Double Digits. Minus One

I've got a NINE year old son. Apparently I've blinked and *whoosh* nine years has flown on by.

I reread his birthday post from last year and found that not alot has changed. Sadly, though his too big grown up teeth no longer seem as big, Lemony Snicket has been replaced with Harry Potter and Fred the Beagle is a fond memory. But being "The Meanest Mom in the World" (a quote direct from the birthday boy when told that A - Drake and Josh is an obnoxious show not to be watched in this house; B - Your sister is NOT to be ordained 'Permanent Goalie' for you and your friends - this is soccer NOT target practice; C- No you cannot have chat capabilities while playing Runescape) has paid off. I highly recommend it. He's a great, great kid and a great brother.

Birth Story Anyone?

I only remember snippets. (Another reason I love this blog - I can look back and say "Aw, wow. I forgot all about that ('that' being anything that's happened more than two weeks ago))

It was my due date. I spent the day raking and resigning myself to another week or so of pregnancy. I remember eating Chinese Food (was told this would spur things on) and finally in the afternoon feeling that slight crampy feeling. We played some yahtzee (I keep the score card in his baby book) and I packed my bag while the husband went to put gas in the car. (Side note to my friend LeeMarie - make sure the car's not on E on your due date, who wants to stop for gas???) We called the midwife she recommended staying at home as long as possible, we agreed. I lasted until two a.m. or so - details are sketchy, I remember lying in bed and thinking damn, this kind of hurts...little did I know.

We get to the hospital, the husband goes to park the car and I walk waddle in. The triage nurse? volunteer? greeter? she takes my name and tells me to sit. Like a mindless sheep - I sit. Thinking "This is kind of fucked up - I'm sitting in the WAITING AREA???" I notice that despite, or because of the early A.M. hours that there aren't two seats together so my husband won't be able to sit with me. I see the real nurse now, she lets the volunteer know that *newsflash* pregnant ladies in labor don't wait.

I go up to the labor and delivery room and the memories are fuzzy here but I remember the heartbeat being all over the place so I was on some sort of monitor. The only time I raised my voice was when a nurse tried numerous times to stick me with the I.V. - yeouch. The midwife asked what was wrong and laughed out loud when I asked her to stop the nurse from poking my hand because it was hurting worse than the contractions.

More fuzziness. More Pain. Something about a vacuum to get his head out. I do remember the doctor coming in (which wasn't a planned thing as he was only called in because the vacuumy thing is something the midwife doesn't do) whistling. "Please stop whistling" was what I said, and he noted my good manners with a quip about using the word please while having a baby about an inch from being born.

A boy. At 7:36 on April 21st, a 7 pound 2 ounce boy. Love at first sight. Such an intense feelings those first few minutes, it cannot be duplicated.

I had brought a James Taylor CD into the L & D room, some book I read said that it might be soothing to have music playing. I don't remember hearing the music until right after the boy was born. The nurses had changed shifts at 7:00 and were just starting their day. The room was sunny and bright and the nurses and doctor were singing along. It's silly but I really love that memory.

There was an almost evening news worthy part of our hospital stay which I'll post tomorrow, I want to go smooch on the son for a minute.