One Week Later

Well, as usual I start things late, but I guess as they say it's better than ever. It's 3:30 in the morning and I am up feeding Gabrielle. Emma and Kailee are asleep in their beds, Lou is passed out next to me, and my mother is downstairs asleep on the couch.

I cannot believe 1 week has passed already since I became the mother of three girls, 3 GIRLS!! Can you believe that? I am so in love, and in awe that they are all mine. My hands are full, and it hasn't been easy, but I am here and ready to face what awaits me.

Gabrielle was born on Saturday, November 22, (continuing the "22" tradition that we started in June 2004), at 12:54 pm, she weighed 8 pounds, 9 ounces, 20.5 inches long, and has dark hair and beautiful coloring. She looks just like Emma did when she was born.

I feel that my abilities to do things for her are so different than they were when Emma and Kailee were born, so I've decided to try and do something different for her, and keep this blog, unfortunately for her being the third child, there isn't much I can write about that will only be about her, but maybe I will change it one day and make seperate blogs for all of my girls, right now this is a work in progress, and a place for me to escape to, to help my thoughts and actions be under control.

A New Little Girl To Love

We have another beautiful daughter! It was a long day but she's here. I got to the hospital at 7:30 this morning and by the time I was checked and monitored it was around 8:30 when I was admitted. I was nervous this time, really, really nervous.

There was a lot of things to worry about this time around, I knew what I was doing going into delivery and I knew what to expect, that changes the experience. I was worried about Emma and Kailee, and I hated the thought of being away from them for so long. I was worried about how they were behaving and if they were going to get through me not being around for four days, all of this was on my mind as I waited.

As the time passed, one of the doctors who was going to assist with my c-section came to tell me that there was an emergency surgery and that I wouldn't be going in any time soon, I'd be waiting a couple of more hours. It was 9:30 at the time. Lou decided to go out to the waiting room and let everyone know. My Dad and Geri decided to take the girls home for a while, and they willingly went. Now I was just worried that they wouldn't get back in time.

In the meantime I tried to rest but that was not an easy thing to do. Finally it was my turn. I actually walked into the emergency room. That was so strange, it was so cold in there, but after bieng in recovery for so long with the heat blasting it felt so good. Now it was the dreaded epidural time, again like the previous two times it took long and they had a hard time getting the catheter in place, they had to stick me twice.

Once it was in place it happened quickly, I felt like I couldn't breathe and started to freak out, I was obsessed with throwing up and made sure that I had my cocktail (a mixture of three different anti-nausea medications) which Dr. Sklar promised me and told me that she suffers during surgery the same way and this is the only combination that worked for her.

I still couldn't breathe and was really freaking out. Dr. Sklar told me she understood and was talking me through it, I just wanted Lou. They allowed him to come in and he was rubbing my forehead, which was good cause it gave me something to concentrate on, as well as trying to regulate my breathing by concentrating on the air in my nose. I kept saying that I wanted to be done and that I wanted to go to sleep. I think I started to dose off a little cause I was finally calm, then all of a sudden there was relief, massive relief, and our daughter was born! I couldn't wait to see her, and hear her cry, which Dr. Sklar told me to give it a minute cause the cord was wrapped around her neck and around her body between her legs. Finally she cried, she sounded like a squawky bird!

Lou got up to see her and said she was beautiful and looked a lot like Emma. He cut the cord and then came back to sit with me again. He got to hold her and bring her to me so I could see her and kiss her. I was so relieved, Dr. Sklar then asked me if I was having any more babies and I said no, close me and be done! She laughed and told her associate that, that was not the case and that she knows me so well, and I had asked her just that week if I could have more children!

Needless to say, she knows me very well. She told Lou that he could go with Gabrielle and tell our family that she was born, but once he left he couldn't come back in, and he hesitated. I told him it was okay, and Dr. Sklar told him to go also, that she was going to take care of me, and that it was going to be a while to close, because I had a lot of scar tissue and she planned on cleaning it up so that when I have another baby she won't have to suffer! She was taking her time to make her job easier the next time around! I love her!

No one knew that we finally picked a name which hadn't happened until right before I went into surgery. I didn't want Lou to tell anyone because I wanted to do it in person with Gabrielle, and I wanted my sister to be first to hear it and hold her, but it didn't work out that way. Gabrielle wasn't ready to be seen for a while, so I just shared her name. Her full name is Gabrielle Michelle, using my sister's name as her middle name and her being the godmother.

She weighed 8 pounds, 9 ounces, and was 20.5 inches long, she was born at 12:54 pm.

We are in love! I kept her with me in the hospital all day and night despite attempts from the nurses to take her to the nursery. She is nursing like a champ, and did loose some weight (down to 7 pounds 11 ounces).

The girls are in love also. Emma REFUSED to leave the hospital before seeing her and me, she was a trooper and stayed at the hospital until after 8:00. I was so loopy from my medication and was throwing up off and on for several hours but nothing as bad as my previous surgeries.

On Sunday, I was up and in a chair before lunch, by the evening my catheter was removed and after two assisted trips to the bathroom, I was on my own. By Monday morning I was walking around the halls. I was determined to have a better recovery this time. I have my older girls to go home to!

I was released on Tuesday, which was Lou's bday, we went to my sister's house for dinner and cake, and then Lou, Emma & I came home. I am so happy to say that despite some family hiccups, our plans were well executed and as requested, Emma missed no school! She is such a trooper, and is going with the flow like she always does. She is an incredible help, and as Dr. Sklar said in surgery, to Gabrielle, you are going to have three mommy's! She indeed does!