Happy Birthday!

On Monday, May 22, 2006 I woke up feeling pretty crampy and gross. Real contractions started around noon. At 2pm I called Kevin at work and told him to start heading home just in case. (He was home in world record speed.) We timed contractions to be about 5 minutes apart and called our doctor. We were told to come on in to the hospital.

At 4pm we were successfully checked in to the hospital and found out I was 4 centimeters dilated. We told them we were planning a natural childbirth and everyone was totally supportive. They said that Kevin and I were doing an awsome job working through the contractions. That is until around 7pm...things started getting rough. This is when the puking and shaking during contractions started - ugh. At around 9 my new boyfriend, Epidural Man, arrived. By 10pm Kevin and I were both napping in a dark and cozy labor and delivery room. We woke up around midnight and found I was 10 centimeters dilated and ready to start pushing! The meds were starting to wear off which was good because I was in tune with the contractions and able to push along with them.

And push we did. Kevin was counting, the nurse was supporting, I was pushing...and so it went for about 4 hours. Little Zoe just would not twist her way on down!! At this time we decided with the doctors that it was C-Section time. Epidural Man returned and numbed me down for surgery and the nurse dressed Kevin up in scrubs and a funny hat. We headed to the operating room and Zoe made her debut on Tuesday May 23 at 5:36am!

Kevin and Zoe had to go to another room to make sure she was ok, but he was back with her in his arms right at my side a few minutes later to keep me company while I was stitched back together.

By 6:30 the three of us were alone together in a private recovery room just getting to know each other.