This is what I shared with some of my friends via email back in January. I can't believe I actually forgot to add it here! Anyway, here it goes!

"So as many of you know, my mom flew out here to help me prepare for Sanaa's arrival on January 13th. We went shopping on the 14th, and that's when my contractions started. Some were big and some weren't, but they kept picking up all day. They got to be 5 minutes apart, so Joe called his mom (who took all of 5 seconds to get here) and we headed to the hospital. In triage, they told me I was only 1cm dilated so they sent me home with the advice to keep the appointment I had on the 15th and to take an Ambien so I could sleep. I woke up on the 15th still having contractions, but just kept my appointment with my doctor at 1:15. She checked me and said I was 3cm and that if I walked around for 3-4 hours and still contracted, I could come back to the hospital. Of course, I did, but only got to be 4cm. I walked the halls of L&D for 4 hours with no progress. I was still contracting every 5-8 minutes, so my doctor was nice enough to admit me around 10pm (I think...time was a blur to me). My nurse gave me the IV drip, which had me going to the bathroom every 20 minutes, and told me to keep walking. I was checked again around 8am (again, just a guess) on the 16th and I was only 5cm. My doctor gave me another Ambien and told me to rest.

A few hours after that, my doctor broke my water and started me on pitocin. Those were the worst contractions ever! I asked for the epi, but the incompetent anesthesiologist couldn't get it placed (after stabbing me like 4 times). So my doctor gave me Nubane in my IV and I slept for an hour. I woke up in so much pain that I didn't know what to do with myself, so I asked for the epi again (but from a different anesthesiologist). After the epi, I started feeling lots of pressure so my doctor checked me and I was 7cm. Only about an hour later (at least it felt like only an hour), I couldn't fight the urge to push, but everyone was telling me not to (they thought it was in my head and I couldn't be fully dilated already). But after I yelled at  Joe, my nurse got the doctor to check me and I was 10cm and +3 station. Everyone was taking their sweet time thinking I would take forever to push her out. But it only took me about 10 good pushes and 17 minutes to get her out! Sanaa Danielle came screaming into the world on January 17th at 12:21am. She weighed 6lbs 9oz and was 19inches long. The doctor handed her to me right after she was born and I couldn't stop myself from crying. The nurse took her and dried her off while my mom, Joe's mom and Joe were snapping pictures and video tapping. In my head, I kept saying "Wow...I'm really a mommy now. That's really my baby!"

About 2 hours after Sanaa was born, I was transferred to the postpartum floor. Those rooms are about 1/3 the size of the labor and delivery rooms! Mom and Ms. Linda left and Joe and I began to settle into the room. I was starving by then after not eating for a day plus, but all they had in the room was crackers and juice (which I scarfed down). A nurse from the newborn nursey came and took Sanaa for the first mini checkup while I rested. I didn't want to stay in the hospital any longer than I had to, so we were released on Friday (the 18th) afternoon. Sleep was very difficult in that VERY uncomfortable hosptial bed, so I couldn't wait to get home to my nice comfy bed! Ever since, life has revolved around Sanaa...but I wouldn't change it for the world!"

Reading that made me want to cry because I remember how I felt then. Those feelings are magnitized even more now when Sanaa looks at me and smiles. Even if she doesn't realize that I'm her mommy, I know she loves me by the way she looks at me (expecially when I feed her). I can't wait for the day when she calls me "Mama"! And it's hard to actually understand what people mean when they say "Enjoy it now...they grow up so fast"...until you become a parent.