AM~Erica's BIG Birthday Post

So anyway...

This post is HUGE! It really is. You know why? Wanna know why? Well, do ya??

You are reading my 100th POST!!! WOOT! *confetti cannon*

I have been contemplating on what I should post about. It's only taken me almost 5 years to accomplish, so what would I or could I cover for this milestone? I thought I might soapbox again, since I really do have a need to pull it out...but that wouldn't work. Needs to be happier. Was going to just make a simple montage blog open house, but I wanted to put some thought & effort into it. Then it hit me...hard. I had this 100th post looming, and today would be a great day for the story that goes with it. Teen Girl's 16 birthday! *cries a little*

As I compose myself in trying to get over the fact that I have a 16 year old, I thought I would share the crazy story behind it & helps explain her personality.

Back during the fall & winter holidays of late 1995, I was in a lot of situations where SO much food was being presented. I worked at a bank & we had so many loving customers who loved sharing treats of all sorts with the bank staff. Even though I'd had a few sicky spells with flu going around & some major stresses I was going thru, I was having spells of throwing up. One of the hard things of working customer service...the sickies come in & breathe on you. But, even being so sick off & on, I was gaining weight. I knew I needed to lose some poundage, but was just too lazy to start trying.

Then, one February Sunday in 1996, as I helped in the church nursery, I got really warm, and light headed, and tired. I decided to just close my eyes for a moment knowing that the other helpers would make fun of me for sleeping for a moment, but it would be worth it!
Ummm...you know in TV & movies when someone faints & they can hear a voice in the distance getting closer & closer & closer before they come to & see whoever's face looking right at them in a very close proximity? Well...I could hear my hubby's voice in the distance, calling my name...and getting closer & closer & closer...and when I woke up, there he was, plus the 2 other nursery workers, plus my dad & maybe another person or two. I'd passed out. I was instructed to lay down in the pastor's office for a bit. Eventually I was taken home to rest. I still wasn't doing better...so...off to the ER. *sigh*

When we got to the closest hospital, I had vitals taken & all that yucky-good stuff. Then I finally saw the doctor. They had taken blood & had determined that I was pregnant. Oh boy...we hadn't planned on that, but we were trying to sort out the info being given to us...especially since they said I might be 1-2 months along.

And, apparently, the hospital didn't have any sort of maternity ward, so anything to check for pregnancy stuff was very primitive. Just like the little wand & amplifier the doc pulled out. He thought he'd give it a shot to check my belly for any heartbeat. He also said that we shouldn't be alarmed if we don't hear anything because of the very primitive tool. He place the tip of the wand to my belly...and...very strong heartbeat! He pulled back in shock & said, "Whoa! Well we usually don't pick up a heartbeat with this unless you're about 4-5 months along." Wait...wha-WHA???? At this point I began to hyper-ventilate. The doctor ignored that & kept talking. Hubby did all he could to show the doc my condition to make him shut his trap. *face palm*

OK...you know when I said that there were only primitive ways at that hospital to deal with pregnancy? Well, we had to find out just how far along I really might be. But how do you do that in the condition of this hospital? Brace yourselves, people & make sure you're sitting down. The only we could check was....by.......X-Ray. I know, it's awful!!! But, when we freaked out about it (since we had NOTHING else to freak out about), we were informed it would be only one picture. So...of to X-Ray I went. For my one picture. Then back to the ER room I was in. Then we waited...and waited...and waited...and freaked out...and waited...

Then the doctor finally came in. But hubby & I had an agreement that, with my earlier heartbeat reaction, it might be best that he talk to the doctor in another room & then hubby would give me the scoop. They went to the next room & I could hear mumbling of the 2 that sounded like the adults talking in "Peanuts" cartoons, "Wah-wah, wah-wah-wah-wah..."

After a bit, my hubby came back in. Even though I was calm, he kept telling be to breathe in, breathe out & calm down. Now...I was worried.

He put the X-Ray film on the lighted wall box & basically told me to find Waldo. (He actually said, "find the baby," but it may as well have been a game of Where's Waldo.) I looked in the normal place you would find a developing child...the belly/abdomen area. There was nothing. I was baffled. So...hubby stepped in. He pointed to where there was a head & body & fingers & toes...IN MY RIBCAGE!!! I had been asked if I'd had trouble breathing, but I was fighting a cold...so YES! But not like that.

It was determined that I was about 8 months pregnant & I'd be delivering in about 2 weeks. They wished me luck. Nice, huh?

Then I had to break the news to family & find a doctor. Only 1 doctor would see me with as far along as I was. I had an emergency sonogram set up. Hubby was there, as well as my mom & MIL. Crowed room, but much concern.

We were informed of 2 things:
1. I was about 7 & a half months along. So that bought us a little time.
2. Not to go painting anything blue...but...it looks like it might be a boy.

Thus, the longest game of hide-and-go-seek was over. The child had been found. And since the child had been found & it was game over, guess who was up all night while baby came "out of hiding"? *raises hand* It was weird. And, if you laugh at the term "she woke up pregnant"...well, guess who that happened to! *raises hand* Imagine my hubby's face getting up the next day & I had to wear maternity clothes the VERY following morning. I had a belly & didn't know what to do with it. It was crazy.

Remember when I said I'd put on some weight? I had put on a total of 8-10 pounds. Guess it's a good thing I didn't try to take it off! But I was told to put on more weight. Well, I did that, too. I put on 35 pounds in a 2-week period. I'm not making that up. The doctor told me I could slow down at that point.

I passed out, found out I was pregnant, found out I was VERY pregnant, woke up pregnant & put on 35 pounds about 2-3 weeks. Yes indeedy-do. That's how I roll...

Oh...and even though we told people it MIGHT be a boy...I had 2 different baby showers thrown for me & the upcoming little one...in boy themes. (remember this part - it's important)

With this being my 1st pregnancy, I was informed that, a) the due date may be off considering how late in the pregnancy it was figured out, and b) I would probably go about a couple weeks over the due date. My doctor was getting ready to go on vacation RIGHT at the time of my "due date". He was setting up future appointments with a different doctor so I could get to know him since the other doctor would probably be the one to deliver if he wasn't back by then. My due date was May 23rd. My doctor was going on vacation on May 22nd. On May 19th we had church, a child's birthday party & I had to teach a makeup dance class. May 20th, I began to feel the pangs. After a while, I started writing down the times & length of my pangs. Coworkers started noticing that I was keeping track.

I don't remember much more about that day except that I got home, hubby & I were trying to figure out if I was in labor, planned on dinner, called the hospital to see if I should eat dinner, called the doctor, walked Kmart (this is an ordeal by itself), still thinking labor & then called the doctor to say we were going in. This was finally around 10ish at night.

I was told that I probably would be sent home, but found out that, along with the steady contractions, I was 80% effaced. That meant I was staying! I got to get settled into about the only room they had left available...the big suite! One they normally use for high risk birthing situations, but it was free & I needed room. Voila! And I felt great! Just the contractions hurt, but I was carrying on colorful conversations only pausing for contractions. Even the admitting office didn't believe I was in labor when I had to go over insurance stuff with them on the phone.

The contractions were getting harder & the family was showing up. At around 11:00, the doc showed up. This is a very stately man with a balding top of his head & sporting a perfectly silver half-circle of hair & a full, yet very groomed & stately beard. Always in a tie & labcoat. Until he showed up at my room's door. What he had of hair was every direction you could think of; he was in a grubby brown tshirt & faded jeans; and, even though I didn't see it, he was wearing wooden clogs. He showed up in the door and proclaimed, "So! We're having a baby!" Duh!!

There's more fuzziness in memory here. I do remember hurting & fading quickly. I remember that I couldn't dilate fully, so I had to be given pitosin. I remember getting ready to be given a local anesthesia & my hubby freaking out for me by covering my face in a wet cloth & telling me it would be OK. He didn't want me to see the size of the needle. That's love. I also nearly crushed his hand during a couple of contractions. Well...they hurt.

When it came time to push, I remember pushing, but not a lot of what happened during that time. I remember the baby crowning & hubby thinking we were having a redheaded boy with his ears. Then...the moment came to pull the baby out...and on May 21st at 6:08 AM, this is what I hear from the doctor:

"Oh...it's a girl! Oh...she peed on me."

Yes, the build up to a boy deflated quickly & this little, tiny girl already had so much attitude playing hide-and-go-seek for so long & then wanted to prove to the doctor that she was in fact a girl BEFORE he went on vacation.

After the nurses got her cleaned up, hubby & I spent some time with her. And then it was time to let the family in. (Heck no we weren't gonna have an audience!) They walked into the room in a straight line...almost like getting ready for a firing squad. They stared at us. And I said, "Everyone, we want you to meet (our girl)." The jaws dropped to the floor. Seriously. No one said a word. After a long & awkward moment, my MIL was the first to speak. "It CAN't be! Think of all the little girl stuff I passed up at the garage sales!"

That was our bit of congratulations.

Even when I called into work to let them know I wouldn't be in for a few weeks, my work (who hosted one of my baby boy showers), sent flowers, a girl balloon & a card with this message:

"OOPS!
~BoB"

HA!!! Still one of my favorites!

The nurses did say she didn't even look like a newborn, and that she was the prettiest baby they'd seen & were trying to hook her up in the nursery. *face palm*

That was 16 years ago. Hard to believe. We gave birth to a teenager on that day. She has had the sass & the attitude to prove it for all of these years. She's the one that gave me migraines.

She is also blessing. She does make us crazy, but she is creative, entertaining, talented beyond belief, adorable & a beautiful young girl. She has big dreams. I know she will achieve them because that's the one place she's driven.

This is my story on an important day. What a great way to celebrate my 100th blog post! What great way to celebrate a birthday!

Stay tuned...

God Bless, AM~Erica