Here We Go

*JUST UPDATED: web album from her first 24 hours!
Nicole is currently sleeping peacefully on Liz, who is nearly passed out herself, after a very long and eventful day and a half. It's a scene out of a Gerber commercial, but it wasn't easy getting to this point.

Liz woke up the 26th with some cramps, thought that maybe she had had too much Christmas ham or prime rib. By 10am, though, it was clear that something was different, that she was not having indigestion. By 11am, the contractions were clear and prolonged, about 7 minutes apart. We waited another 2 hours at home to make sure that they weren't going to subside before calling our doctor.

We arrived at labor triage at about 2:15, but Liz wasn't dialated enough to get admitted. So we walked around the floor for about 45 minutes, contractions coming hard and often. We were finally admitted around 4:30, with contractions about 3.5 minutes apart.

From an outsider's prospective, contractions are a bitch. From what I can tell, it's like serious cramp that takes over your entire body and soul. This is made worse by the fact that you know another one will be right on its heels, and it is likely to be of a greater magnitude. Liz is a tough one, as you know, and she was bearing down through them like a champ.

We had planned all along to get the epidural, which in my opinion, is a great way to go. Some women opt to go au-natural, which is a pain I can not even fathom. They hook women in labor up to a monitor that plots the baby's heartrate and the intensity of the contraction on two differnet graphs. The epidural was given before the most intense contractions, and just in time. According to the graphs, the later contractions were at the top of the charts.

The contractions were coming with increasing frequency and magnitude. One nearly right on top of the last, over and over. So fast and hard, in fact, that the baby was having a hard time recooperating in between the existance-crushing shocks. For a while there, it looked like they might have to cut her out. But with the aid of the excellent staff at Alta Bates, mother and daughter were able to right the ship.

With a little bit of additional help, Liz was able to give a few hard pushes and a little head of hair was born, which was soon followed by round, downy little shoulders, miniature wrinkly hands, and slender legs.

Nicole Huelan Ly was born with hardly a peep. She came into the world with her eyes wide open, staring right at her mother in amazement, wonder and gratitude. She landed on her mother's chest covered in nine months of good loving and good living, and she was gorgeous.

She's been with us for a little over 18 hours now, and we've already seen glimpses of her personality. She loves to stare. She's introspective and serene. She nurses like a champ. She's already evolving, and even looks different than when we first met.

We hope that you'll be able to meet her soon, too, as some of her new family and friends already have. In any case, you will be able to follow her here, as much of this space will be devoted to her.

Thanks for all of your kind thoughts and prayers.

Love,
Hung, Liz, and Nicole Huelan

more pics here