and the world keeps turning...: Happy Birthday, Maggie Jean!

Two years ago I was anxiously awaiting the arrival of little Maggie Jean. She was estimated to be 10 lbs (!!!) so we scheduled a c-section for August 15 (her due date). On Friday August 8 I went to the doctor in the morning and he said he wanted me to have her that weekend! We didn't have anything prepared at the house -- David was in the process of staying elsewhere until I moved, but we were also packing my things so that roommates could move in with him once I left (so we didn't pay to break the lease since he stayed in PA for the next year). We didn't have any space set up for Maggie, I hadn't even finished payroll for the week at work! I just remember that being such a whirlwind of a day. So I went to work, luckily it was slow - the workers were all "laid off" for the week as production was slow, none of the bosses were in, just me and a couple of the guys. I finished payroll and typed up a manual for whoever was going to take my place, paid and filed the last of the bills I could do, called our contractors and emailed work sites to let them know I would no longer be there after today, and said my goodbyes. I went to the grocery store on my way home and got some last minute things I thought I would need and went home to organize and try to get as ready as one can possibly be to have a baby!

Saturday went by fast, then Sunday came. On Sunday we went to the hospital prepared to meet our little girl that day. The doctors checked me in (if you live in ERIE, I truly suggest going to UPMC, it's beautiful!), and the waiting game began. They gave me my first dose of cytotec (to start labor basically) and it didn't do anything but cause contractions. I had contractions all night, and about 4am they gave me a second dose. Maggie was nowhere to be seen around 8am, so the doctors (the same who said to have her this weekend) gave me two options, I could go home and wait it out or have a csection later that day. I was moving in two weeks so we opted for that day. after 7 hours of waiting in a tiny recovery room with my mom and David, the doctors finally took me back.

I had a spinal block, which was terrifying. But as soon as they laid me back, we were ready to go. David came in and literally it went like this:
D: "hey, how are you?"
Me: "scared, this is scary. how are you?"
D: "I'm ok. excited. nervous..."
*Cue Maggie crying*
It went SO FAST. David went and scooped her up, showed her to me, then they were back out to our room (I hear D wouldn't let my mom hold Maggie because he just kept hugging her and taking pictures lol he was pretty excited)

Things got interesting here. They had a shift change in the middle of my 5 minute surgery. WHAT? So the count got off on some needles.... so they had to call radiology to make sure they didn't leave one in me...WHAT?! So I was in there for about 40 minutes when a nurse called to make sure all was ok, she noticed I wasn't with my family and didn't want them to freak out. The doctor went and sat down and turned on Pandora for me to listen to and the sweet little nurse just talked with me to keep me from being bummed out that my kid was already 1.5 hours old when I finally got to see her! Anyways, They did xrays twice and I finally got to go see my girl and all was well in the world.
Born at 2pm, this 6lb (not 10!!) 21 in long beautiful girl would forever change our lives.

We lived in PA for 2 weeks, then moved to MS. It has been the most exciting, tiring, love-filled, stressful two years of my life. But I wouldn't trade her for anything in the world.
Happy Birthday, my sweet girl.