What happened in February? Lots.

Ok, I skipped an entire month of not blogging. For a good reason: baby Marcella was born!! She was born on Feb 12, 2009 at 6:29pm, weighing at 6 lb & 9 oz. She's beautiful and I was the happiest mom hearing her cry for the first time in surgery.

What? Surgery? Yes. I was admitted on the 11th in the evening when earlier that morning I had an amniocentesis just to make sure the baby's lungs were ready for the outside world (obviously, all passed!). I planned to have a natural birth--and I did have an epidural too. After starting me on meds to get labor started in the morning, and when it was time to push--pushing hard to get her out the door--sometimes the unexpected does happen. In this case, the baby's heartbeat was racing high (200s, eek!) and not far enough down the 'canal.' Did I also mention that I got feverish beforehand and put on antibiotics too just before the pushing? So for my safety and the baby's, we went to emergency for a C-section. And it took only half-an-hour with no complications or anesthesia to put me under .

I spent 3 days in Roosevelt's Postpartum room (if you wanted a private room, it'll cost you $750 at Roosevelt's BTW). I had to eat a diet liquid diet for two of those days until I farted (yes, I had to tell the docs whether or not I passed gas) so I can graduate to solids. No cable, but I did manage to watch the Newborn Network at least three times. Before heading home on a Sunday.

I thank my mother-in-law, Erlinda and Tom for being with me all throughout the drama, Dr Hanna, and the docs and nurses at Roosevelt's perinatal dpt, and all the people who had me in their prayers during the birthing.

Prayers work. I know first-hand. :-)