a year ago today

 

This little monster man is the big ONE today! I can not believe how fast this year has flown by. Why it seems just like yesterday he was popping out (literally).

I was 7 days away from my due date. I had been having contractions all week but nothing to serious. I was at work & told a co-worker (love you Beth! She has now helped me time my contractions for both my kids.) that it seemed they were coming in at regular times. (you would think after already having one, I would be an expert) I sat at our front desk in our office as she timed each contraction. This was at about 10ish in the morning. They were sporadic at best, sometimes 5 minutes apart and than one would come almost a half hour later. I was not worried. This went on all day. Finally I decided to call Steven & tell him to come pick me up that day because I just did not feel like a 45 minute bus ride. Plus my bus was always crowded & on 2 different occasions found myself standing the whole 45 minutes. (which by the way I totally lost any hope in man kind those days. No one noticed a 9 month pregnant lady trying to keep her ginormous belly balanced)
When Steven came to pick me up it was around 4,  most of the contractions were stronger but still not systematic in time spreads. Everyone in the office came out to say good-bye & tell me I was having this baby today. I thought they were crazy. As I left I said over my shoulder, "Ya, see you tomorrow." They even went as far to call Life Med, who is the medical service in our building, & our Security Manager to escort me to my car & Steven. The whole time the Security Manager is telling me not to have the baby on his watch.
So we went home, finished packing a bag and relaxed. With Sebastien, I was in labor for almost 24 hours so we thought we had a little time. We knew the stigmata of "your second one comes faster" but threw it to the wind. I did call the hospital & they paged the on call OB to call me back.
As I was waiting, I decided I wanted to shower, to shave my legs , to help ease the back pain. As I stood in the shower I had a really strong contraction. That was all she wrote, with a snap of the finger my contractions started coming in quicker & stronger. So strong that I had a hard time walking let alone getting out of the shower. I finally pulled myself out & tried to dress myself. Steven came in to check on me & found me doubled over the counter. At this point the doctor called back & asked if the contractions were so bad that I could not talk through them. I told her they getting there. I was told we should make our way up there.
We picked a hospital in Seattle that was about 30-40 minutes from our house. On top of that we still had to drive Sebastien to Steven's parents house & drop off a friend we had at the house. By this point it was hard for me to even walk out to the car. We got to the friends house, dropped him off & finally made it to Steven's parents. We dropped off Sebastien & Steven's mother got in the car. By this time I was pretty sure I was in full blown labor. Steven & his Mom started making "the calls". I was in & out of it, keeping my eyes closed the entire time & my head in a
Wal-mart bag.
About 10 miles outside the city, I started getting the urge to push. I kept thinking to myself that I should be at the hospital at this point not stuck in a Dodge Durango with Steven's Mom asking me if I was labor.Really? Ya think so?
I kept trying to hold back the pushing urge, until I felt a slight pop (sorry that is the only way I know how to describe it) and felt the gushing (sorry again, but it is what it is). My water broke! I whispered to Steven, who had to ask me again what I said. I leaned back in my seat as he pressed his foot to the pedal & as my entire bottom half was being soaked. It even went into my shoes!
After some expletive language, honking & the emptying of bodily fluids, we finally made it to the hospital.
Steven pulled up & his mom graciously offered to park the car for us. Steven got out & rushed inside to find a wheelchair. He came racing outside with a wheelchair. He was worried because he could not find anyone inside & the only wheelchair he could find was parked outside the men's restroom. He heaved me into the chair & ran into the hospital. When I say ran, I mean it. We could have won a wheelchair race at the pace he was pushing me at. We finally found a set of elevators. We could not remember which floor Labor and Delivery was on. At this point I was still unable to fully open my eyes. As the elevator opening we rushed inside, cutting off someone trying to get of. Steven yelled "Where is the Labor and Delivery floor" The person stayed on the elevator with us. I started getting that pushing sensation again & voiced it. The person on the elevator leaned over "You don't want to push yet honey" I was in the mood where if I could have I probably would have punched her. Not out of meanness but because I really wanted to push.
When we finally made it to the right floor, Steven flagged  down a nurse & told her I was ready to go right now. She gave him the look that she hears that a lot.
They got me in the room & another nurse told me she was going to get me into a gown and check to see my progress. I did not even make into the gown. The nurse checked...you know down there & all chaos broke lose. I closed my eyes wide shut & all I heard was people running around, nurses calling on the room intercom to get the doctor now and nurses asking me all sort of questions. One asked me what my pain plan was & even before I could answer or even register what the heck she was asking me, she flatly retorted that if I did have one, it was to late now.
3 pushes later & out popped Sawyer. I am not joking. In the time it took Steven's mother to park the car, help a little with the mess I made in the car, & before she made it back to the room I had had my baby. I still had my clothes on people!
So there you have it, we still laugh at it today & I am sure it will be a story I will retell to him many times as he gets older. Sebastien was the stubborn one and Sawyer was all ready to greet the world.

To my littlest man, we love you with all our hearts. You make me laugh everyday with your "What's up" chin nods, your wrinkle nose smiles, your sloppy kisses and your toothy grins. You made my heart grow twice as big that day.