Wow. The last c-section (with NikkiZ) I was extremely nauseous but I blamed a lot of that on the events of the day. Emotions and drugs were high while sleep was low. Today - it turns out - that’s just the way I react to anesthesia. I spent most of my post-delivery time visiting with family, and then pausing to either dry heave or puke. Depending on how good of a mood my body was in. The puking wasn’t too bad as I haven’t eat anything since 9pm on Tuesday, but still: Any Form Of Gagging Post-Csection Hurts. In case that hadn’t occurred to you. It hadn’t occurred to me. Because I am NAIVE.

I also was not given a morphine pump immediately. Because, evidently, I don’t need one? I get some sort of non-narcotic anti-inflammatory meds instead? HOW LAME IS THAT? Eventually, I did get my pump (6+ hours later) but you know what? Turns out those doctors know what they’re doing. I’ve only pushed the button once. The Anti-inflammatory stuff has been fine for me and the pain. Go figure.

The last dose of Zofran (the nausea med) seems to actually be working as I now find myself painfully hungry and unable to sleep. Which is a perfect time to blog!

Shit. I have just written like 10 paragraphs and not once mentioned my gorgeous new son. Like any of you care about my nausea, who am I kidding?

He is doing great. He has quite an arsenal of hilarious grumpy expressions which crack us up non-stop. He screamed for his first several hours outside my womb (which I don’t blame him for, just minding his own damn business when someone yanks him out) but when it was time to eat? He latched like a champ and has been peaceful ever since. I LOVE BABIES WHO NURSE WELL. It makes it easier on Moms who don’t produce milk well.

He looks a lot like my Dad right now, which is a point MrZ made and then I had to agree. (Dear Dad: This picture is not very flattering, he looks like you in a GOOD way, I promise!) Of course, then he’ll throw out these insane brow furrows and scowls and he simply looks like a VERY grumpy old man in the park trying to feed the pigeons that keep flying away because those annoying teenagers keep scaring them with their skateboarding.

Or maybe that’s the anti-inflammatory meds talking? Can’t even blame the morphine this time.

All in all? We’re good. LilZ (obviously) saw AndyZ today, NikkiZ will see him tomorrow (Thursday) as soon as I’m well enough to get out of bed. I don’t want to scare her by being strapped to a gurney when she walks in. Hopefully, we’ll upload more pictures as the day goes on. And hopefully someone will bring me SOME FOOD. Or not. If I’m puking. Maybe they should call first.

It’s almost time! It’s almost time! MrZ asked if I was excited and I said, “More nervous than excited. ‘Cause since I’m going under the knife the FEAR is a bit overwhelming.” That is a mild understatement. I’m suddenly TERRIFIED. Seriously. Terrified.

But - that’s beside the point. By the end of the day, barring any bizarre and unforeseen circumstances, AndyZ will be here. Woo Hoo!

I’m scheduled to be sliced and diced at 12 noon CST. Of course they’ll push us back for any emergency surgeries, but I’m on the books for noon.

Once we get to the hospital, I’m guessing the easiest way I’ll have to update is through twitter, so feel free to follow me there. I’ll be using my cell to text, and it doesn’t receive the responses, so don’t think I’m ignoring you if you ask a question I don’t answer. Remember also - that the bottom of my blog has the most recent flickr photos from MrZ and LilZ. They may be able to send pictures to flickr sooner than I can. Otherwise? I’ll blog as soon as I get settled into a room and can move enough to get to the laptop. In other words? Some time this evening. I can’t wait to show you pictures of our new little man and I can’t tell you how uplifting it is knowing there are so many of you as excited as we are.

Wish us luck, I’ll see you on the flip side. Let’s hope for some awesome Morphine-Inspired blog entries!

I remembered while unsuccessfully searching for several of NikkiZ’s birth photos on flickr, that I didn’t use flickr yet when NikkiZ was born. How did I survive without flickr? Who knows. Either way - I thought I’d upload a few more as I think back to the day she was born, looking for some sort of reference for tomorrow. Then I realized that everyone would think they were pictures of AndyZ so I made them “private” until AFTER AndyZ gets here. Then, we can compare the two when we finally post some of her brother. Who will be here TOMORROW. HOLY SHIT.

When I went in for my last cervix check yesterday (Still closed! AndyZ is going to be in for a surprise tomorrow!) Dr. SoNice said, “So…want anything done to your tubes while I’m in there?” I thought about asking for a little sprucing up, add some ribbons or glitter or something. But, since we had considered getting them tied up for awhile, I figured that was probably more of what he was referring to. So I politely declined any modifications and just said, “No thank you.” I mean, it was nice of him to offer.

Today is the last day to get my pre-baby prep done. I dropped our comforter off at the dry-cleaners and ran to the bank yesterday. Today I have to take LilZ to get his haircut and pack NikkiZ to spend 3 nights at her Mimi and Dampaw’s house. I feel the same thing I’ve felt with my other two kids: HOW IN THE HELL AM I READY FOR THIS? And since I don’t think there’s anything I can do to actually get ready, I’m going to busy myself with the mundane. Maybe if I vacuum ONE MORE TIME, then I’ll feel ready to add another kid to my brood. Right? It does work that way…Right?

No? Oh well. Then I guess I’ll just veg out with a bag of chips and the latest issue of Entertainment Weekly. If I can’t prepare, I might as well take advantage of my last few hours of slovenly living before this other human demands to be sustained. Am I right?

Let me just say this: Joining the Botanical Gardens is the best money I’ve ever spent. We pay $70 annually for our family membership and we get free general admission as well as an opportunity to participate in member’s only activities. Like Friday night’s camping trip. So. Much. Fun.

It was a pretty small gathering, maybe 20 families or so. We set up camp and NikkiZ thought the whole Tent Thing was the coolest thing EVER. I don’t know what amazed her more, that we built this house structure from out of a bag, or that we would be sleeping in it that night. Either way - she was totally impressed.

I knew about where we’d be camping on the property because I wanted to make sure we’d be near a bathroom, but I thought they were going to use the vacant area they use for the corn maze in the fall. Nope. We got to set up our tents all around the dogwood I have taken 900 pictures of this spring alone. We were one of the last families to set up camp and I couldn’t believe the spot right in front of the tree was still open. Most of the families seemed to want to camp around the dinosaurs, so the tree was all ours!

The very awesome Botanical Garden’s employees set up our campfires for dinner. We had hot dogs (cooked by LilZ) and s’mores for dessert. S’mores that NikkiZ denied, officially denouncing her as my daughter. Anyone want to claim her? A child who will NOT eat a s’more is NO CHILD OF MINE.

Actually - I let it pass because she ended up giving hers to me. So, we were all good again.

After we were done eating, it was time for a night-tour of the nature trails as well as a showing of Jurassic Park. That part of the evening was open to the public as part of the Dinosaur Uproar! events this spring/summer at the gardens. We didn’t make it long through the movie before NikkiZ started fading out. We (just the three of us) headed back through the gardens armed with only flashlights and it was a really cool walk. Going through an area under the blanket of nightfall that I know so well in daylight was surreal. And part of the reason I wanted to camp out there in the first place.

We got back to the tent and settled in for the night.

I learned about 5am why no one was camping by my tree. Because my beloved dogwood is inhabited by the MOST ANNOYING BIRDS EVER. They woke us up bright and early. So I shot them. The end.

Or maybe not. But the thought did cross my mind.

We didn’t realize how cold it was until we removed ourselves from our sleeping bag bundles and exited the tent. NikkiZ and LilZ immediately went to the car and cranked up the heat so they could warm up and dry off. I had our whole camp taken down by about 6am, just in time for breakfast. I chatted with some of the Botanical Gardens employees over donuts and juice while my teenage son stayed in the car where it was warm. At least he used that as an excuse.

See? It was very chilly and while I brought socks, I only brought my flip flops. So - I was sporting the socked/flip-flop look which is VERY sexy. And — since it was so wet from the dew/fog that morning — my whole foot ensemble (socks and flip-flops) were soaking wet and covered in mud. I’ll admit, I haven’t been camping in awhile, and that mistake is evidence of that. I’m thinking LilZ was avoiding being seen with me so that no one would associate him with the crazy sock-footed, flip-flop wearing, muddy pants Lady. I did look a little KRAZEE.

Luckily, it was a kind group of people who were probably more concerned with whether or not I’d go into labor over the donut boxes than my choice of footwear.

All-in-all? A wonderful night. I slept better than I thought I would, only waking up to reposition a few times throughout the night. I got some great pictures that morning of sunrise and the morning mist. Pictures I’d never have gotten otherwise. I got to meet some really awesome Garden employees including this one lady who I’ve decided I want to be when I grow up.

I can’t wait for the next overnighter, which they might have this summer. MrZ said he’ll come with us then, because we hyped it up so much when we got home. He won’t have an excuse next time now that our house is officially BLUE! He’s done painting! (Except for the trim, of course.) And he’ll totally cover my ass and make sure I don’t humiliate myself with socks and flip-flops again. He’s a good husband, you know.

LilZ was born a million years ago when I was a very naive teenager who didn’t realize her memory would fade with the years. In other words? I have very little memory of the birth process itself. I mean - he came out the normal way after 17+ hours of labor - that much I remember. But the details and the feelings? Have kinda faded. Too bad I wasn’t blogging then.

NikkiZ, while more recent, is still just as faded. If not more so. If you were around here during that time, you know I did a series of blog posts (first one here) doing a play-by-play of the induction process. Up until things went horribly awry and I ended up being wheeled into the OR while crying for my husband fearing for our daughter’s life. IT WAS AWESOME. But - the point? I had been up all night (blogging…of course) and then was cut open and operated on and doped up with morphine. It created quite a haze for my daughter to be born into and I remember very little of it. I read the entries and the birth story and think, “Hmm. Funny. I don’t remember that.”

This time? I’m praying I will walk away with a very clear memory of the events leading up to my son’s birth. I plan on sleeping the night before (even if it requires someone bashing me on the head to knock me out) and I plan on documenting everything either digitally or with pen and paper as it goes on. I have been approaching this entire pregnancy as though it is going to be my last. Partly because we have that nasty habit of repeat miscarriages, but also because we’re not positive we are going to have anymore. So, I really want to make sure I have a good record of what happens the day this child is born. I want at least one of my kids to have the gift of their Mom’s sober and clear memory of their birth.

Or maybe I’ll just ask for the morphine early and just sleep through the entire thing.