They grow up way too fast, don't they?
Twenty years ago right about this time (east coast time) I was in labor, having been awakened around 1 a.m. by a few brief labor pains. I was a week past my due date, but convinced I'd never go into labor the natural way.
After only a couple of twinges, I suddenly had a single, long labor pain. It didn't seem to go away, like they said it would, so I decided to ignore it and go back to sleep.
But by then my husband was awake and he was having none of that. He phoned our friend, who had agreed to come, day or night, to watch our oldest daughter, but her husband hung up the phone.
Okay, fine, I told him. I grabbed my cuddley dog and settled in. The sinusoidal wave of pain was probably just gas, I told myself, my mind bleary from god knows what all hormones.
Next thing I knew, my husband was ripping my pj's off and attempting to dress me. He woke up Daughter Number One, who was happy to be going to the hospital with us.
I was pissed. I wanted to sleep, and cuddle my dog.
Somehow he got me to go downstairs, and I noticed I couldn't quite walk upright. I opted for the backseat of our Toyota, and decided to risk lying down without a seatbelt, since I couldn't sit upright either. There was something hard in the way.
Daughter Number One was impressed when he ran a red light. I just wanted to be comfortable. At the hospital, I wanted to go to the labor room and chill for a while, but they hooked me up to machines and started yelling at me. The doctor wanted to know if I did "street drugs". I laughed, and refused to answer. Besides, I wouldn't have minded some street drugs, if she was offering.
Then they wheeled me to delivery and yelled at me some more. I decided to be contrary, since it had worked so well so far, and refused to push. This was NOT going how I'd planned!
Then a nurse from New Orleans took me in hand: "Dahlin, you gotta push," she coaxed.
By this time I was pretty sure I was in the twilight zone. I decided to cooperate with my captors, and a few minutes later the nurse held up a pretty baby girl. But she was way too pretty to be mine, so I waited, to see if there was another on the way.
Nope. That one was mine, and I've loved her ever since.
Happy birthday, Daughter Number Two!
