I was about 6 cm but my contractions were still irregular and the baby's head was still way up. Until I actually saw her come out I still had a lingering doubt if she was actually a girl. Around 1:30 pm they started me on Pitocin to try to move me further along. so much for my lightning fast labor :) The contractions starting becoming more regular and I was fully dilated but the baby's head was still too high up. The nurse kept rearranging me and had me sit straight up for awhile. It was uncomfortable but apparently effective. The baby's head had come down and I was starting to feel the contractions (though they hurt less more like earlier labor ones). Nurse Kelly said it would soon be time to push. She left the room and a few minutes later I had to call for her because I felt more pressure and the urge to push. She came back in excited and I pushed once. It was so painful feeling that pressure but it actually felt better to push. The nurse said she was relieved the head had come down so I wouldn't need to push long at all. I asked her if she could see the baby's hair color (Maddie said as soon as Emma is out, call me and tell me what color her hair is.). Nurse Kelly said it looked light to her. I pushed one more time in the stirrups now. The doctor came in and I pushed about 2 or 3 times. One last push I really felt the need to push ALOT and she was out. She had come so fast! I said "is it a girl?" it was. We had been watching Sex and the City on the TV (the very last episode, a 2 parter). I joked that Emma would make me miss the end of the episode (she did). They put her on top of me. She seemed longer and skinnier than I had expected. They took her to the warmer to be checked and Steve cut the cord. The nurse had ordered my meal (I was dying of hunger by this time having eaten only a half a poptart at 3am.). She said I couldn't eat just yet as the doctor was checking on the availability of an OR for my tubal. Nothing was open until 11pm so he said just feed her, Dr. Roberts can do it in the morning. We held Emma for awhile and they took her away to be cleaned and weighed. She was stuffy from delivery so they had to put a suction down her throat (she tried to grab it). She didn't cry much at all but very alert. Weighed in at 8 lbs .75 oz and 20" long (big girl). Mom brought the kids in to see her and they and Steve stayed until about 9pm. Steve wanted to stay over with me but the kids didn't want to stay at Grandma's. Hunter had just had his first sleepover and didn't actually sleep. He missed home. Poor Lila had spent all day in the kitchen and didn't pee on the floor. Good girl! I slept finally! What a happy, happy valentine's day. P.S. Steve, where is my gift?