Baby Story 2000

With the cradle sitting out and all the baby items around, each child wants to know who I bought/made what for and birth stories are abounding. Here's one about DS#3.

Ds#3 made his thrilling entry (we were expecting our third girl, not our first boy) in 2000. He weighed 7lbs 12oz and except for getting a little stuck and bruised was healthy and wonderful! Dave was busting his buttons to call everyone with the surprising news of a son.

This was the first time a baby came without induction for us and it wasn’t the romantic image I had expected. Dave is notorious for sleeping through night-time happenings and when I woke up at 3am with contractions (although I didn’t tell him that’s what I thought they were); Dave only wanted to go back to sleep instead of giving me the back massage I'd woken him up for. Angrily, I decided to let him sleep. I went downstairs and cleaned the kitchen until I couldn't deny that this really was labor. I showered and called my girlfriend about an hour after I'd woken up to come take me to the hospital thereby leaving Dave in his bed. She refused when she found out Dave was still sleeping. I told her I'd just walk to the hospital myself - we lived about a mile away- rather than take that horrible man who would rather sleep than help me during labor (he still didn't know I was in labor). She threatened to come wake him up herself (by throwing rocks through his bedroom window if needed) and call the police to come pick up a pregnant lady in labor walking by the side of the road in the middle of the night if I didn't wake him up.

He woke up when I switched on the light and curtly told him I was going to the hospital with or without him. Then I proceeded to curl my hair with a curling iron and blurry-eyed, he couldn't understand why I wouldn’t speak to him. By the time we got to the hospital (about 5:30am?) and the nurse was asking him questions about my labor progress, he politely suggested she talk to me since we were having a bit of a communication problem just then. Thankfully (for me) he’s wonderful at assuaging my anger and I forgave him just as the contractions got tough.

Ds#3 was turned so I had front and back labor, which made natural childbirth more difficult, and I asked for pain killers once. My girlfriend, who was Ds#3's Godmother-to-be, and Dave were shocked, but the nursed talked me out of them by reminding me of the side effects, but giving me the choice. Praying with Ds#3's Godmother in the delivery room was an exceptional experience...and I’m so thankful I didn’t leave Dave behind. (I think he would’ve been a little upset...)