Hello,

So much has happened in the 11 weeks since my daughter, Fiona, was born and I thought this might be a good place to start journaling her first year. I can't believe how fast the first three months have gone and I don't want to lose anymore time.

A quick synopsis of the first 11 weeks:

Labor was incredibly long. Started on Tuesday, November 22nd around noon at Dr. Cedar Finkle-Weaver's office. Continued off and on through Thanksgiving Day - sometimes closer together, sometimes further apart, but always there until 1:30 am on Friday, November 25th when my water broke. Dave (dad) rushed around, a lot less composed than I've ever seen him (it was cute) and we got to the hospital around 2:30 am. Labor continued, silently, for HOURS. By 1:00 pm, I started losing confidence that I would be able to complete my labor naturally, but a few well said words by the labor and deliver nurse and my doula (namely, drugs could make your labor longer), I pushed onward. By 3:00 pm, I was ready to push and by 5:55 pm, Fiona Catherine Conner was born and my whole life changed forever. 7 lbs, 4 oz, 19 inches long. The doctor (Dr. Z, Cedar was regrettably on vacation), set her on my chest immediately (no taking her away to be washed up and all that) and as soon as I spoke to her, Fiona's eyes opened and focused right on me. Dad greeted her and she shifted her focus to him, like she knew us and had been just waiting to see us, just like we'd been waiting to see her. We were both overcome and she had us completely wrapped around her little finger.

I am still humbled by the fact that one act can utterly alter a person in ways previously unimaginable. That long labor took a lot out of both of us, but we both proved to be very strong women. She slept a lot the first few days, causing us a little bit of a scare in that she couldn't seem to stay awake long enough to feed, but once she slept off the post-birth hangover, she latched on like a champ and has never looked back.%