The whole actual story of the birth

So - just to let you all know the events leading up to the birth:
Wednesday, Nov 30th - Lisa has concerns about rapid weight gain (10 lbs in one week) and swelling in her hands and legs. She does some web research and realizes these are symptoms of pre-eclampsia. We spend most of a frustrating day on the phone (well, mostly on hold and leaving messages) with our doctor's office trying to get some answers. Eventually, our NP tells us to just come in tomorrow - which was our normal appointment.

Thursday, Dec 1st. We go to the doctor's, they take Lisa's blood pressure and test her urine for protein (a sign of kidney failure, also a symptom of pre-eclampsia.) BP is high and there is a trace of protein. With the weight gain and edema (swelling), it's enough for them to send us up to the hospital for monitoring.
We get to the hospital and are put into the triage room. Next to us in the room is a mother and daughter combo that are swearing like sailors. After an hour, they move us to a labor room. They do more tests, take more BPs and eventually tell us that Lisa will stay overnight for more urinalysis. They keep her on a fetal monitor and a uterine monitor, along with an automatic blood pressure cuff.

Friday, Dec 2nd. While we're waiting on the 24 hour urinalysis, Lisa's platelet count starts dropping. It goes from 157 to 137 overnight. This would put us at risk of NOT having an epidural AND would make a C-section riskier. Therefore, they decide to induce labor. We were at 35 weeks and 3 days, so the baby shouldn't be at any developmental issues. They give Lisa an IV for fluids, including Magnesium Sulfate as a muscle relaxant (to fight the pre-eclampsia), Pitocin to induce labor and antibiotics. Due to her pelvic pain, she doesn't feel any contractions during the night (ie. they are eclipsed by the constant, ongoing pain.) Also during the night, the IV infiltrates the vein and she has to have a new one put in. Pitocin is increased 5 mg per hour to speed up labor. All through this, the baby is doing just fine.

Saturday, Dec 3rd. At 8am they decide to break her water. She's at 2cm dialated and about 70% effaced. That done, the contractions start getting stronger - however, they also increase the base level of her pelvic pain. While she can tell me that a contraction is starting, she needs me to tell her when it is ending. That monitor was great! All the techniques we used in class came in handy - massage, breathing, counting, etc. At 12 noon, we get the news that her platelet count has increased to 155 - so we CAN get an epidural! Lisa has progressed to 4cm and 100% effaced, so they call in Dr Ly (Lee) to do the epidural before he has to run off to a scheduled C-section. As soon as he plugs it in, the relief is unbelievable. No more pain from the pelvic issues, no more pain from the contractions. Lisa takes a short nap, and Pete (during this breathing space) goes to get some lunch and make a few phone calls.
By 12:30, Lisa has progressed to 10cm - fully dialated! The baby is at +1 Station (meaning he's making progress down the birth canal!) The epidural had allowed her to relax so much that all the tension in her muscles could release! The nurse tells us that they will let us "labor down" - i.e. have a few more contractions while Lisa rests up (to push) and let the baby make some more progress. He's still doing great.
1:30pm - they break down the labor bed and put up the foot-rests - now we're getting ready to push. Our labor nurse positions me so that I can both see the baby AND help Lisa push - and we go through 3 contractions (with 4 10-second pushes per contraction.) I can see the head moving with each push! At 1:45, the doctor comes in and puts on a gown and gloves - she talks Lisa through one more contraction, then on the second contraction, out comes the head! With no more pushing on Lisa's part, the rest of Owen comes out and he is placed up on her belly. They clamp the cord and hand me a pair of scissors to cut it. My hands not shaking too badly, I manage it in 2 cuts! Then then take Owen to the warmer, to clean him up and weigh/measure him. I watch all of this while Lisa delivers the placenta and is cleaned up by the doctor.
The nurses think he's a little slugish, so they swaddle him up, give us a chance to say hello, then whisk him off to the nursery. I follow along and watch through a little port-hole window until the NICU doctor comes out to talk to me. They inform me that he's having a little trouble breathing on his own, his lungs sound a little rattly and they'll take him into NICU to watch over him. That said, I go back to Lisa (who's dozing comfortably) and I start making a ton of phone calls!
Sorry for the long post - but I wanted to capture some of the timeline/events/names of the birth before my brain evaporates and I forget it all!