I am so happy that I got to be at home last night! Ike is doing quite well and last night even slept a full five and a half hour stretch until I had to wake him up to eat- unfortunately Zeb isn't faring as nicely. He isn't having any problems with the baby- just lots of neediness, whining, freak outs, etc. I'm trying to keep his routine regular and so my mum and I took him to storytime at the library today while gramps stayed home with the new one. He was a bit crazy.

Here's the rugrat at the hospital meeting Ike for the first time. Ike brought him "Harold the Helicopter" - and that helped soften the blow. Zeb has been playing with it ever since.

I feel great and I've been trying to get out and walk around so I can get back to "normal" ASAP. I've never felt so skinny and fat all at the same time!!

The past forty eight hours have been a bit of a blur- so I've got to get them all written out before I forget everything. Bear with me or stop reading now :)

Part 1
Labor progressed so similarly to Zeb's it was crazy- just a little faster this time! I went to bed Monday evening feeling a little strange and über-anxious for no apparent reason. I slept relatively well but was awakened at 5:45 (just a few minutes before my alarm) with a contraction. I knew my seminary students were on their way and I figured that since I hadn't been up all night with other contractions that I had awhile to wait them out and see if I was in real labor. About halfway through seminary I texted kent that we'd need to head to the hospital as soon as class ended (6:50 ish). Apparently he slept through the text! I went in to wake him up and was pretty darn uncomfortable. The contractions were four minutes apart- but only lasting 10-15 seconds so I wasn't super concerned (I should have been mortified). I took zeb across the hall while Kent got dressed - we grabbed everything (in my anxiety the night before I'd set out everything exactly ready to go) -and drove (speedily) to the hospital. I warned Kent about the intersections with photocops but asked him to race through the others. We arrived in good time but because I was acting so calm the lady checking us in didn't understand that I was in active labor (I had also refused a wheelchair at the front entrance because I just wanted to HURRY) despite the fact that I told her THREE times. She sent us on a goose chase only to have us get sent BACK to her. Then she angrily walked us back on the same goose chase only to finally realize (thanks to Kent's continual explanations) that I was DYING and in ACTIVE LABOR. She took us back to our starting point and they triaged me. I was doing okay at this point and told them that I'd be fine AS LONG AS I GOT AN EPIDURAL. The nurse assured me that I'd be fine. They checked me and found that I was at a six. I warned them that with Zeb I went from 5 to nine VERY quickly. They left to call my doctor and admit me when suddenly I got hit by some crazy bad contractions. Here is a picture I took between some of them. I regretted not getting any in my gown with Zeb so I made Kent take this one. After the third BAD contraction I told Kent that he had to get the nurse because I HAD to get the epidural. She came back and said she couldn't get a hold of my doctor. I demanded (pleasantly) that she at least start my IV so I'd be ready for the epidural. She said she couldn't- but I insisted- and she took me to a room. Here's where everything went downhill. I wish that I could put into words better the following thirty minutes. I think about it now and I get sick to my stomach. It will have to wait until my next post however. I've got a whining rugrat at my feet.