So it begins...
It's late in the evening in Nevada and I am awakening from the drugs of a c-section. I couldn't bare to stay awake during the surgery, the pressure and odd smells were too much for me. Not to mention the goofy look my husband's face as he watches them cut me open. I look around the small room and find no one I recognize, just some weird nurse hovering over me asking me what my name is and what high school I graduated from. I can barely find the words to answer her and barely mutter "Oogie" (my husband's petname). The poor fool just stared at me and continued to pester me with nonsensical questions. "Do you know where you are?" Well duh, I'm obviously in some torture chamber where they slice you open and snatch your unborn child from it's safe womb. Finally, here comes Andrew my husband and omg...no not her, my mother in law walks in smiling ear to ear. I know then, that I'm in for getting my ear talked off. Where is my baby, is the only thing I can muster to say through the fog.
Well, it turns out that my daughter Annabella was in the other room being poked, prodded, and tested. The hospital was very thorough. Sad thing, it turns out she had jaundice. I wasn't surprised considering I had it when I was born as did her father. But when that nurse walked into the room I expected to have that moment every new mom talks about, when nothing else in the world matters. That moment when you know things are meant to be and the one thing you want in the world is in your arms. Yeah... well that didn't happen. I internally panicked and started thinking, I'M SO YOUNG! HOW I AM GOING TO DO THIS!!!! Yes, mental fail there on my part but what do you expect, I was 18. Now I'm not going to berate young mothers and the whole "16 and Pregnant" shenanigans, but I knew that my decision to get pregnant with my fiancee was a "extremely spur of the moment" situation. The full reality of that choice we made was right there, in my arms. Crying. -.- She cried almost immediately when the nurse handed her to me. This, not that I knew it at the time, was just the beginning of her antics against me. Oh? Babies can't be mean to people? I laugh at the notion. Since the moment I first felt her move I knew it was going to be a long 18 years. Every time during the pregnancy I got mad at her daddy, she barraged me with kicks to my vital parts. As Juno MacGuff once said "Get your foot out of my rib cage pal, that's aggravated assault!" I think the Juno reference describes quite nicely the many moments of sheer pain she put me through. Just to sum it up: Mommy- 0 Annabella- ∞
Anyways, back to the hospital jibber jabber. So they hand her to me and instantly she is back to daddy. Big. Shocker. I'm going to go all 90's and say NOT!
Now for some time travel!
Four days later, they let us go home. Home, meaning my mother's rented house. We get home, baby is happy, sleeping and adorable. Five minutes later.
The massacre of dirty diapers, screaming and sleepless night begin. Oh how we miss those nice nurses now! For all you pregnant ladies out there, here's some word of the wise. Enjoy and indulge in those nurses at the hospital. Just relax and let those nurses do their job. Focus on getting yourself ready to go home with that new little bundle of joy. Once you are home, you are on your own honey! They may seem intrusive and nosey but just let them do whatever. Another tip, take allll the things you can from that hospital. Diapers, wipes, lotion, powder. Those weird socks with slip grips on both sides, oh and those huge giant pads they give you. Free stuff is free stuff, trust me they won't miss it!
Those first weeks are the toughest, you are learning how to care for that baby and in our case, trying to get her to learn night from day! Annabella had her days and nights confused. So that meant, sleep all day and nap during the night on and off. It. Was. Hell. No sleep, for anyone. Not even Captain Snore down the hallway could sleep! The one thing that went through my mind those days were, can I just go back to doing whatever I want for a few days? Like please? Nanny? Anyone? 
