Sorry, y’all - I got a little distracted there!
Michelle Tracy was born at 8:29 pm on February 20 - 7lbs. 14 oz., 20.5 inches long, and just as cute as a button! My big sisterjust adores me too! Seriously, she’s an awesome baby - good-tempered, wants to be held a lot, not too fond of diaper changes, though. Good appetite, though, so lots of diaper changes are necessary! 
Incidentally, the hospital sucked more than I remembered… perhaps because the last time I had a baby at a hospital, I had drugs! My last two were at birthing centers vs. traditional hospitals, and now I remember why: When I got to the hospital, it was immediate - lay down in bed, hook up an IV with a nice large-gauge needle*, since “30% of deliveries end up C-sections, so we need to be prepared,” no you can’t walk around to speed things up, yes, we’re gonna start the Pitocin drip first, then discuss it with you. And then two days of crummy food, being awakened every hour, laughing at the doctor who says (unironically) “you and baby need to stay one more day, but that way you can get some rest!” I’d have taken my baby and left AMA except that I didn’t want to risk insurance not covering my stay. But, my delivery was uncomplicated, I have a beautiful healthy little girl, and I shouldn’t complain too much… but that train already left the station!
*5 needle sticks. The first was forgiveable - trainee nurse, first ever attempt at an IV, and I agreed to let her poke me, since she needs to learn, and being poked by a needle wasn’t gonna hurt nearly as much as the impending childbirth thing. However, I did tell the trainer that I knew from experience that an IV would go in my arm far more easily than in my hand. She didn’t listen. The poor little trainee felt terrible about her “failure” in my hand. The trainer then attempted my wrist, and my other hand. Then they called in the “expert,” who attempted my other wrist before finally getting the damned IV into… you guessed it… my arm. And then taped the needle in place with a whole freaking roll of tape, because by God, they weren’t getting near me with another needle. The “expert” tells me that it must be because I’ve had so many IVs before. :rolleyes: Counting the one that was in my arm that moment, I’ve had three in 42 years…
Not dedicated so much as bored right now. I’m too distracted for a book, can’t easily do much beyond surf the net and try to keep my MIL and oldest kids posted on events. If my prior labors are any indication, there will be a decent 30-60 minutes of exciting stuff, but a good bit of waiting around beforehand. And I know that I don’t want the whole fam damily descending on the hospital while I’m in labor, so I’m posting here instead of calling the gang: the Dope provides the right balance of support + staying the hell away!
:eek:;).