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We got to the hospital at our scheduled time of 5:30am on the 23rd. At this point, it still didn't seem real. We got checked in with few delays and found out our surgery was scheduled for 8:45 that morning. It was pretty routine from what I remember before. Some questions, the monitors on the baby's heartbeat...

Shaun and I talked about random things. I think he got nervous before I did. He put on his scrubs and soon it was time to go in to the o.r.

This is where things got interesting. I was suddenly paranoid as anything. I remembered the spinal being one poke but this girl kept poking me, and it was really low. I sung a hymn in my head -- How great thou art, I think-- to keep my mind off of things. I know at one point she made my left leg jump when she poked and then the numbness began. At that point, being numb meant they weren't going to just saw me in half lol.

So now that I can't feel anything below my stomach, they turn me and lay me down. Yeah, that was when I saw the huge mirror hanging on the wall and started wondering who in their right mind would want to see themselves be cut open. I forgot that they put the curtain thing in front of your face.

I've always been intrigued by the people who assist in these surgeries. Seeing half naked women all day doesn't bother them, nor does seeing the insides of those women. They still joke and make small talk like they are having a nice dinner with an old friend.

Don't get me wrong, I'd much rather listen to small talk than hear "what in the world is THAT!" while they are inside me, but just saying...

Anyway, so the curtain goes up much to my relief. I knew I wouldn't have as much medicine because before my recovery was 4 hours and here they were telling me 2 including the hour long surgery. There were a few differences felt with the medicine being less. I felt suction...no details needed there and the pulling of the baby coming out and the stapling, no pain, but a little pressure right before I heard the snap of the gun. It was relieving to hear that because I was starting to have problems breathing and I wanted that curtain down out of my face.

The woman who gave me my medicine was really great. She kept pushing the curtain away from me and took it down as soon as they were done. She even elevated my bed for my push to recovery so I could breathe.

As for the baby... as I said, I felt the tugging of them getting her out, and a few seconds later I heard her cry and all the nurses say how beautiful she was. Then she kept crying and kept crying... all the way out of the room. I had a flash of my life the way it was before and just knew that it was gone. I was certain I had given birth to a crier... or my active child, as my sister has been waiting for me to have.

I did get to see the baby right before she left. I wanted to hold her and bring her home. I couldn't wait.

I saw Shaun again when I could move my legs kind of Frankenstein like on the bed. Its a weird feeling to want your leg to move and it just jerks all weird. The girl in the bed beside me was in labor and she wasn't having an easy time. That put things into perspective for me and I was glad to not be able to feel anything for a little while longer.

Shaun came and brought my new girl for me to hold. She was so tiny. I wanted to cherish that because in a few weeks she will be huge compared to now. He said he knew she was ours because she was born hungry so I fed her right there for an entire hour.

That night, we were in a shared room and she cried most of the night. I was thinking she was one who is soothed by walking around the room rocking her or swinging, neither which I could do being bedridden for the night.

The next morning I got to have everything taken off, like my iv and such, and then I went for a walk which felt really good. Karli and I slept together every night which was how we prefer it, because she won't sleep at night in her crib. She is getting her own schedule and has her own little way of doing things. When she's hungry, she has this raspy cry, almost like she's singing, and she roots around in all different directions. She has a mad cry, too, for when her belly hurts. She likes to lay on the floor on a blanket. She just looks around and kind of rolls and moves her hands.

So far, I'm not really having any problems. Its still uncomfortable to get out of bed or to walk a lot, but other than that I feel really good. Looking forward to being 100% again, though.