Enter Pumpkin

Today is a good day. It turns out that I own three pairs of maternity jeans that fit me very well and make me look a little less frump-town U.S.A. than I do during rest of the week. If only the dratted company would relax the dress code, don't they realize my self esteem and well being are in danger here?

Oh Well...

Okay, so I'm in the mood to share birth stories, I love telling it and this way I don't have to corner any unsuspecting first time Mom's or bore anyone to tears who doesn't really care. So you have been warned, the rest of this post is about the day that Pumpkin came into the world.

Pumpkin came at 7 ish pm, on August 2nd, 2006. I had only been in labor since about 5 that morning, no sweat. (Actually it wa august, so lots of sweat.) I called Mom around 6 and told her I had been having contractions every 5 minutes for over an hour. She told me to eat some breakfast cause if I went to the hospital they wouldn't let me eat until after the baby came. So I ate frosted mini-wheat's, I should have had a big cup of water, (more on that later.) 

I rocked in my "new mommy chair" and spent a lot of time sitting on the commode, don't know why but that particular position was really comfy, Jeeves thought I was crazy sitting on the pot with my clothes on. Around 11 when the contractions had been pretty constant and kept up after laying down, eating a meal, walking around and doing all the other things on the list from the hospital, we got ready to go to the hospital. I made Jeeves bring a towel because I was terrified that my water would break in the car and that would be awful.

The car ride was Hell, but Jeeves made Mom drive because he was too nervous, so funny. We got there and they said I was dilated enough to be in labor so it was official, I was going to be a Mommy that day. You have no clue how happy I was that they said I could stay. I practically cried. They asked me if I wanted something to help with the pain and the answer was a swift, Uh, YEAH!

So the nurse from hell cam e in and tried to put in my IV, I bet she was an imposter, it took four sticks, in three places on both arms before she could get the IV started, they ended up putting in my inner wrist. This was because I was dehydrated. That is why I should have had the big cup of water I mentioned before.  (FYI:  when they tell you to hold on to your legs and push it's harder if there's and IV in your inner wrist.) Suckage.

The meds they gave me just made me feel drunk and belligerent. I could still feel every bit of the pain but in between I couldn't keep my eyes open. At one point the nurse came in, and was asking me about my medical history and family stuff. I sort of glared at her and said, "Wasn't all of this on the pre-registration stuff I sent in two weeks ago?!?!" She left in a hurry.

Then they gave me the epidural, I swear that man was an angel, but he was like 7 feet tall so they elevated my bed to the point where my feet were resting on the arms of a chair next to the bed. Whatever, I'd have run to the rooftop to get that wonderful stuff, whatever it was, that he put into my spine, ahhhhhhhhh. Jeeves couldn't handle it so Mom stayed with me and helped me be still while the man was working.

Then I took a nap, the last kid free sleep I ever had, I wish I had enjoyed it more.

The nurses came in and said I was at 8 but that the baby was turned funny, So I had to lay on my side with my leg extended out on the tray thing that they later served my food on. I also had to have oxygen at this point, cause our blood pressure/heart rate was doing funny things. I maintain that this was because it was 4 zillion degrees in that damn room (Did I mention it was August, in Missouri) Funny story: my Grandmother, who had never seen a baby born, and my Grandfather were there for most of this. As other mom's know, the birthing process is not a private one, so every time the nurses would come in to "check me" I would look at my Grandfather and Father in law and say, "Guys! they are going to check the 'baby exit area' now" This was always followed by a hasty retreat from the room until someone went to fetch them.

Finally the Doc showed up and said I could do a few "practice pushes" (Whaddaya mean practice? If I'm pushing, it better be accomplishing something) They got everything ready and the doc said push, so I pushed and his eyes got real big and he said, "Okay, Baby is coming." (practice pushes my ass) The nurse asked me if I wanted to feel the babies head, I said yes and reached down to feel her head, It was gross. I must have made a face because they ran to get a cloth and the nurse said,"So, I guess you want us to clean her off before we give her to you, huh?" (uh, yeah, ew!) 4 pushes and 20 minutes later, Pumpkin was in my arms and I have never seen anything so amazing, (Look what I made!)

I've always loved babies, but the instant and overpowering feelings of fear and joy that came out with her tiny 7 pound body, were unexpected to say the least. What a blessed woman I am to have been given such an amazing gift, twice. My Pumpkin taught me about faith before she could talk, and she keeps teaching me, even today.