( continues...) up JZ's meds. Emmett was pretty focused on getting his new Nano back, which had been held hostage during the labor. Drove over to the hospital, and walked in together and the baby was in her little crib next to JZ who looked thoroughly strung out on morphine at the moment. (Her nursing bra was hanging open for that extra touch of decadence.)

I picked up the baby and had Emmett sit in a chair and let him hold her. She was all swaddled and content. EM took some pictures on her phone. Then we put the baby back in the crib and unwrapped her so she'd be a bit more visible and active. Emmett leaned over and played with her lower lip until she opened her mouth and made little mews. She has very long fingers (accentuated by her long pointy fingernails), and she wrapped her hand around his finger. And he leaned down and looked at her a long time and said, "You know I think maybe I like the idea of a little sister." EM and I shot each other "SCORE!" looks.

Basically his puppy affection instincts kicked in. He was very sweet. He leaned into the crib and surrounded her with his arms, not quite hugging her but just encompassing her.

So: 14 hours of what turned out to be back labor. JZ did most of it bouncing on her pilates ball and singing along (very off-key) to Jonathan Richman, Morrissey and Prince. I applied direct pressure to her lower back and that's all we needed. She found that all fairly bearable, but got very worn out and tired.

2 and half hours of pushing. Oh, we were so close. We were at Plus Two. But the baby was transverse - her face turned sideways. They kept trying turn her but couldn't quite. Also her head had moulded one way, then she tried to go at it from another angle which made it pointy in another direction. (At which point JZ asked, "So she's got horns?") Poor little critter. She wasn't stubborn. She was stuck. Her heart rate was pretty steady throughout though. She's very healthy. Three vacuum extraction tries and nothing.

JZ's pushes were strong and productive. The baby would come down, but as soon as the push was over, the baby would slide back up again. Gah.

JZ was such a brave little toaster. Not only the pushing and the long labor, but she's a horrible needlephobe and getting the epidural was a massive trial for her. Largely because her instinct is to flinch and runaway. No flinching allowed with epidurals. Also the catheter fitting was very uncomfortable - even with the epidural.

The only time she flipped out like a mammal and lost it was on the operating table, and that had to do with her getting a huge, very painful neck and shoulder cramp after they'd hooked her up. She couldn't get up and there wasn't much we could do to relieve it. I talked to her a lot to distract her, and I think the anesthesiolgist slipped her a little sedative too.

I went with Matilda to the nursery while they sewed JZ up. It was a nice little bonding time for me. I let her suck on my pinky while she got her shots and eye-medicine and blood glucose test, and got her first washing. I kept leaning down to her face and talking to her and telling her that she was my sweet little girl and that I was so happy to finally meet her.

She's very cute for a pre-term baby. Big fat cheeks. Dark wavy hair (who knows if it'll stay, but it looked like the hair in JZ's family). Pretty, pretty lips. Eyes shaped like JZ's.

My A's are 4 outs away from clinching. At the moment, that is better than chocolate.

My A's are 4 outs away from clinching. At the moment, that is better than chocolate.

Oooh, this could be the Best Day Ever.

::afraid to check anything for fear of jinxing::

Oh, David.

I'm so happy for you, you big lug.

Kind of appropriate that the very next post after David's is on baseball.

Congrats again, you guys.

Though not, you understand, about the baseball stuff.

That happy was directly related to Shiny New Baby.

PS, sounds like she's about Lillian-sized. Suggest you have someone pick up a single pair of preemie footie jammies for the ride home. Wish I'd done that.

Awww. Love the birthing story--especially Emmett's reaction.

I love the JZ horns reaction, myself.

I'm so happy for you, you big lug.

Thank you. She's such a sweet little baby girl.

I completely crashed this afternoon. I'd had about six hours of sleep over the last two days. And while JZ was obviously doing all the heavy lifting, I had spent a whole day applying hard counter-pressure on her back, followed by lots of odd-angled massage. Plus sleeping (or rather, not sleeping) on the hospital cots was hard on my back.

But I did manage to score a longish jacuzzi tub in our delivery room. JZ couldn't use it since her water broke, but it really helped my back before we started pushing.

Her parents took some pictures so I hope to have some up soon.

Poor, Li'l Matilda's noggin was all stretched out from the vacuuming and the moulding. But it was already snapping back pretty well by the time I left tonight. I changed her and swaddled her and put her in the little cribe next to JZ's bed.

Tonight I sleep in my own bed. Yay!

Those hospital cribs rule. Is it one of the clear ones on wheels? With the stuff compartments? Man, I wanted to steal ours.

Mmm. Bed.

I'm in mine. I wish you the joy of yours.