The First Day of The Rest of My Life

5 years ago tonight I was lying in a hospital bed, tired, cranky and swollen from 3 days on IV fluids. I hadn't felt my legs in 8 hours and hadn't eaten or seen the outside world in 3 days. I was apparently having a baby. Too bad someone had forgotten to let the kid know it was his show now.

Monday June 7/04 was my due date. I waddled my fat ass to my dr's only to be told after being groped that nope, nothing happening. Not dilated, not effaced. Nothing. Nada. Zilch. Zippo. "See you in a week" said my OB on his way out the door for his Italian vacation. Depressed, I head home and eat a pint of ice cream.

That night we went to bed and all of a sudden at 2am I felt a pop and GUSH! My damn water broke! I jump out of bed so I don't ruin my expensive mattress {ever practical} and go to the bathroom to leak. Wrapping up in a towel I decide to go back to bed and get some more sleep as I didn't have contractions yet. I was oddly calm..I think it was shock, I had been in denial about the whole birth part of this baby making process.

Tuesday morning at around 9 I call L&D explain that my water broke 8 hours ago but no contractions yet. They tell me to come in. When they check me, still no dilation or effacement. They give me Cervidal to soften my cervix. I am not a stick of butter!
By 4pm Tuesday with still no progress they start me on the evil fluid otherwise known as Pitocin. Holy shit! By 5:30pm the contractions were taking my breath away and I couldn't walk through them. The numbers were going off the scale.

They did not want to give me an EPI in case that stalled any progress. I got as far as 4cm. My stubborn boy was just not cooperating in his eviction proceedings.

It was now 4pm on Wednesday, I had been in heavy labour for 24 hours with no pain medication. I was exhausted. Nothing was happening. It was decided that I would be scheduled for a c-section 8am on Thursday morning. I got my blessed EPI. Nothing ever felt as good as when that needle went in my back and the pain dulled. I amused myself for a few hours jabbing my legs with a pen to see if I could feel them.

I managed to keep my sense of humour during the 54 hour ordeal. The nurses said I was their favorite and snuck me cups of tea when the doctors wasn't looking. Because my OB had flown the coop to Italy, I was taken care of by whoever the on-call was.
I even had med students come in. I was there for countless shift changes, other women had come, birthed and left. Friends and family had stopped calling because every time they did, there was no news.

Thursday June 10 I was wheeled into the OR. The gas dude asked how I was doing, just making polite conversation I guess. I gave him the eyebrow as that was the only part of me NOT numb at the point and said....

"I have been leaking bodily fluids for 3 days, I have been poked, prodded and felt up by more people than I can count, I've been shaved by a stranger and now I'm buck naked, spead eagled strapped to a table in a room full of people and am about to be cut open and a human being pulled from my insides. I'm doing pretty damn good considering"

That got around the L&D floor and people were stopping by afterwards to see me and the baby. If you can't be smart, be funny.

At 8:10am June 10, 2004 my beautiful baby boy finally arrived. Stubborn baby.
7lbs 15oz with a huuuuge head. Makes me glad he didn't come out the hoo-hoo.

I didn't know then but his reluctance to leave the womb was just an indicator to how he would conduct himself in the years to come. He is stubborn. Willful. Painfully slow. Wants it his way or no way. He is also incredibly sweet, clever and funny.

He is the beat of my heart and the air in my lungs.

I am blessed every day I have with him.

And now of course... the pictures :)

7 months. Look I have boobies!


3 weeks old


In the sink...look at that smile!


First Birthday


Second Birthday


Around 2 years old. He had the most beautiful curls


He still looks like this when he eats!


Third Birthday..wearing his new raincoat

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Fourth Birthday..trying on his new fishing hat


2 weeks ago...My big boy.


HAPPY FIFTH BIRTHDAY MY DARLING BOY!

Now off to ice his brirthday cake for pre-school tomorrow. It's after midnight, talk about leaving things to the last minute......