I believed and I was proven right.
I woke up at 6 am, now 5 days past my due date with the same excitement one does on Christmas morning. I had gone to bed the night before knowing that labor was coming but I knew staying awake waiting for the contractions to really hit would be counterproductive as I would be exhausted by morning. So, I forced myself to fall asleep and get some rest. When I woke up, I began timing my contractions. I didn't wake D up immediately, I wanted that time by myself to experience this and mentally prepare. My goal was to stay calm and keep my body and mind relaxed. I finally woke D up and our journey went from there. Before I knew it we were at the hospital just 3 hours later and 3 cm dilated where I was starting my rounds of antibiotics for GBS. My labor progressed smoothly as I bounced myself happily on the birthing ball while playing page after page of Soduko. I cracked jokes with D and the nursing staff while making phone calls to family and friends in between contractions. I was doing so well I sent D away to get me some lunch which is in stark comparison to Camille's labor where D had to stay right by my side to help me cope with the back labor.
But just like the entire pregnancy, this labor was different, it was what normal is supposed to be. By 4 pm I happily admitted that I was no longer willing to feel this uncomfortable and beckoned the Anesthesiologist to come and rescue me. But still, there was a smile on a face and a calmness in my voice. I refused to get uptight even when I was told that I couldn't get my epidural until I was given an actual room. I had been put in a room with barely a bed to deliver in and they needed to move out some other patients before a bed would be available. That bed come just an hour later at 5 pm when I was told that I was now 5-6 cm dilated.
Now, let me pause right there for a moment. I had now been in labor for 11 hours now and I was already halfway through. With Camille? After 11 hours? Didn't move an inch and sat at 3 cm. This was such good news that through painful contractions, I was elated and even more so was my superb epidural was put in and off I went to bed, still relaxed, still at peace and by then my sister had arrived along with my in-laws so I knew my sweet little girl was in good hands now. Once again, I sent D away, I wanted to sleep but that sleep didn't last long because before I knew, 7:30 pm came along with the realization that I was almost 10 cm and ready to push. D and my sister rushed back in to the room along with my OB/GYN with the request for me to give a little push to see where I was at and then an immediate demand to STOP pushing because Rosemary was about to come with nothing in the room to catch her!
8:00 pm came and finally a big contraction (which I didn't even feel by the way thanks to my lovely lovely epidural and my lovely lovely OB/GYN who believes no one should have to feel labor and keeps the epidural pushed up as long as you can push) and 3 pushes in under 60 seconds and there she was, my beautiful precious little girl. There was just the right amount of bleeding without any passing out and I was able to hold my daughter just seconds after she made her way into this world. She was and is perfect, just like her sister, but this time with a perfect delivery and the best case scenario happened. She nursed and latched on immediately and we haven't looked back. No soreness, no horrible engorgement like I had mentally prepared for, just the best case scenario played out from the first contraction to this exact moment and I'm sure will continue on.
Words can't even describe how amazing these past 3 weeks have been for me. I feel so complete with my girls and my husband. I am so in love with this little child and have fallen deeper in love with my husband and my oldest daughter.
Life is good, so, so good.
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