On the day that you were born

It occured to me the other day (or was it week? Month? Time is irrelevant lately. Except have I mentioned that SCHOOL STARTS ON WEDNESDAY??) that because I started writing about the happenings around our house after the three biggest were born, they may never know their stories. By the time they're old enough to ask, I may just forget! So today, on the eighth anniversary of my little ladybug (that being Abby) being born, I thought I would write out what I remember of her story.

Abby's story, like all of ours I suppose, begins before she was born. I found out I was pregnant in January 2002, and was pretty surprised. I knew it would be a little shock to Dave, so the day I found out we just happened to have a lunch scheduled, and I didn't tell him. I knew he wouldn't be able to go back to work, and he'd only been at his job for two months. Instead I waited until he came home that night, turned off a ballgame of some sort (basketball I'm guessing!) and then told him. I was right, he was shocked, but after a day or two, he was pretty excited too. (And speaking of jobs... I didn't have any. I didn't get a job until March. Nothing like interviewing when you're pg!)

Luckily, my pregnancy with Abby was really easy. I didn't even have the big ultrasound, never found out if it was a girl or a boy, and was just generally, fine. Her due date was September 26, but then on Tuesday, August 27 I went in for a routine checkup, and that's when it all went crazy. My doctor, Dr. Sims in Oconomowoc, was doing a quick ultrasound to check up on everything and realized my amniotic fluid was low. He wanted to induce me the next day and I said no way. Dave was in L.A. for work until Thursday, August 29, and I really wasn't planning on having a baby without him there. So Dr. Sims gave me until Friday, August 30 instead, I called Dave, and he made it home on the redeye that night. (The scary thing is, I didn't realize how serious this was, delivering 4 weeks early, until I was pregnant with Nolan and Dr. Sims asked me about when I was pregnant with Abby and I told him he induced me four weeks early and he said "Really? It must have been really serious for me to induce that early." Glad I didn't know that sooner!)

We made as many preparations that week that we could. Carpeting in the nursery, a crib (yeah, we didn't even step foot in the nursery for at least two months after she was born), Dave's parents came. I went to work the next two days to get things settled there, then just relaxed, organized my picture files, hung out. Meanwhile, Dave got the lawn in order (thank goodness those shrubs were cut!) and Dave's mom did baby laundry and ironing (those onesies and sleepers were the best looking baby clothes ever).

Friday morning came and I was up at 3 AM, taking a bath, trying to relax. I had to be at the hospital by 6, so off we went. We were well prepared with music and games and everything we might need. They got everything hooked up and then played Trivial Pursuit. The game was a close one, and I was the pink pie and Dave was blue. He won, so we were convinced it was a boy. (Tough guy, beating a woman in labor at Trivial Pursuit!)

From there everything just kept going. A few things I remember... Dr. Sims came in and asked how I was doing, and Dave answered (Hello! I'm right here, and no, it's NOT just fine!), and then they started talking about golf. I threw up a few times. I was mad that no one warned me that it might feel like the baby got the wrong directions, and is coming out the wrong path. While I was getting ready to push, Dave asked me what I needed and I said, "Three things... a cold washrag, something I don't remember, and Billy Joel." (The CD stopped and apparently I was really listening to it.)

Abby came out in 2 pushes, at around 4:24, and Dr. Sims quickly announced, "It's a girl?" He was shocked. He was convinced it was a boy with peeing problems and that's why I had low amniotic fluid. Then just when he thought maybe the baby had kidney problems and that was causing the low fluid, Abby peed on him. I guess that's fine too! She was a tiny peanut at just 5lbs. 8 oz., and 20-1/2" long (I think). They had to take her blood sugar everytime she ate because she was so little, and they had to do stress tests in the car seat carrier because they weren't sure if she would tolerate it. She did. In fact, she was perfectly healthy and came home with us just a day and a half later. Then she went back when they called us to tell us that they forgot to take her ID anklet off. Oops!

And here we are, eight years later. Maybe someday I'll write about years 0-6, before I started this blog, but maybe not. Mostly because I just don't remember!! I can't believe it's been eight years since my first child was born. I can't believe that I've had three more children since then! She's absolutely perfect for our family. The perfect blend of funny and serious, of responsible and crazy, of Dave and me. She stole my heart that day and I haven't gotten it back since.