A FAMILY OF 3

Sometime around 20 weeks, my doctor and I scheduled the day that I would have my c-section to bring our baby girl into this world. I knew it was really early to be making such plans, but I wanted everything to be perfect. I wanted to be able to schedule my clients so that they wouldn't have to miss any hair appointments. I wanted to work until the very last possible minute. My family thought it was crazy that with 20 weeks still left to go, I already had a date set. You see, I'm a planner. A bit of a control freak, as my husband would say. I knew ultimately I wasn't in control of this one, but I took it as a chance to try to be ;) I spent the next 20 weeks planning for Emerson's arrival. Working my normal schedule and making sure I saw each and every client one last time before she came.

On Tuesday, January 10th, my family of 3 spent our last night with just us. We had dinner and finished up some last minute things around the house. I can remember my mind racing all evening. I knew my life was about to change, I just wasn't sure how. I wondered how Gage would act when "Sister" finally got here. We had been telling him for months that she was coming and I'm pretty sure he stopped believing us sometime around the 7 month mark! He loves babies, but for one to be in his house and never leave was sure to be different. I worried my self sick about having another c-section. The first one was a breeze (compared to the 20 hours of labor prior to the surgery), but it seems like everyone wanted to tell me horror stories about having c-sections and why I shouldn't have one, like it was really my decision. But, that's a while 'nother story. I just wanted everything to go perfectly. The way I had planned them! 

My cousin, Sunny, came over to spend the night so that Gage could sleep the next morning. I figured there was no sense in him being at the hospital with us at 6AM. Chances are, he would've been removed from the premises anyway ;) Most of the time he wakes up on the wrong side of the bed...kind of like his Momma! 

We finally got everything ready and Gage in bed around 11. I decided I would probably not sleep very well, so I took the longest hot bath in history. I thought surely that would relax me enough to get some rest. I WAS WRONG!! I didn't sleep a wink that night and was beyond thrilled when the clock finally said 4:30AM, as strange as that was! We got up, got my make-up on and my hair fixed, and headed that way. I was determined that i would not look as if a train had hit me in all the pictures this time around! So far, everything was going great...just as I planned! 

When we got to the hospital, my Mom was in the parking lot waiting for us. I'm feel sure she didn't sleep a wink either and there is no telling how long she'd been sitting there waiting. She did the same thing when I had Gage. She was there before we even left the house ;) I can't tell you how much it meant to me for her to be there. Most of time, she can keep me calm when no one else can. I needed that! The three of us went upstairs and started what was about to be another of the best days of our lives! 

In less than 5 minutes, I was given a room and one of those lovely hospital gowns. You know, the ones with no back side. Yeah, I love them and I'm sure if you've ever worn one, you can sense every bit of sarcasm in my voice! The nurses came in and quickly informed me that since I was having a 2nd c-section, there were several risks involved and I would be getting not only one, but two IV's. This, my friends, is where my plans started flying out the window. If you know me at all, you know that my fear of needles if ridiculous. Until this pregnancy, I have never even been alone to have my blood drawn. I usually get someone to be with me so that if and when I pass out, there is someone there to catch me ;) Pitiful, I know. I'm 27 and I've watched my 2 year old son do better with needles! Anyway, 2 nurses came in to start my IV's. I immediately warned them of my fear and asked them please not to dig for a vein and if they couldn't get one, to find someone who could. Bless their hearts, I'm sure I had them scared to death before they even got started! Needless to say, neither of them got a vein the first time and they didn't exactly obey my wishes. I could feel them digging and the sweat started to pour! I ended up with a fan blowing under my sheet, towels around my neck, and probably a bad attitude, to boot! After 6 or 8 failed attempts, I finally got angry enough and they called someone who could get the job done. This angel of a nurse stuck me one time and it was over! Thank goodness! Probably half the sleepless hours the night before were spent in fear of getting a silly IV! I can remember telling Michael that "if this is any indication of how the rest of the day is going to go, it wasn't going to be good". He had nothing to say except, "everything will be fine, Babe". All the while, I was thinking "what in the world happened to my perfect planstarted getting my fluids and getting even more ready to meet my Angel! 

Because this post is going on so long, I'm going to divide it into several posts. I know most of you don't care about all these details, but I don't want to forget anything and this blog is my only way of documenting!