Over a year? Really?

It's been over a year since I added to this? Holy cow... whoops. I really really did mean to update this once a week when I made it LOL.
Gosh, so much has happened in a year... I'm gonna start with the biggest thing. My son. My son is the most beautiful thing I've ever seen, and I can't believe I had a part in his being here.
I'm gonna start with when I found out I was pregnant. Haha, it's funny now, but I was TERRIFIED to think I might possibly be pregnant. I almost didn't want to buy the pregnancy test. and then, when it came up positive, I was totally scared to tell my parents. :p I had nothing to worry about when it came to that, LOL. I think Mom knew before I did! (She's just cool like that LOL)
Well, after the shock wore off, I got really excited. Even if I hadn't been, Shawn's excitement was so apparent, you could FEEL it when he walked into a room. I think he had most of the baby furniture in the room in the first month. LOL It's really really hard not to be excited around that!
Anyway, the first part of my pregnancy seemed to go GREAT! I had thought that morning sickness was inevitable; I didn't have it. Honestly, I didn't feel different! Kinda freaked me out, it was so surreal to think there was a life inside me and I couldn't even tell.
Second trimester came, and boy oh boy, I could tell now. I was always tired, it took so much just to get up and move. It was hard to dance at my own wedding!
I tried really hard to exercise, I really did, but there were more days where it hurt to get out of bed then there weren't. And I was a whiny crybaby. Shawn was so wonderful though, he never ever complained, even in the last trimester when all I did was sit on the couch and whine...
But I did use that time. I read and reread What to expect when you're expecting and looked up websites for new moms and practiced and practiced the breathing techniques I learned in a childbirth preparation class we were taking.
And April came and I thought it would NEVER end. I was tired of being tired, sore and cranky, and I wanted my baby NOW!
And then started the contractions. And the false alarms... as early as my birthday. Ufff... longest month of my life. after the initial scare (where I thought my water broke) it became the same story, over, and over. Painful contractions, went to the hospital, no dilation. pfft, I know the nurses who work on the maternity floor on a first name basis.
Finally, at one of my regular checkups, the Dr asked if I was ok with him inducing me. of course I said YES! So he set up a time for the next morning!
I was so excited I had a hard time falling asleep, though I KNEW I would need it. I did get some, but I kept waking up. (oh yeah, I forgot to mention, I had been having constant contractions for almost a week, and it SUCKED) I think Shawn and I were fully awake at 5 that morning, with no alarm. If you know me, you know that that is weird! When we went in, I was so excited I was trembling. The nurse greeted me with a smile and a "How are you feeling?"
I replied "excited!"
She grinned and said "I bet!"
Then I got changed into a hospital gown; then got hooked up to the monitors. She was glad to see I was still having contractions, it makes inducing a LOT easier. Then we got to sit there for an hour, waiting for our very busy doctor. He came in, checked me, then stuck a little gel pill up by my cervix. It took awhile to start working, but it started to work. During the day, the contractions slowly crept closer together, but I was in good spirits. It hurt, sure, but I was soooo happy something was actually happening I didn't care. Before too long, I was at six centimeters!
But then, progress (at least, dilation, anyway) stalled. I was at six for a VERY long time. The contractions were also getting more intense. I started to shake, was feeling very nauseous, and was starting to get very very tired. I lost track of time. I don't remember when it got dark, I can't remember what time I finally caved in and asked for an epidural. I know it was late.
I know what made me cave in, even though I thought I would be able to make it through labor without it. My body kept making me throw up. Do you know what your body throws up when you haven't eaten all day? Nasty, bright yellow goo. (I know, TMI) I couldn't control it at all. I couldn't get the barf bag to my face fast enough. and that last time, I popped my shoulder out of place trying! Talk about OWWWWW!!
Trying to breathe through contractions while curled up awkwardly as the anesthesiologist tries to insert a four inch needle into your spine is worse though.
But as soon as that medicine hit, I was OUT. not because of the medicine, just because I was sooooo tired. as far as I know, when a couple of nurses woke me up later, it could have been minutes, not the hours that it was.
And then, the nurse checked me and told the other (Shelly, who was my favorite nurse through my labor) "She's complete!"
That was the most awesome phrase I'd heard in my life! Now we just had to get the Doctor there! While sitting me up, getting me ready to deliver, the cord for my epidural got pinched. Feeling started to come back just as I started to push! Uff, pushing was sooo hard. When I was told that it "only" took a half an hour to push my son out, I thought "You could have fooled me." I mean, that was the LOOONGEST half an hour in my life!
But that first cry.... Seriously, the room went silent, then suddenly exploded with everyone jabbering and crying (Ok, I was crying, I don't know if anyone else was) I KNOW I got tunnel vision when they handed him to me. Micah was all I saw, all I heard.
Jeez... It's hard to believe he's more than a month old already! Seriously, where did it go? I think I'm seeing the very start of his smile, and his personality. I am MADLY in love with this little boy, and almost every thought goes back to "How does this effect Micah? How will Micah react?"
You know, the first month was tough. My hormones were/are still way out of whack, and adjusting to being a family instead of a couple is a little harder than I expected. And, admittedly, I took/take everything about Micah a bit personally. Him not gaining weight... I seriously thought "I MUST be doing SOMEthing wrong!" Despite three nurses, the doctor, and, of course, my mother and mother in law telling me otherwise. (BTW, if you're reading this, YES! you were right mom! Gosh! LOL)
Ok, so I guess that's enough for this post, LOL. Hey Dad, how do I put pictures on here?!!