Where'd my baby go?

In 27 hours, my baby girl turns 4. Four years old. Where did the time go?

I remember vividly my birth story with her. Hers I will never forget. I had such erratic labor pains all day. It started on April 29th at 11:00am. Just some discomfort here and there...nothing worth timing, just worth noting. About 7pm, I decided to start timing, but the contractions were still too far apart. As the night went on, they would come and go, come and go. About 11pm, I had been timing frequently, then at midnight we called the doctor because on occasion they would be at 4 minutes apart...while waiting forever for the doctor to call back, I would have several that were 8 or 15 minutes apart. She finally called back at 12:30am on April 30th and asked to talk to me. Of course I sounded normal. I was in the middle of a 15 minute long contraction period! She told me to sleep it off and see how things were in the morning.

Of course, Mark goes to sleep right away. We were both tired, but I couldn't sleep. 12:34 contraction was very strong, 12:38 contraction was very strong, 12:42 contraction came and with it was a huge POP! What was that?? I went to the bathroom...my water had broken. I called Mark in the middle of a big contraction, and told him to call the doctor back, my water had broken. She of course wanted me on the phone again, and this time she could tell it was for real. Get to the hospital. So we called our friend Jan who was going to stay with Carl and take him to school the next day and asked her to come, it was time. Mark went in to tell Carl that we were going to the hospital and Jan would stay with him, and Carl told him, "That's okay, Dad. I am sure it's a false alarm and you will be back soon." (What in the world does a 6 year old know about birthin' babies!! haha) Mark called me in to say goodbye to Carl, and I couldn't go. I was in the middle of a huge contraction, and after it passed, I said goodbye to him. After leaving his room, I doubled over in pain. I never had the opportunity with Carl to really feel that URGE to push, since had an epidural, but I FELT LIKE I NEEDED TO PUSH and we were still at home, and Jan wasn't there yet!! Mark finally reached her, and she couldn't find our apartment, so we waited outside for her and passed her walking in and we got in the car and left.

Got to the hospital and it was 1:30am. The hospital had told us that if we were in labor after 9pm, to come through the ER to get to the Women's Center at Medical Center of Mesquite. So, Mark calls out to someone to bring a wheelchair for me in the ER bay, and while he moves the car, the take me TO THE ER where I am triaged....UM, dude? I have a baby that is trying to come OUT NOW, I need to go upstairs NOW. I was crying hard, trying to tell him the baby was coming, I already preregistered at the hospital months ago, PLEASE take me UPSTAIRS! Finally, I think he got the picture and wheeled me upstairs. Mark joked with me on the way up. I wanted to have this baby naturally with no meds, and I was gonna get it! They take me to a room, I get into my hospital gown, but guess what....since the idiot triaged me in the ER, the birthing center hadn't called my doctor to say I was there! So the nurse comes in to examine me, and says, "Oh, you're at a 10, but you cannot push!" WHAT??? Um, this baby has been wanting to come out for, oh, about 2 hours now, and you are saying that I CAN'T PUSH?? Not until the doctor gets here....Oh my! I had a nurse and Mark telling me that the baby was not coming, but you know what...she was. I could feel her ... they put a monitor on me...it wasn't until way after April was born that Mark told me that the nurses almost had to call the ER doctor to deliver April...she was in distress from having to hold her in. AND the doctor in the ER...was the ONLY one in the hospital at that time.

Dr. Arnold walked into the door at 2:10 am and said PUSH while she was getting her robe and gloves on. AND I DID. Two pushes later, April Nichole was born at 2:17am. She didn't cry, so I thought something was wrong with her...you see, when Carl was born, he let out a HUGE yell. I asked what was wrong with her....the doctor must have pinched her cause all the sudden she started crying. Mark said when she was born, she was just looking around taking in the world. My dad told me that I was the same way when I was born...just checking things out.

27 hours and that memory will be 4 years old. Sigh.

Happy birthday, Sugar Pie Honey Bunch! Mommy and Daddy love you very much!