Coming out of the haze

My baby is 2 weeks old today, and although it doesn't quite feel real, I'm getting used to the whole mom thing. For those of you who haven't heard all the details, here's how it all happened...
My due date was October 12, and I was fortunate enough to have an OB who wrote me a note to take the last few days of work off before my due date. This was nice because I had tons to do around the house to get ready for the little one (and a visit from my mother-in-law the Friday before my due date). On the 11th, I started having new, more painful contractions. Still, they never got too close together or consistent, so I was able to sleep a little bit that night. On the 12th, I had my 40 week appointment, and my OB decided to strip my membranes to see if that moved things along. The husband and I went for a walk after I got home from the doctor, and I started having those delightful contractions again. They continued for the rest of the night, but still no consistent pattern. When I decided to go to bed at about 11, I had a tough time actually sleeping because I was trying not to wake my husband when the contractions got bad.
Then at 1am, my water broke! It was not a full-on break, but there was some serious leaking. I called the OB, changed, grabbed the last of my supplies, and we were off to the hospital. The whole way there, the contractions were coming very strong and close together.
After I was admitted, I tried to make it through the contractions as best as I could. I had seen all those childbirth prep videos that suggest that you rock in a chair, walk around, or sit on a birthing ball to help with the pain. Well, these contractions were so intense that all I wanted to do was lie in bed and try to breathe through them. Seeing that I had no desire to leave the bed, I decided to get an epidural. It was in by about 3:15, and at about 3:45, I was wonderfully numb. I was surprised by how the epidural didn't hurt at all when the doctor put it in, and also how I couldn't even tell that I was having contractions.
After the medicine kicked in, the husband and I decided to sleep. The nurse came in every hour or so to flip me over and check my progress, but it was so nice to feel comfortable and well-rested. I called my parents at 7 or so, and since they didn't work that day, they came down to the hospital. By about 9, I was ready to go, but my OB had 3 patients going into labor that morning, so they had to decide which of us would get to give birth first. I told them I was fine with waiting since I had no urge to push yet, and it would be good for the baby to drop on her own. At 11:15, with two nursing students helping out, I started pushing. At 12:02, my daughter Evelyn was born.
I couldn't believe how easy labor was with the epidural. I felt in good spirits and well-rested since we had plenty of time to sleep before things got moving. It was also surprising how very little pain I felt with the drugs. The husband agrees about how great it was, too, since he felt like he could relax when I wasn't in pain.
So now I'm at home with my munchkin until the end of January, and when it's difficult, I just have to remind myself that being a mom is my new job. When I'm feeling exhausted or frustrated, it's because of my kid, not other people's! It's nice to venture out of the house now; it makes me feel a bit more like a normal human being. As long as I time everything okay, we don't have any problem going to Target or grocery shopping. I look forward to trying out the Matinees for Moms at the Block E theater downtown, too. They show movies on Tuesday afternoons for nursing moms; they leave the lights on low, keep the sound down, and have stroller valet service.
Otherwise, it has been an amazing experience so far, and we'll see what the next few months bring!