A Baby Story- Part 1

I know, I know they say, "Nap when your baby naps." She is napping. I should be napping. My other 2 girls are at the neighbors and I do look like a zombie right now (tis the season though with Halloween right around the corner, right?!) I should go nap. I am still in my pink polka dot pajamas. I will go nap. I don't get any sleep at night. So, a nap it is......

right after I blog for 12 seconds...

I decided I better write a few details of our new little one's arrival before they completely escape my brain. I feel it slipping away. My brain that is.

Here we go.

Part 1.

I had a doctor appointment last Wednesday. It was originally scheduled for Thursday (my 39th week on the dot) but the P.A. told me to schedule for Wednesday so being the obedient patient that I am, I scheduled for Wed. One day really does make a difference when you are miserable. The week before when I was at the doc I was coughing up my insides (or so it felt) and as badly as I was wishing for this pregnancy to be over I was grateful I wasn't trying to recover from a c-section and dealing with a horrible cough. For those of you who have participated in the lovely c-section procedure, a cough and major abdominal surgery don't mix well. In fact, laughing, sneezing, blowing your nose....moving....breathing....it all hurts like heck. So, even though I had never been pregnant this long in my life (my other girls were 2 weeks early so in my mind, I was a week over due!) it was a blessing because of said cough. The P.A. put me on a zpak. Thank heaven for modern drugs.

I woke up Wednesday feeling pretty good. The night before I had a minor melt down after I put my girls to bed. Rod was off on church business and I guess those blasted hormones got the best of me. I was tired. I was worn out. I was weary. I was seriously making deals with the Lord if this little one would just come asap. Unfortunately, Wednesday morning the rest of my family woke up feeling horrible. Hallie had a bad case of pink eye (given to her with love from her sister) and Rod and Sam both had coughs (I'm sure given to them by me). I told everyone to hang tight while I went to the doc. Rod was going to stay home from work for a few hours to take care of the girlies. I got into the swagger wagon (I am so pro van btw. Kids and vans just mix lovely) and headed down to my appointment. I was practicing in my head all the things I needed to say to my doctor to convince him it was indeed TIME. I thought my appointment was at 8:15 and I was running about 5 minutes late when all of a sudden my phone reminder beeped at me. I looked at it and it read, "Dr. Appt 8:45." Hmmmm, was I off or did I put my reminder in wrong? I called the office quickly and the receptionist told me my appointment was at 8:45.

Okay, I thought. What to do for a half hour at this time of the day. Nothing was open...except the grocery stores.

I had an idea.

I went to Albertsons and decided I would just go walk, walk, walk and see if I couldn't help this little one move along. It was too cold to walk outside and the grocery store seemed like a legit place to walk for a bit. So, I went inside and began my laps around and through the isles. After a few rows I began to feel a little self conscience and thought I better at least look like I was trying to find something or buy something. So, I picked up a box of granola bars and held onto those bad boys while I continued my stride. Around and around with more speed as the time went on. Oh how I would love to see the security camera from that morning. I'm sure whomever was on duty was thinking, "What on earth is that pregnant lady doing?!"

At this point, I didn't care what anyone thought. Thinking of being pregnant for one more day made me cry. Really. Tears, tears, tears. I checked the time on my phone and saw that I had better head back over to the doc. I was having minor contractions and thought that the walking was definitely helping. I headed out (after I put the granola bars back on the shelf). :)

I went into the office and the nice lady up front said, "Can you leave us a sample?" (I hesitated writing this part but, it's part of my story so, it is what it is). I went into the bathroom to leave my little sample for the nurses. The cups are always on the counter with a marker. I took a cup, wrote my name on it, set it down and did my business.

Then, my eyes got wide as I looked over to the counter...

...and saw my empty cup sitting there.

"For real?!" I thought.

I'm losing my brain. Now what do I do. Try again? Not such an easy thing to do.

I ran through my options. I could go drink some water and then walk around the office a few times. I could just tell the nurses I'm losing it (which would have been totally true). I knew they needed something from me, especially this late in the game when a simple "sample" can tell them so much. I did my best and then took my meager offering to the nurses office. I explained to her what happened and we laughed about it. She said she had what she needed. :)

Moving on.

I go through the blood pressure and weight check and then get into my room and wait. After about 10 minutes (which is a long time for my doc. Yes, he's awesome and I rarely, rarely have to wait for him) the nurse pops her head in and tells me the doctor is over at the hospital and will be over in about 10 minutes. So, the waiting continues (as well as my practice conversation as to what I am going to say to convince him to take this baby!). Finally he comes in, looking exhausted and tells me he has been taking on another doctor's patients while she has surgery. He's pullin' double duty and it showed. I felt bad for him and threw my staged conversation out the window. I would do whatever he thought was best. He told me I was 90% effaced and dilated to a 3. He said, "Ya wanna have this baby tomorrow?" "Yes," I said (but inside I was really hoping he would have said today). Then he said something about me heading over there in the morning and they'd start me on a little pit and we'd go from there. Then, I reminded him we were doing a repeat c-section. He apologized and then it seemed like everything clicked in his brain and he remembered everything we had talked about. Somewhere in this conversation I must have reached back and began rubbing my lower back or something because he asked me if the contractions were really hurting. I told him they weren't too bad. Then he just looked at me and said, "Do you want to do this today?"

The Alleluia chorus began to sing.

....or maybe that was just me singing...

either way....WE WERE HAVING A BABY!

I called Rod and he told the girls and there was cheering on the other end of the phone. Later Rod told me Hallie started to cry. She's my little sensitive one.

After I got off the phone with Rod the doctor had just gotten off the phone with the hospital and told them I'd be over and we'd do the c-section around 12:30pm. He shook my hand and smiled and said, "Happy Birthday."

I drove home and got my things put together, called the parents, and received a lovely blessing from my good husband and his 1st counselor, Bob Martineau. We were set. I had Hallie snap a picture of Rod and I. Sorry for the blur. My camera is as big as her head and she can't hold it still.

Just a tad excited we are.