14 Years Ago.... A Birth Story...

Fourteen years ago from right now, I was laying in a hospital bed in Kettering, Ohio, waiting to become a mom for the first time...

Oh...I'm jumping the gun a little... let me start out with the beginning of my day... since it was a bit of a surprise how it ended up.

Fourteen years ago today, I went to work at the law firm in the morning like every day.  Only on this day at lunch I was surprised by the GREATEST bunch of co-workers with a surprise baby shower in the law library.  It was probably the first (and only) time anyone has ever pulled off a real surprise on me.  Their gesture was beyond thoughtful and oh so wonderful.  For everyone to come together for a first-time mom... and do something so ridiculously sweet just blew me away.  However, that was just the kind of people they were.  Mike, Cindy, Linda, David (sometimes...), Mike, Jim, Nina, Tom, Tamika, Susan, Laurie.... Truly a pleasure to work with.

Once the fun was over, I loaded up my car and drove the goods home (I lived like 3 minutes away) and returned to go to my OB-GYN appointment.  She was in the same business complex as I was so I just walked over there.  

I had a thought that my water may have leaked as I got out of the shower the night before... because while I may have been HUGELY pregnant, I wasn't about to admit that I had an "accident!"  HECK NO!  So, she conducted what was called a "fern test" to test for the presence of amniotic fluid.  My suspicions were confirmed.  It was positive.

"So, what are you doing this weekend?"

"Well, I'm going to a Memorial Day party on Saturday and then we're having a cookout on Sunday."

"No, you're not."

I laughed, "No, really we are.  I'm making taco salad."

"No, you're going to have a baby."

I did a double take.  "Excuse me?"

"You're going to go grab your bag and head to the hospital in Kettering.  I've told my nurse to make sure they're ready for you.  We're gonna have a baby!"

"What?"  (One word answers from me are not something that is remotely normal.)  "May I use your phone?"

I called Josh's dad to let him know that I had to go to the hospital and be checked in by 6:30 pm.  He was on his way to take a chemistry final.  He was taking chemistry classes -- for fun.  (thud!)  He did the same thing I did.  One word answers.... then he just said, "My heart is beating so fast."  I kind of laughed and told him to go take his test and to drive down and meet me at the hospital that we would work out the logistics with the vehicles at a later date.  

I went home and took my time packing (I hadn't packed my bag for the hospital yet.)  Don't judge -- I still had a MONTH to go!  And, you know I was snacking.  He walks in the door and spouted out, "WHAT ARE YOU STILL DOING HERE?"  I said, "I'm packing... and I'm hungry.  I know when I get to the hospital they won't let me eat!  We have to stop and get food!"  

I asked what HE was doing home.  He said that he had sat down to take the test but couldn't stand the thought of me driving to the hospital alone and checking in all by myself .  So, he told the professor that his wife was in labor, gave him back the test and was willing to take a zero on it if he had to (he still made a 100 in the class!  Can you believe that crap?!?!)  He came straight home.  We packed and called our parents and got on the road to the hospital.  But first, we stopped at Meijer's and grabbed a few snacks.

Once at Kettering Memorial Hospital, we got settled in the room across from the nurse's station.  They started me on a pitocin drip in my IV along with an antibiotic since my waters had leaked the day before.  It's a necessary protocol to avoid the potential for infection.  They also gave me some kind of something (don't ask me, I don't know I was having a baby, not keeping a log of pharmaceuticals!) for my baby's lungs since he was a month early.  My room had a DVD player so we'd brought movies to watch... sit-coms and romantic comedies.  We'd get into a movie and I'd laugh...and the nurses would come in and turn up the pitocin drip.  "This isn't supposed to be funny!  You laugh, your dosage goes up!"  (She was being silly, not mean and condescending.)  I held steady throughout the night.  The only uncomfortable part was being checked for effacement and dilation.  I wasn't really progressing.  Bleh!

So, they gave me a sedative to help me sleep that night... 

... and my story will continue tomorrow...