So I have been missing in action after having a sweet, tinier-than-expected baby several weeks ago. The birth went very well--my OB/GYN is very cool and we were joking throughout the entire c-section. We opted to have a mid-day c-section so that we could see the kiddos in the morning before we left, versus asking someone to come over at the buttcrack of dawn. Both kids responded exceptionally well to their new sister, and Handsome immediately christened her "Honey." Mower didn't even get a chance to come up with a nickname for her--we just went with Handsome's because it was so sweet how he called her Baby Honey right away.

Luckily, she is very healthy and has a quiet disposition. The short end of the stick has been given to me, which I definately prefer than my baby being ill. The highlights have been:

Getting the first IV in went well, with a huge gush that finally got plugged. But after the c-section, when they needed a couple more vials to complete the Viacord kit we were sending out, they stuck me six times before finally going into the hand with the IV in it. Three well-meaning but cocky blood drawing experts were stumped by me and my small, rolling veins. During the post-partum period, I needed blood drawn again and we went through another three people trying every which way but smashing me over the head, and finally getting it again from the IV hand, a no-no from what I understood.

Post-partum preeclampsia requiring hospitalization when Honey was one week old. I started out in the ER getting a CAT scan and bloodwork done, which was almost impossible due to my veins closing up shop right after the c-section, and went into a labor and delivery room because post-partum was full. In the first 12 hours of the hospitalization, I cried for about 9 of them. I hated being away from my baby, but Mower and I agreed the kids should stay out of the ER and home with him.

I had a wonderful round of magnesium sulfate, which is an evil medication they give also to pregnant moms to try to prevent pre-term labor and was used in this case to prevent me from having seizures due to high blood pressure. It makes you wanna throw up, and I was terrified of my incision bursting open. But an angelic medicine called Zofram kept it from being bad. The hospital food isn't bad at all, and I wasn't unhappy with several more chances to have their delicious brownies now that I didn't need to be on a gestational diabetes diet.

A breast infection started in the hospital due to pumping to keep up my supply, but I missed a couple of feedings and things got backed up. The best part of mastitis for me is the flu-like feeling, the nausea, the sweating and then the chills, plus the pain in my breast that feels like a hot stone is under the skin. The even bestest part? Favoring the side with the hot rock embedded in it to get it unclogged, only to develop another one in the other breast. More feeling sick, more sweating and chills.

I didn't gain anything during the pregnancy, which started at 254. I delivered her weighing 253, due to the gestational diabetes diet restricting me from McDonald's and cookies. Which I wanted in truckloads and was very pissy to not be able to destroy my health with. Within two weeks of having her, because of all of the above, I lost 24 pounds. I have gained 4 pounds back, but breastfeeding and Mr. Carb Nazi are trying to help keep the number from climbing as I stuff my face with whatever carbs seem to be calling me home.

My blood pressure started spiking again, going in the 150's over 100's. Another visit to the ER when Honey was three weeks, but no hospitalization needed, just another blood pressure medication added to the pharmacy I had to stuff myself with daily.

I developed another breast infection, right before finding out the kids have strep throat. We're all on antibiotics. Walgreens is in business almost solely from our family this past month.

She is beautiful and worth it all, and I'm incredibly grateful that we don't have worse to deal with. Mower has been amazing for most everything, and the kids are happy with the new addition. I don't know how overall pleased we will be when her redhead attitude shows up and smacks us across the face in a blatant defiant challenge to a duel, but for now, we are happy and having fun where we can. With the humans in the house--the canines are another story.