I'm Back.....

Well, what an eventful 10 days! I am so grateful to James for posting updates of sweet Cora for me. He did a pretty good job. I am trying to get more pictures to upload - we will hopefully get a new camera this weekend. It's killing me not being able to take pictures of our sweet new baby girl - and her EXTREMELY proud big sister. I promise I will add pics just as soon as I can!

Cora is just so beautiful. She smiles more than any newborn I've ever seen - gas or no gas, it's really cute. We can't really decide who she looks like, or if she looks like Kaitlyn at all. She has very long fingers, perfect skin, and little bird legs that just crack me up.

Labor went very well - I had the best nurse ever that made everything really easy. I went into labor on my own with Kaitlyn, so being induced was all new to me. It was a very smooth process, lasting only about 6 1/2 hours. Afterward, however is when the fun began. While in the hospital I started getting a bad headache any time I sat up or stood up. I didn't think much about it, but it got so much worse when we got home. Saturday night, the 23rd, we made an emergency room visit after I sat up to feed Cora and about passed out. The doctor said it was probably a spinal headache - which happens when something is punctured during the epidural, causing spinal fluid to leak - causing the worst headache known to man. Anyway - at the emergency room they hooked me up to an IV and pumped me full of caffine (supposed to close the hole), pain meds, and anti - nausea meds.

That worked for a few hours, but then the headache came back. Christmas morning, I watched Kaitlyn open her presents laying flat on my back, my eyes barely open. I was SO SAD that I couldn't help her open things, play with her new toys - or even sit up for that matter. So, back to the ER we went. Most of Christmas Day was spent there - getting the same stuff pumped into me. I was supposed to get a blood patch that day, but there was not an anesthesiologist available to do it. Apparantly it wasn't enough of an emergency for the one on call to come in. Nice. So, the next day, I was able to go in and have the blood patch. This is where they take blood from my arm and inject it into my spine so that it can flow up there and clot the hole that is causing fluid to leak. This hurt really bad because they couldn't find the right spot in my back. They tried 4 or 5 different times before it worked. I'm still feeling the after effects from that - but finally my headache is gone. What an ordeal. Merry Christmas to me!

My family has been nothing short of amazing. My house has managed to stay clean, laundry has been done continuously, meals have been brought, Kaitlyn has had fun things to do, and of course - there is always someone willing to hold the baby! Even with all the drama that has gone on, we have been so incredibly blessed this Christmas. We have a beautiful, healthy baby girl, a new computer for the house, a beautiful new kitchen table to share family meals, lots of new, fun toys for Kaitlyn, and wonderful friends and family to share it with.

I promise I'll add more pictures soon!