A Baby Story

"I'll schedule a stress test for Monday, that way if you don't have the baby by the weekend, you can come right in for that."

My head kind of spins, I want to have this baby now, today, this minute. It's my due date after all, the son was born on his date, what's up with this one. I was SO tired of being pregnant. (it's a wonderful thing and blah, blah, blah - but dammit it's exhausting) I figure yard work and Chinese food. Worked last time.

I didn't do yard work, instead I did errands, ugh, did I feel extra sore. I went to visit my friend at her new house and watched my son run in the lake on a beautiful mid October day. Why was I so tired and sore from walking up the hill. And her bumpy road - freakin' owwww. Did I mention that this pain was coming oh I don't know, every five to ten minutes or so. Called the husband and requested the Chinese food. Around 5:00 p.m. I tell my husband. We leave for the hospital around 8:00 p.m. My husband drops me off so he can park the car. The obviously inexperienced nurse in the emergency room entrance tells me to sign in a take a seat in the waiting room. WTF, I think. But I sit.

It's a Friday, so even though it's a small hospital, it's busy and there aren't two seats together. I try to find a seat for the husband when he comes in. WTF, he says. Sure enough a real nurse jumps up and says "You can head right up, who told you to sit?" Usually I don't try get people in trouble. This time I point right at the offender and say loudly that she asked me to sign in too. When I get into the hospital room, it hits me. They say you forget, and you do, UNTIL THE NEXT TIME. Mild anxiety attack, but it passes. My midwife suggested walking. I shot her a look. It gets pretty fuzzy and really painful from this point on. I only remember a few things, one of which was my midwife touching my foot to tell me they were going to check the progress. I asked her so politely to remove her hand and told her that no she cannot check the baby. And she didn't. I loved her.

More pain and sometime after one a.m. my midwife hold up a baby, my baby. And says look. And I think, are those boy parts??? And she says "It's a girl". A girl. I knew I was having a boy. I had boy names picked out. The girl name was just a backup. We didn't find out the girl/boy thing beforehand from the doctor - I just knew. A mother's intuition. Apparently, it can be wrong.

My heart swells, I am in love, again. Happy birthday girlie. Today you are four.