My Labor of Love

At this time, almost 21 years ago, my hubby and I had just finished watching the movie, "Awakenings". I was pregnant with our first baby and I was due anyday now. I began feeling a little tightness in my belly, I thought it was gas due to eating popcorn and Good and Plenty candy, great combo huh? By the time we got home after visiting my inlaws, I was still feeling the gas pains. I told my hubby about them and we just laughed them off.

Soon it was dinner time so my hubby drove to Amigo's to get dinner, I was hungry! When he got home, I told him I thought the gas pains could possibly be labor pains. I think he was in shock. He asked me if I still wanted to eat the ood, of course, I was hungry! Plus, who doesn't want to eat Mexican food while in labor? While we were eating, the labor pains continued to come so I ate between the pains. Hubby was not happy with that idea, he was getting pretty nervous.

After we ate, we decided to really keep track of the labor pains to see if they would be consistent. We had no idea what we were to expect since this was our first baby. Finally, after the pains were coming in five minute intervals, hubby called the doctor's office. The nurse asked if we were sure that I was in labor...we didn't know, this was our first baby! But then I had been in the bathroom and sure enough, I had a sign, I WAS in labor! We grabbed the packed overnight bag and headed to the hospital. We got to the hospital around 8:00pm.

Upon checking into the maternity ward, we figured out we didn't bring the paperwork we had at home we were to bring to the hospital with us. How the heck were we to remember all of this stuff! So we called my inlaws, told them where the papers were and if they could bring them to the hospital. I got all hooked up to the machine and got checked out. The nurse asked me what and if I had eaten anything and when. When I told her I had Mexican food and two hours earlier, she didn't look too happy with me. Oh well, I was hungry and you don't want to try and stop a hungry pregnant lady!

A couple of hours had passed and it was 10:00pm. The nurses told my inlaws they should go home since this was my first baby and I probably wouldn't deliver until the morning. So they went home. I was still having labor pains as we watched Saturday Night Live. But soon the labor pains became stronger and hurt more so the nurse gave me stadol. What a great feeling that was, I wasn't feeling any pain and the nurse asked me how I was doing and I said, "If having a baby feels like this, I could have a baby everyday!" Yeah, that was the drug talking. About an hour later, I was feeling the pain again. I wanted an epidural. The nurse talked me out of it and said I did so well with the stadol, let's try that again, so I did. Nothing, nada, zippo, I was still feeling the pain and I told hubby I really wanted the epidural. No nurse could be found. I think I turned into the exorcist by this time and TOLD hubby to GET THE NURSE NOW. He went to the nurses' station and told the nurses I was really needing the epidural.

The nurse finally came in to check me out to prep for the epidural. Of course, I was already too far along and was too late to get an epidural. She would need to call the doctor now and that we should call my inlaws to come back, it was close to midnight. So the on call doctor came into my room, he still had his parka on, slapped on a glove and examined me. Sure enough, I was ready to deliver!

At 1:09am, my beautiful daughter was born! She was the first girl in the family on hubby's side, everyone was thrilled!! I can't believe my baby girl will be 21 years old...wow! Time has gone by so fast and she has grown into a beautiful young woman. Now that we know she is of legal age, do we have to worry more??? Oh lord, I'd better be prepared for more grey hair...

Happy Birthday to my beautiful baby girl, Erika!!! I love you! I'm so proud to be your mom!!