Waiting for Baby...

Daddy waiting in EXTREME anticipation...

Showered and waiting for the contractions to strengthen

As most of you know, MY WATER BROKE! HOLY MOLY! THIS BABY IS A' COMIN'! And instead of doing one huge long birth story...because it really does seem to be taking FOREVER...I'll go ahead and blog about the experience thus far. Don't worry...this part of the story will contain plenty of gross gory nasty stuff so you will want to stay tuned. I promise. (By the way, that was the warning for all of you who are faint of heart...don't say I didn't warn you!)

Ok, so I am actually gonna start with Friday of last week so you have a timeline. On Friday, I was off work and had nothing to do...amazing, right? Because once you're pregnant your social calendar fills up real quick...especially considering how often your new best friend (the doctor) wants to see you. So, on this particular Friday, no doctor, mom's outta town and it's just me and Remmy because Ken is at work. I knew I needed to get some stuff done around the house...and even though I didn't really want to, I did. I went to the grocery (hold on...contraction) and got stuff for dinner and some chocolate chips to make my world famous smack-yo-mama-cookies (I'd tell you the recipe, but then I'd have to kill you...just kidding...I'll give it to and spare your life...I'm in a good mood. What can I say?)

When I got home I (hold on...contraction) started the laundry which ended up being 8 whole loads...or something like that (Maybe I'm exaggerating, but this is my dadgum story dadgummit!) And I proceeded to prepare the cookie dough, iron the sheets for the bed once they were washed (because if you didn't know, ironing one's sheets is the nicest thing one can do for oneself and it is totally free!), cooked the cookie dough, made homemade macaroni and cheese, fed and watered the rabbits, cuddled with Satchmo Joe (You remember! Our little rescue bunny! Hold on...contraction). I even PUT MY CLOTHES AWAY! Now, I am not saying that I was "nesting", but looking back on it, it sure does seem like it...right?

Ok! Anyways! That was Friday. So, Saturday. I worked the day shift which is 8-5 and by 12 o'clock I was near tears from pain (pain in my feet, hips, lower back and being just plain exhausted). My assistant manager suggested I go ahead and go on break and I did. I had every intention of going to the back room and putting my head down on the desk and wouldn't you know?!?! That doesn't work when you are 9 and a half months pregnant...it is a (hold on...contraction) physical impossibility without like, at least two pillows...your body just stops being able to bend at that particular angle. So I called Ken and cried it out and decided that I was going to have to cut back big time at work starting next week. My doctor has been ready to write me out of work for a while now...she has been concerned that, due to the nature of my business, I'm not really allowed to rest when I need to rest and I end up pushing too hard when I should be off my feet (hold on...contraction) The reason I had waited so long to cut back at work is because 1) I only get 8 weeks of maternity leave and 2) I only get 8 weeks of maternity leave...(all of which is unpaid)...and I didn't want to go out any earlier lest I take any time away from that precious 8 weeks (hold on...contraction). It has been a very hard place to be in emotionally and physically; knowing you only have so much time to spend with your child and also knowing there is only so much any woman should have to endure.

My other assistant manager walked in on the end of the conversation that I was having with Ken. I think she knew it was a rough day and didn't want to intrude, so she hit the floor. A few minutes later, as I was getting ready to do the same, she walked into the backroom again and asked if I was having a hard day. Well, as many of you know, sometimes a sincere concern voiced is enough to unleash the waterworks. And let me tell you, there were some serious waterworks. I let it all go...tears, snot, hyperventilating, indistinguishable gibberish...the works. And she, Margeaux, listened to me. She told me that I needed to do what I needed to do and that no one at work would think I was a "slacker" (Which is a HUGE concern for me! I don't want to be one of those women who takes advantage of her condition and expect tons of extra special treatment. I have worked with (hold on...contraction) people like that and it is horrible. You are constantly picking up their dead weight and wishing they would just have their baby already. I did not want to be that person.) (hold on...contraction) It felt good to vent to another woman about my emotional state. Ladies, you know how it is...sometimes we can just have a good cry and feel better (men will never really understand this, will they?)...finished writing at 4:15am on March 7th, 2011

And this is where Ken and I decided it was time to go to the hospital. My contractions were getting closer together as you can see by my typing and were also becoming strong to the point where I was unable to type during them. At this point, my contractions were about 3-4 minutes apart and lasting 1 minute long. I was still able to say a few words during contractions but they were strengthening quickly. The rest of Christian's birth story will be included in "Christian's Birth Story"...