(each of these, my) Three Babies

In 24 hours. July 1 2006 6:13 a.m. baby girl, 7lbs3oz (quietly pushed out on hands & knees) July 1 2006 9:21 p.m. baby boy 5lbs11oz (emergency C-section, cord prolapse) July 2 2006 4:18 a.m. baby girl 8lbs6oz (high shoulder dystocia, ventouse) and another very precipitous birth on the toilet; July 2 2006 11:07 a.m. that I was asleep for, but assisted the repair of the 3rd degree tear (that's all the way down to her bum, boys. . . ) How's that for an induction to midwifery? It's Sunday (July 2) at 10 p.m. and I've slept about 7 hours since I woke up Friday morning. Including a nap snatched on the antenatal clinic examing table at the hospital. At one point I'd been at the hospital longer than the medical resident on-call for the floor (who was coinicedentally the Uncle of the first baby). And yes, it was amazing, overwhelming, intense, beautiful, slow, fast, powerful and sometimes a gory, bloody mess. It hasn't all hit yet, but as I was speeding down the road to #4 in the perfect brighter-than-blue morning I very suddenly found myself pouring tears all over the steering wheel so hard I could no longer see the road. And I didn't have a clue why. . . except that life is just. . . Life. Off to shower & bed now. Did I mention # 5 is in early labour. . . . ?