Week 41 or “Stop: Baby Time”

So, you're probably all “what happened to week 40?” I'll tell you what happened: nothing. Not a dang thing. I sat at home, bored as all hell, in a holding pattern of frantic cleaning and elevating my feet in hopes of keeping my blood pressure down.

As my due date (April 10^th) approached, I tried all the old wives tales to induce labor. Well, almost all of them - I couldn't bring myself to drink the Castor oil. Ew. I did, however, drink the raspberry leaf tea, take evening primrose supplements, walk(as much as I could), and a couple others that frankly, would make you uncomfortable. Hint: rhymes with flipple chimulation and it's a real weird way to spend a Saturday night. Doesn't matter, as none of them worked.

April 10^th came and went uneventfully. The day after, we went to the OB to have an ultrasound and check my fluid level. The ultrasound technician delivered the news: she's breech. Upside down. The only real option was a c-section. Some doctors try to turn breech babies, but I was against that (I'd read a horror story of a baby dying during that procedure) and luckily, so was my doctor. We scheduled the c-section for Monday, April 14^th at noon. We were pretty stoked that her birthday would be 4-14-14!

We spent the weekend relaxing and now trying NOT to go into labor, as that would necessitate an emergency c-section. Russell went to the Orange and White Game. I watched a lot of daytime TV. On Sunday, we slept in and then went and saw “Captain America” - probably our last movie in the theater for a long time!

Monday morning, we arrived at the hospital around 9:30. I got hooked up to an IV and changed into my sexy hospital gown. My parents and Russell's mom showed up, all super excited. A little before noon, Russell got changed into his scrubs and I walked back to the OR where I got my spinal block – aka the WEIRDEST feeling ever. I'll write more on that later.

Lucky 31!

In the words of TLC, "No, I don't want no scrubs..."

At about 12:20 they brought Russell in and got started. I was feeling a little panicked – it is super strange to be wide awake while somebody opens up your abdomen. I didn't feel any pain, but I was definitely nervous. Thank God, the mood in the room was really light – the anesthesiologist was right by me the whole time, all smiles, telling me how everything was going well, which I really appreciated.

6 lbs, 9 oz of cutness

At 12:38, Claire Elizabeth McCurdy was born! 6 pounds, 9 ounces, 20 ½ inches long. Russell and I still can't believe how tiny she was as we were both big 'ole babies. The doctor held her up over the sheet for me to see briefly, then carted her off to be “de-gunked”. Russell went with her. I tell ya, after she was out, I didn't care at all about the c-section: I was just relieved to 1.) not be pregnant anymore and 2.) see our baby girl. Claire scored an 8 on her 1 minute apgar and a 9 on her 5 minute test, so she's basically a genius.

At some point, Russell brought her over to me and laid her next to my face – beforehand, I thought I would sob, but I think I was a little too jacked up on pain killer / in shock.

Once they finished sewing me up, Frankenstein-style, they laid her next to me in the bed and wheeled us right back to the room we'd come from. Our parents got to meet her and hold her – I'm sure there were tears, but again, I was a little cracked out :)

Claire meets Russell's mom or "Mama L."

We stayed for 3 more days -the max our insurance would allow. They offered to let us go home on Wednesday, but we figured another night of free babysitting and hospital food was worth the trade off of sleeping on a bed that can only be described as “one step above prison” quality. Actually, we loved the hospital. I've had friends who are desperate to check out once they have their little one, but we had an awesome experience! As I write this, we're 12 days out, and there are moments (mostly at about 2 AM) when I LONG to push that sweet little button and have a smiling nurse take my screaming infant to the nursery so I can sleep.

But, one really can't complain when this is the face I wake up to every day:

And that is the story of how Ms. Claire Elizabeth McCurdy was born!