Six Months and Counting.

My daughter is now 6 months old. Two days ago she said her first word--hi, to the life-sized grim reaper halloween decoration that was sitting on our couch. How funny is that? There is never a dull moment with my precious angel. I have been syringing a natural cough medicine into her mouth for days now. Yet, it was not until a couple of days ago that she figured out she can clamp her mouth shut. And not open it. Period. No matter what I or her daddy does. Wow. Not a peep out of her when the syringe appears anymore. Only the clamp-down. She has also learned how to shake her head in a no-motion. But, she has not figured out that this means no. I wonder how much longer it will take her to figure this out and then start shaking her head no to everything....Hmmm...

So, I have brought you up-to-speed on where Mikah is at presently. But, you must know the past to understand the present. Her birth was traumatic--for me, not for her. I was a high risk pregnancy and developed a complication on the way--Coliastasis of Pregnancy. This means my liver and bile enzymes were elevated and could potentially put baby at risk. I was poked for blood, prodded and ultrasounded constantly--every week near the end. OMG, I could not wait for this baby to come out. Due to the complication, the OB wanted to induce a week before my due date. This did not happen, due to a bed shortage on the post-partum floor. Fantastic health care.

So, I was induced the day before my due date. The resident anesthesiologist who couldn't speak English spent a phenomenal amount of time trying to very painfully insert the epidural. She missed and froze one leg. I was in so much pain I could barely breathe. Did I forget to mention that I have fibromyalgia??? This is a condition characterized by chronic pain and chronic fatigue. My brain distorts and magnifies pain signals. Another person with fibro once told me that she also was a Cancer survivor and the fibro was more painful than the Cancer. Hmmm...

I had typed out my medical history, birth plan and allergies to be put on my chart, and gave it to the nurse when I checked into the hospital. Yet, the resident OB rudely barked at me "you are not pushing hard enough. You are not pushing properly. " I could not speak I was in so much pain. She also asked why I was crying. I wanted to punch her and just give up and stop pushing. Looking pleadingly at the nurse, I debated whether to just lie there and let the baby fall out of me. The nurse whispered, "I'm so sorry. She's mean to the nurses too." Are you kidding???

In the middle of all of this drama, my husband decides he is going to hit the floor. On his knees, the nurse had to bring the chair to him. All I could think was, are you kidding??? Well, the head of anesthesiology came down, pulled out the epidural and reinserted it painlessly. I wish I had realized the insertion should not have hurt. The OB tried twice to unsuccessfully vacuum the baby out. After a second opinion, it was decided that I would have a c-section. The meds in the epidural were adjusted accordingly. The meds were so strong I passed out and missed the whole thing. When I woke up and saw my baby, I was unable to hold her as my arms were frozen. How disappointing. But she was a healthy, beautiful little girl. Every moment of hell was worth it to have a lifetime with my M.