Lexi Arrives 12/10/04

First off, motherhood is the absolute most wonderful thing as I know many of my friends have recently found out. WOW! Russ and I have decided she is the greatest accomplishment we have ever made. She is amazing. She was 6lbs, 19 3/4", and was born at 1:06 PM Friday.Here's the story of delivery:Thursday night we checked in at 10:00 for a long night and got just that. My blood pressure was up of course so they started me on a magnesium drip first before anything else. Then they started the pitocin and labored I all night. I got an epidural at 4 that morning and they broke my water then. Dr. Wendel arrived at around 9 and I had only progressed to a 4 by then. He said he would give me to noon to see if I would progress any more and if not they would take me to c-section. I layed there and prayed all morning I could have this baby but at noon I had not progressed any more and he said he could not wait any longer with her so they prepped me for surgery. The magnesium had me so "out of it" I could not hardly keep my eyes open. In fact, I was asleep through the majority of the delivery. The very bad thing is so was Lexi. She had problems breathing very early on so the took her to the nursery. I did not even get to hold her! As the days wore on in the hospital her chest x-ray showed bilateral pneumonia so she is still in the hospital and I was discharged yesterday. That was the hardest thing I have ever done~ It broke my heart! She finally got to come out of the Critical care nursery last night as is in the "step-down" unit. She is doing very well and is not requiring any oxygen. She is eating like a champ and figured the breastfeeding thing out very well. We hope to bring her home Friday and cannot wait as you can imagine. I am very lucky to work at the hospital so I am staying there all day and come home around 11PM and will go back at 7AM so she only has to have a bottle twice which is great. There is a neurosurgery call room I can stay at during the time I am there so I can rest. It is basically a dorm room so I am very comfortable. (Thanks a million neuro department for being so supportive)We really appreciate all the prayers and ask that they continue. We can't wait to have her at home so we can show her off!