This time last year...

7:30 am: After managing to mostly sleep through crampy feelings in the middle of the night, I woke up and told Rich I thought I was going into labor. I stayed home from work; Rich went in for a few hours and then returned to pick me up for a pre-scheduled 10:30 doctor's appointment. (Since Nora was 10 days late, the doctor wanted to check and make sure she was planning to come out eventually; I was starting to have visions of uterine homeschooling and very uncomfortable driving lessons.)

11:30 am: After the doctor's appointment, my contractions were announcing themselves regularly and the pain was becoming breathtaking. Despite my discomfort, I opted to stop at Taco Casa on the way home for a jalapeno-laden flaco. And a chilito. Some say a heavy, greasy, spicy meal isn't the best choice immediately before giving birth. I say it was a brilliant choice, because I wasn't to eat again for 13 hours. That flaco stayed with me.

2:30 pm: Bags packed, minds racing, nerves clanging, Rich gingerly drove us to Good Sam where, despite my having turned in my registration papers twice, they knew nothing of my existence and I had to go over all my information all over again-- between intense contractions-- with a gum-popping, neck-tattooed receptionist.

4:15 pm: My existence confirmed and the baby seemingly imminent, I arrived in the labor & delivery room, where I encouraged the nurses to go ahead with the epidural just as soon as they could load up the syringe. I've always felt I had a high tolerance for pain, but there's no sense testing it.

6:00 pm: Still no baby. My parents and sister waited patiently in the hallway, visiting every hour or so to make sure I hadn't forgotten to inform them that I had produced a baby. On one occasion they had to be shooed out so that I could vomit (weird low-blood-pressure reaction to the epidural). Try vomiting without the use of your stomach muscles sometime.

9:30 pm: Starting to be able to move my feet. That's not a good sign. Asked the nurse whether I should get another epidural, and was told it's best to be able to feel a little something, so I should wait on the epidural. since the baby might be coming any minute now.

10:30 pm: No baby. Bad back pains. Asked for and received the epidural, which helped the back pains but-- as I would discover later-- didn't quite numb the actual baby-area.

12:30 am: Started pushing! Skipping over the icky parts...

1:12 am: Got to meet our beautiful, as-yet nameless, 8 lb. 12 oz. baby girl. She was opinionated from the very start, and I wouldn't have her any other way.

Happy birthday, my sweet, funny, smart, beautiful Nora Elizabeth! Thank you for making us a family.