Wireless Internet is awesome.  Here I am, sitting in the hospital bed, hooked up to all sorts of tubes and monitors.  Since I’m not going anywhere any time soon, I thought that I’d pass the time by chronicling events as they occur.

7:35 a.m.–Arrive at hospital, put on unattractive gown and fill out lots of paperwork.

8:30 a.m.–BT checks market.  DOW up on open.  Oil up but airline stocks unchanged.  Nurse checks cervix–says I’m a “2.”  Hmm–Dr. Mac said that I was a “1” yesterday.

9:30 a.m.–After several failed attempts at starting an IV and with the help of 3 nurses, Pitocin drip starts.  Despite my request for “silence,” the nurses gave me a play-by-play of my “valvey” veins, etc.  I nearly passed out.

9:55 a.m.–Dr. Mac breaks my water.  I really don’t like feeling “drippy.”  Dr. Mac didn’t exactly call me a “2,” but he did say that I seemed to be a bit more dilated than yesterday.  The nurse ups the pitocin for the 2nd time–to 4 milliunits.

10:20 a.m.–Nurse ups pitocin to 6 milliunits.  So far, contractions are manageable.

11:30 a.m.–The hour-long break between updates is due to a Text Twist game.  We got to 98,450 points before losing.  Here I am in labor, trying to focus on the game, and I keep catching BT glancing up at the t.v. screen to check on the stock market.  I think that’s why we got stumped and ultimately lost the game. 🙂

Pitocin is up to 14 milliunits.  There’s some type of calculation used to determine optimal pitocin dosage.  It’s based on the strength and frequency of contractions.  Dr. Mac wants me to get to 225, and the nurse says that I’m at 170.  The contractions are definitely more painful at this point, but I’m managing just fine.  My blood pressure and the baby’s heart rate are perfect.

BT is the one I’m worried about.  He is shivering because the room is quite chilly, but he’s too manly to put on my pink robe to warm up.

I’m hoping that Dr. Mac stops by during his lunch break to see if I’ve dilated further.

12:30 p.m.–Good news!  Dr. Mac stopped by 15 minutes ago and said that I’m at a 3!  I know that it doesn’t sound like much, but I’ve never been at a 3 and NOT had an epidural before.  With Ari and Vivi, I had MAJOR pain and was still a 2.  The baby is still at a -2 station, for those of you that know what that means.  The contractions are definitely getting more painful, but I’m holding up surprisingly well.  I’ve gotten a lot more sleep in the late stage of this pregnancy than with the girls, so I’m sure that contributes to my ability to cope.  Dr. Mac said that he would stop back by in a few hours.

2:00 p.m.–Holy Moley.  I’m hoping that the dr stops by soon and tells me that I’ve made a ton of progress, because I’m really feeling the pain now.  BT may have to take over the updates soon.  If that happens, take what he says with a grain of salt.

2:45 p.m.–Dr. Mac just stopped by.  I’m only a 3 1/2, 70% effaced, -1.  To my inquisitive glare he replied, “It’s the whole watched pot kind of thing.”  As I grimaced and snorted, Bryan was trying to crack stupid jokes to make me laugh but has so far been unsuccessful.  To be or not to be (epiduralized) – that is now the question.  Well, one of the questions.  Another question is why does Bryan have to chomp the stinking ice!!!  And why does he keep calling me Olga??  And how am I supposed to keep my hair ready for the pictures when the nurses keep making me roll from side to side??

3:15  p.m.–Wow!  Talk about talented, I just spent 30 minutes balancing on the beside, not moving, while the contractions wracked my body and Dr. Jones used a needle the size of post hole diggers to give me an epidural.  Thankfully, the soothing medication seems to be working and I’m now able to more fully enjoy the experience of oxygen, IVs, catheters and nursing alarms.  When the nurse checked and proclaimed I’m a 4.5, I wanted to kiss someone so luckily BT was close at hand!

5:00 p.m.–Pressure.

5:31 p.m.–After pushing though three contractions, Baby Tad entered the world.  Vital stats–7 lbs. 9 oz., 20 inches long.  Scored 9’s for apgar.  BT wants to know if “apgar” is an intelligence test.

5:32 p.m.–Dr. Mac should have put the “pee pee tepee” on first; Baby Tad tinkled his way into the world.  We held a family vote a few days ago about who would get “squirted” first.  None of us thought to add Dr. Mac to the ballot.

6:15 p.m.–Baby Tad received his first visitors–Ari, Vivi, Grandma Hess & Aunt Lisa.  Vivi wanted to poke and prod.  Ari was sweetly attentive and became very teary when it came time to leave.  I miss my girls.

8:40 p.m.–Still waiting for the nursery to bring our baby to us.  Grrr.  According to all accounts, he’s been gathering the most ooh’s and aah’s of the new younguns in the nursery.  We think that the nurses are so enamoured with him that they don’t want to let him out of their sight.