h2g2 The Hitchhiker's Guide to the Galaxy: Earth Edition

Faith Anne Pawloski was born on July 11, 2003, at 1:17 am. She was 19 inches long, and weighed 6 pounds, 14.6 ounces (you can convert to metric if you like--I'm too )

*sleep deprived rambling follows, in an attempt to get everyone caught up to the point that she's finished writing this on the Palm*

Faith is absolutely gorgeous! Granted, Tom and I may be possibly just a *bit* biased... Ickle bit But with how fast the film's filling up, you won't have long to wait to see for yourselves ( I'll likely feel up to scanning in photos a lot sooner than I'll want to crawl around behind the computer to download photos!) Faith has a full head of dark brown hair--I've honestly never seen a newborn with as much hair as she has. Heck, I know 1 year-olds with less! And her big eyes are most definately going to be brown--they're already brownish-gray (they never were newborn blue--been brownish-gray from the start) I'm bad at spotting resemblences *this* early, but both the lady that stocked my labor-delivery-recovery room, who also worked the post-partum wing while I was there, and Tom's sister (14 years older, so knows what he looked like) say that Faith looks just like her daddy (my coloring and long fingers and toes, though)

As all of you know, I'd been convinced that the contractions Wibble night were a false alarm. What you may not know is how stupid I felt getting everyone all excited, nor how close I was getting to being more than a little about it. So, to take my mind off things, I decided to take a nap. (Earlier, Tom and I had agreed that he might as well head to the church to do some work, since the church is only 5 minutes away--he'd stayed home from his other job, the one that's 40 minutes away when there's no traffic.) Anyway, I ended up sleeping until a few minutes before Tom was due home. And when I woke up, I was a little damp... Now, when water breaks, it's not always a gush--sometimes, it's a trickle. So I thought that my water'd broken! (Convenienty ignoring the fact that it mostly smelled like urine... Don't look at me like that! One of the thngs they ask when you call to tell them your water broke is the odor) Anyway, Tom got home while I was looking for the mobile number, which I *still* don't have memorized, despite the fact that this entire event is the only reason we got one in the first place! I had it written down, but the paper it was on was in my bag, which was in the car...

We called the hospital, and I told the nurse that I thought my water had broken, that it was a trickle, and clear, and that I'd been asleep, and so couldn't be certain when it happened. The nurse told me to come in and they'd check me out.

We got to Maternity around 7:30 pm, and I was hooked up to a fetal monitor, and guess what started again? Harder and closer together than the night before. When the doctor came in and gave me a pelvic exam, I was still at 1-2 cm and 80% effacement, like at my last appointment. I was given the optin of either walking around the hospital for an hour and getting examined again, or we could go home and come in again, since it only takes 20 minutes or so to get there from home. We decided to stick around, and if nothing changed, we could always go home then. Since the entire rest of my pregnancy had been textbook-normal, and everyone knows that first babies take their own sweet time, usually (and my labor had stopped before anyway), I figured it'd be perfectly fine to go down to the cafeteria and get some juice or something else light, since I'd not eaten for maybe 6 hours, and of course Tom had no food limits at all. Since by this time it was around 8:30, the serving part of the cafeteria was closed, but there were some vending machines with actual real food that was pretty darn reasonable in price (as opposed to a microscopic bag of for nearly a dollar) And the machines were actually fairly full. No juice, though. So I got some . and ate a handful of pretzels.

After we ate, we wandered around a bit, but not very far, because my contractions were continuing to get closer together and strengthen. We decided to head bak up to Maternity, though we didn't want to be buzzed through until our hour was up. (No, I don't know why.) So we went into the Perinatal waiting room, where people who may have been kicked out of the room by the laboring mother-to-be wait. There, Tom ran into someone he'd known at uni! Small world... Anyway, after about 15 minutes or so, we went out and paged the nurses' station that we were there for another exam, and they buzzed us through. By this time, I could no longer walk through a contraction. I felt a lot less conspicuous grabbing hold of a railing and leaning over every few minutes once I was back in Maternity!

I was hooked up to a fetal monitor again, and after a short while, the doctor came in, and I was at 4 cm. Yyyyaaaayyyy--I would be admitted--yyyaaayyy They just needed to get a room ready, and they'd come get me. Took awhile... Long enough that I had Tom go look to see if he could find anyone to ask if it was OK for me to take the sensors off so that I could go to the bathroom, because I had to go reaaly bad... While I was in there, I learned that the had been a *big* mistake, and that the sink was easily reachable if you turned sideways while on the toilet...

When we got to the room, the nurse asked me what kind of pain management I wanted to use. I'd already been seriosly considering an epidural, and my mind had been made up very strongly in favor of one long before she asked! I was told that some bloodwork needed to be done first, and that someone would be right in. I'd say it was around 10:30 pm, or maybe 11.

I sent Tom out a little later to ask about the bloodwork.

Then I used the call button to ask about the bloodwork.

Jennifer came in as I was in the bathroom, and saw what I'd not bothered to tell anyone (don't know why)--my wzter had most definately broken, and I'd been laying on wet chubs for an amount of time that I was unable to name. I think my brain was on meltdown by then...

So Jennifer put the IV port thingy in, and drew some blood. She told me that the lab could take up to an hour... I agreed to a painkiller to take the edge off until an epidural could be done. I got anotherpelvic exam, and learned that they couldn't give me anything, as my cervix was so close to being fully dilated that it was immeasurable. (So *that's* why my contractions were right on top of each other...) But don't push yet!

Anyway, Faith was born a little less than 6 hours from the time we walked into the hospital, and 3 or 4 hours after I was admitted. Faith is our first child. Subsequent children generally come faster than the first. Faith's siblings are gonna fall out

Faith's very healthy--she scored 8 and 9 on her Apgars, and at her 2 day appointment, the nurse practictioner said that she's doing great. I'm re overing quite well too--probably because I wasn't in labor very long.

I'm tired, of course. And I'm sorry if my delay in getting on here made anyone worry. Especially since I made people promise not to say anything until I made the announcement. I should've just made the announcement and given the details later...

But I come bearing photos! I'll post the link in a new journal, because although all the photos so far (got another roll of film well on its way to being filled) have been scanned in, I've not had a chance yet to get them online.

s, s and mufflewhumps for all!

Congratulations to all of you

Yay!!! Baby!!! But quick! Hide this thread from Njan, he's gotten even *more* broddy since playing with my sister's 7 week old baby girl. for Amy and the little pickle!!!! YAY FOR BABY BEANS!!!!

Aww thats so
YAY! Welcome to the world Faith!
for all of you.

congratulations amy and tom on the birth of your daughter baby daughter faith.

kat

Happy news

smillie

Congratulations Amy and Tom. Welcome to the wonderful world of HooToo, Faith. Can Faith type yet? I'm not asking for a long dissertation on the rigours of childbirth from Faiths perspective - a simple "goo" would do.

Congratulations Amy!

Very dear Maman and Papa,

This is to congratulatte you on the birth of your first child called

FAITH

We are all absolutely thrilled with the news and with the most moving account of her birth.

Much affectionate and s and es to you three

AR1

YAY!!!











CONGRATULATIONS !


and welcome , Faith Anne - may the be a friendly, sparkling and mostly harmless place for you!!!






sunny

congratulations to you both Welcome to the world faith may you always be happy, bright and healthy

congratulation Amy,Tom and Faith

hands out a Dutch tradition of "beschuit met muisjes"



* translation: biscuit with little mouse: sugared caraway-seeds

I'm so emotional!!!!



congratulations Amy!!!!!!!!

Congratulations Amy, Tom and Faith!!

Congrats!

Whoo-hoo!

I'm a virtual granny - again!

Yyyyyyyyyaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaayyyyyyyy!!!!!!


Can't wait to see the pictures!

Yay! Great news!

Welcome Faith - you are lucky to have such great parents! But I guess they are lucky to have you too.

Yea Now I don't have to madly to hide up that I know Congradulations again Amy and Faith as well

Congartulations, Amy & Tom!

Mucho congrates paper lady!!!!

Finally!

Congratulations!!!

http://hjem.get2net.dk/lieberkind/Photos/London/London-billeder/2.jpg