She's here!

Haven Helene has arrived!

She was born on September 15 at 1:58 a.m. via semi-planned C-section. I was scheduled to have her at about 7 a.m. that day, but contractions started coming hard and fast shortly after midnight, so things got pushed up. The whole thing went by in kind of a blur. Surgery prep and contractions will do that to you, I suppose.

It took three needle sticks to give me the spinal block. Super ouch! As it turns out, needle fumbles would be a recurring theme throughout the hospital stay. The spinal block was a weird sensation. I couldn't feel anything, but I still had this strange phantom feeling.

Next thing I knew they were rooting around inside me. The anesthesiologist was giving me the play by play as it unfolded. She told me when they were beginning and when the head was out, etc. Next thing I knew, Haven was being dangled in front of me. She had very dark and curly looking hair. Thomas was elated. He kept saying, "That's our daughter! Look at our little girl!"

Recovery after the surgery was pretty rocky the first two days. I don't want to remember them, so I'll spare the details. We finally got to come home to continue recovery there.

Haven has been a pretty good baby. She only cries if she's hungry or otherwise needs adult attention. She has a tendency to sneeze twice at a time -- just like her father. Most impressive is her ability to hold her head up. She doesn't have the skill 100% mastered, but she has been holding her head up fairly well since only a few days old. My mom tells me I was the same way too.

The only "complaints" we have are my breastfeeding woes (unbelievably difficult and painful) and Haven's refusal to sleep in her crib. It's nice having her in bed with us, but it makes me uneasy. It's hard to get good rest when you're afraid you'll smother your kid!

Gotta go. Sounds like the little monkey is hungry again...