Seven Years Ago Today

Seven years ago today I woke up to a day just like any other day. Except it wasn't really like any other day. Because it was my due date. And I was ginormous (a real word at our house). And I was soooo ready to give birth. Except that my body didn't seem to know how ready I was. I woke up and pleaded with my body to please do something, anything. To give me a sign that my saugage looking toes would soon disappear.

As the morning went by, my body did starte telling me something. But I didn't know it then. All I knew was that my back hurt. A lot. And that I couldn't seem to get comfortable. At all. As the day went on, my intuitive Mom realized that I might be in labor and not even know it. Weird.

But by mid-afternoon I knew that my back reallllly hurt. And that I could barely sit. Barely stand. Barely move about the house. But my belly didn't feel a thing.

So we took a trip to the hospital, where they said that I was probably beginning back labor but I wasn't dilating yet. What???? Oh, it will get worse they reassured me. Much worse. So they sent me home with some magic pills and told me to come back when I couldn't talk through the contractions. Okay.....

As we drove home, I could time my contractions. Every 5 mintues. Should we really be going back home I asked my Mom? Yes, she thought we should.

When we got home, my hubby met us there, along with my sister and my Dad. Everyone was getting excited. The first grandbaby was on the way. Meanwhile, my backache started moving around to my front. And what I thought was pain earlier was actually not really anything at all compared to this.

Finally, I knew what they meant by "you won't be able to talk through your contractions". Not a fun experience. And just so that I looked good for the big occasion, I decided to get a shower. And curl my hair. Between contractions. I look back now and wonder what was in those drugs they gave me!

On the way back to the hospital, I was sure I was 10cm dilated and ready to push. I had to be. And I was ready for that epidural. Pronto.

At the hospital, none of the nurses seemed to be rushing around the way I though they would. "I'm having a baby here any minute people!", I thought. "I should be in a room and pushing!".

Sadly, no, I was not 10 cm. I was not even 2cm. I was having what they call "prodomal labor". This is the fancy word for labor that doesn't go anywhere. And I had been having it for the past 12 hours. They thought that maybe if I take another warm shower, things might progress.

No. Things did not progress in that warm shower. Not even a tiny bit. And I couldnt' have an epidural until I reached at least 2 cm. 2 cm!

I labored all nite long. And then, in the wee hours of the morning, I hit 2cm. The angles began singing and my epidural arrived. And lasted exactly ONE hour. What???? I insisted on another epidural. Or rather, I begged.

They gave me a second epidural. Which didn't work. At all. And so I labored on, until about 4pm. They checked me again. 4cm. But I was exhausted beyond words. My labor had gone for 32 hours with barely any progress. They knew my baby was big. What they didn't know was how big his HEAD was.

And so an angel asked me the golden question. The question that saved me from the brink of insanity. "Do you want a c-section?". And so, just like that, I was wheeled away to the operating room, vomiting all the way. And then I vomited while they tried to place my spinal. Which didn't work so well. So they gave me a sedative. And I fell asleep. Fast asleep. For 4 hours.

But at 4:30pm, on a steaming hot July 20th, 2002, the most beautiful baby boy in the world was born!! And meanwhile, Mommy was sleeping. And sleeping.

But when I aroused from the haze, and they handed me my precious baby boy, all the misery of the hours before melted away in that moment. He was truly the most amazing little creature I had ever seen. He had jet black hair, dark eyes and olive skin. He had a round face and a very BIG head:) And he was my miracle. My miracle baby from the belly! As the years go by, the memories from that day haven't faded. It wasn't exactly the way I imagined my Peanut to enter the world. But he was perfect. He was healthy. He was beautiful. And that was all I could have ever asked for!