Parenting & kids - I'm baaack!

Well, I think the last time I got around to posting much was on my EDD back
last Saturday and was busy complaining about it being my due date and
absolutely nothing happening.

Well, Tuesday night I had slight kind of cramping - which I've had before
recently, so thought very little about it. I went to bed at around 1230-1am
ish. I was up at around 3am, unable to sleep. I kind of tossed and turned
in bed for a little then decided to get up. I was downstairs and timing
myself.
I ended up calling the 24h health line and said I *thought* I was having
contractions, but wanted to know when I should go in, ie, how far between,
how long they last... A was just thinking I had a friend that went in and
they sent her home to come back when she couldn't carry a convo on during a
contraction. This time around, going to the hospital meant I couldn't just
up and leave... Turned out the health nurse recommended I go in right away
;)

It was every 4ish minutes or so and lasted about 30-45 seconds. I was able
to count during a contraction, but just before 4am or so, I ended up calling
my mom, my doula and a friend. Friends got here around 415ish, my mom about
10 minutes later and my dad was on his way as well right behind my mom just
in case, seeing as I must have woken my dad up as well with my 4am call ;)

I ended up getting to the hospital right around 445am or so. My doula beat
me there, thankfully, and I was up to get ready for the standard 20 minute
NST. They ended up checking me first. At that point, it was just after 5am
and I was 6cm dilated so they skipped the NST and I walked down to the
delivery room, and they hooked the monitors up in there. I turned down an
epidural - as my intentions originally had been to do. I was kept on the
monitors as it appeared baby's heart rate dipped just before a contraction.

So... a very short story even shorter, DD3 was born at 603am on Wednesday
morning. A total of about 3 hours of labor and for the first time ever, I
saw it through from beginning to end with no epidural or anything of the
sort ;)
I was kept in the hospital a little longer due to some unusually bad
bleeding issues, which I've never had before until now, but I was out the
next day, late morning and have been home trying to just relax a little
since Thursday.

She was 7lbs 10oz (bigger than DDs both were, but still smaller than DS) and
was 19.5" long. She was nursing like a champ within about 5 minutes or so
and she's been doing great. The kids seem to love her - so far - although
DD1 refuses to even try to say her name - just insists she's "baby" and
that's that.
I named her Esme ;) and I have had the best sleep the last few days with a
newborn than I have had for the last 4 or so months of pregnancy!