In the beginning

So its been almost 8 months and I've finally decided that I need to record Francesca's progress as she explores and learns about this crazy world of ours.

In the beginning there was darkness and water. Then the doctor said "It is time" and there was light and everyone agreed that this was good. And now we have our Francesca. -I like to think that it was God's master plan for me to have her on November 26th. Not a day that I picked but when it was time for her to come and visit us for the first time, a birthday that she will always share with her cousin Toby.

The Monday Blues:

It was past by due date and the doctor scheduled me for a check up bright and early Monday morning, 7:30 early. Sunday night had been an interesting one. I started having stronger contractions than I had had before, but nothing regular.

So off to the doctor I went- they wanted to have me get a sonogram to check the fluids around her, and make sure she still had enough room. And to do a non stress test to check her heart rate. During the sonogram I saw all kinds of hair on her head. I wasn't lucky enough to be in the room with the 3D sonogram, so it was pretty hard to make out too much, she was smushed in there pretty good. They estimated her size to be around 7lbs 4oz. I wasn't too happy that she was getting so big, I still had to deliver this thing. But everything looked great.

Then off to the room for the non stress test. They hooked me up to some machines that measure the baby's heart rate and my contractions. Things were pretty boring. Then the action began. I started having a pretty strong contraction and as it got stronger her heart rate started to drop. Once they saw this they came in and told me I was going to have to have the baby today and my next stop would be the hospital.

TODAY!?! Val was in Atlanta being induced as we spoke, Mom & Dad were with her. I felt great- not ready to go into labor, and I had a load of laundry (including Francesca's outfit to wear home from the hospital) in the washer. I made a list of things to do today, that I hadn't got done yet. I was hoping she would hold off until Friday and then she would be born on Dec 1 and all of us would have our birthday on the first of the month (mine is Sept 1 and Dom's is July 1.) Plus Dom was on his last night of call. So I took my papers and straight to the hospital I went. Once I got outside I paged Dom with our seceret 911 page. He thought I was kidding when he saw the page, but called to check in. I let him know he needed to go home, grab our bag and meet me in the hospital.

It was very sureal driving to the hospital to park in the parking garage and walk up to the 4th floor to have my baby. It's not how you picture it for 9 months. I assumed I would be in labor for a while at home and keep yelling at Dom to time my contractions and then we would jump in the car and they would wheeling me up to labor and delivary. But I drove myself and calmly walked through the parking garage, into the hospital and up to the labor and delivary floor, went to the nurse's station handed them my papers. I said "I am here to have my baby." And that is what I did.