Let's start at the beginning...

It was Barack Obama's inauguration day, January 20, 2009 when I learned through a home test that I was pregnant. It was exciting and scary all at once! We had dreamed of this, but I was still a fan of the "ignorance is bliss" theory about pregnancy, labor and delivery.

My pregnancy was pretty textbook, except for the awful migraine headaches that plagued me from month 3 until the end. I do suffer from migraines, but normally one or two a year and due to stress. Therefore, I was not prepared for the four or more headaches a week I was suffering! But I got through.

Many times during my hormonal episodes, my husband would find me crying in the shower. "I can't do this!" "I can't push this baby outta there!" "I'm scared!". But he re-assured me and when that didn't work, just told me flat out "You don't have a choice!" Ah, reality!

As much as labor and delivery scared the hell outta me, it seemed a much better option than surgery.

I have learned not to guess or say anything out loud anymore. I had three things I kept repeating during my pregnancy:

~I'm going to go early

~I just don't want surgery

~I'm convinced it's a boy

On September 30, 2010, at 41 weeks, I was called to the hospital to be induced

Let the games begin! I was calmly getting ready to go and said to my husband, "When we return home, we will be three." Reality was rearing it's head again.

So, they used the cream on me. It didn't work the first time, so after round two the contractions began. Not as bad as I had feared! I could do this! Just don't think further ahead. My mother had told me to take one contraction at a time, then when it's over, you never see that one again, it's gone. That started out fine, until my contractions were coming fast and furious without any pattern. Four and a half minutes each with maybe ten seconds in between! Even hubby was tired, as he was massaging my back through each one.

Many hours, a change in date (it was now October 1) and an epidural later, the doctor, not my regular OB/GYN, asked if my doctor had explained to me about dialation in women who have had cryotherapy in the past. No she hadn't. When I went to my doctor appointments she simply took my weight and measurements and listened to the heartbeat. That was all. So because I had cryotherapy about 10 years previous, the scar tissue around your cervix stops it from stretching normally. Therefore, you can dialate, but instead of gradually getting to 10 cms, you may go from 2 to 10 instantly when the scar tissue lets go. Oh, joy! So, we waited.

And waited. And waited.

After 18 hours of very hard labor and not progressing past 3 cms, it was time for the operating room. I was having major back pain and shakes from the epidural. To prep for surgery usually takes 15 minutes, it took over 30 with me. Hubby was very worried and scared (I learned later).

Remember my three things I said earlier, well I had surgery, I was a week late and the nurse introduced me to my beautiful baby girl!

And so it begins........