Finally!!

I know I have been MIA forever, but I have a good excuse...
HE'S HERE!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! (Finally *LOL*)
My little man, Joshua Martin Pearn, arrived a week early on Wednesday 1st August 07 at 10:58 am... He weighed 7 lb 7 oz, and is just the cutest, sweetest, handsomest (is that a word??) little guy in the world. But I'm biassed of course!! Here's a couple of snaps:







I so wasn't prepared to be going into labour when I did! Because he was posterior in the last weeks of my pregnancy, every midwife I saw said that there was no way he'd come on his own, and it was most likely that I'd have to be induced... So, I was originally booked for an induction on the 17th August, and I thought I had heaps more time being a lady of leisure *LOL* But I woke up at around 4:15 am on the morning on the 1st August just feeling like I had to go to the bathroom really bad, but nothing would happen. Then it clicked that these pains were coming every 5 minutes and were getting worse... It took me forever to work up the courage to wake Marty up at that time of the morning, especially because I was convinced it was a false alarm.

I stayed at home until around 7am thinking that I'd have HOURS to kill, and I rang Mum and told her I was off to the hospital, but not to get here hopes up because I was sure it was either a false alarm or that I'd have hours and hours to go, and they'd send me home!

So, off we go to the hospital in peak hour traffic... Me with a severe case of Tourette's Syndrome on the way there *LOL*, and Marty trying to keep calm for both of us. It was so funny now that I look back on it - I was petrified all the way there that I'd have a contraction as we were pulled up next to a bus stop or something, and I'd be going off my tree like a lunatic, and everyone would think I was mad!

We got to the hospital around 8am and wen't straight to the labour ward, where they had to examine me first, and I was still convinced it was a false alarm... I said to the lady "How can I tell if I'm really in labour?", and she was like "Honey, you're in labour"... I was freaking out so bad! So not even 4 hours after contractions started, I was 6cm dilated!! I kept saying to them "I'm not ready!" I think I went into denial at that point *LOL*

Straight off to the birth suite I go and I had the most awful midwife! Man, she was nasty! I was begging for drugs by that point and she'd only give me gas (which does bugger all) until I told her (very firmly) to get me some f**ing pain relief, and I got some morphine (which also didn't do too much!). Anyways, I said to her, "how long will this take?" and she told me that it'd most likely be another 6 hours or so at least... and continued to ignore me because she had to "write up her notes". It was so funny, every time she'd leave the room, I'd flip her the bird - I hated her!

About an hour later I had this really bad feeling that I wanted to push, so I told the midwife. She's like, "you just push love - it won't be a real one, you're only 6 cm dilated". So I go, "no, I am about to SPLIT IN HALF!" Her: "But I have to write up my notes, we'll give you an internal in another hour or so". Me: "NO! SOMETHING"S HAPPENING HERE". Her: "Okay, (cranky and snippy) I'll give you an internal examination now then". Me: "Thank You".

So, lucky she allowed me to have an internal exam then, because baby was about 1 cm away from crowning! Her: "Oh, baby nearly here!" Me (under my breath) "No shit Sherlock". Who's the midwife here? Man, I swear I wanted to rip her eyes out!

So then it was a mad panic to get me pushing properly, and by that stage the Morphine had only just kicked in, so I was in lala land and didn't want to push anymore - actually it was more that I was freaking out about having to push a baby out - like when you know something really bad is going to happen and you put it off as long as you can... But once he crowned, all the pain went away and I had this little baby in my arms (who was about as high as his mother at that stage because of the Morphine). You know, I didn't believe all the people who say that you forget the pain, but you really and truly do - it was amazing! And for all you girls out there who've heard horror stories about labour, don't listen. It really isn't that terrible - I was actually disappointed because I thought I'd get to yell and scream at the bitchy midwife, but I was saving it until the pain got really bad, but it never got that bad.. Should've went off at her anyway! Damn...

We were in hospital for 2 nights, and came home late on the Friday night... It was funny, I was so desperate to get out of hospital, and as soon as I got home I wanted to go straight back there! I was absolutely petrified of being responsible for this little guy!

The first week and a half was pretty bad - I was an emotional wreck, Marty lost his job not even a week after we had Josh, I haven't officially lost my job, but in not so many words they told me that they won't be renewing my contract past my maternity leave, and I was having so many problems breast feeding. It was really scary - I thought it was always going to be like that, but luckily Marty got a new job earlier this week - we were so lucky! Since then, I've just been relieved, and thanking my lucky stars that we're okay again...

Anyways, the little dude is crying for his dinner, so I'd better go - sorry it's such a saga! Lots to catch up on... Hopefully all of you are well and happy! Thanks for reading, and hopefully I'll get some spare time soon to do another update!

Zoe