Ella Charlotte's shower was that Saturday the 4th and we looked a tons of houses but nothing. I had a prayer shower on the 7th that I think I will remember for the rest of my life. Coffee club was the 10 and the inspection was that day. We had to leave the house super early and Robert and I hit up Starbucks and Peterbrooke for some gifts for my shower hosts. Robert and I became really good at setting up the house and running out only to visit around town and then come back. Coffee club was great. Odd how I still remember it. We did a "View" type talk and Michelle did fabulous as the host.
Emma's shower was that Saturday and was a blast. Great to be kidless and spoiled. Not to mention be with great friends all at once. Lucy did a smashing job hosting and even had the china out! It made for a very special memory and was a great way to prepare for Emma. I even managed to run late as I got stuck behind a train. After the shower we went yet again to look at more houses. This time we found a great one that had only been on the market 24 hours. We made a full price offer, minus closing costs and crossed our fingers. Long story short...they said no. Our offer was contingent upon our closing and they didn't want to take their house off the market. Back to house hunting!
Kee Kee came that Monday. I had Robert at 39 weeks and we figured it would be safe to have her here at 39 weeks just in case Emma decided to do the same. I went to VW for service and CBS the next day. No Emma. We went to the Zoo that afternoon and walked like crazy. No Emma. I went on all sorts of errands and walked and walked the next day. No Emma. I started walking at night (one night for 2 hours) and no Emma. That Friday the 17th we had an ultrasound scheduled because her due date was that Monday the 20th and they wanted to check in on her. Robby decided to go with me and we drove separately. I had been feeling funny but I had had the same feelings several times before during the pregnancy and thought nothing of it. We even tossed around the idea of Robby going onto work. He however decided because the appointment was so early that he would go and then head to work. I remember driving over the bridge and having to catch my breath and thought I just might be in labor but it wasn't really uncomfortable like it was with Robert so I figured it was just braxton. We had the ultra sound and she looked great. Then we waited to see the midwife (my favorite). When she walked in I said, "I think I am in labor." She said she would check and as she walked by me she put her hand on my belly and said, "Yeah, that's a contraction." When she went to check me I remember her saying, "big numbers, big numbers." The look on her face said it all. She said, "wow, you are a 4!" She kept asking, "Are you sure you are not in pain?" She left to get a nurse and Robby and I looked at each other thinking the same thing...we are going to be at this hospital tomorrow morning eating breakfast....pregnant. They came back with the monitor to hook me up and monitor my contractions. I asked if they were going to admit me and they decided because this was baby #2 that they would. They continued to watch the monitor and ask if I was in pain. Finally I sent Robby out into the hall to get one of them because laying down was not to comfortable. They came back in (two nurses) and said, "wow, look at this." I guess it was really labor?? I don't know what the shock was. We left to go to admitting and laughed thinking about Robert's admitting experience and low and behold....they did it again...lost my papers! This time they went ahead and sent me up. I had to go in one elevator and Robby in another. I went into the L&D room and changed the channel on the TV. They had some awful reality cop show about people being murdered. Not exactly labor material. A nurse came in and casually said she wasn't my real nurse that they were short staffed and someone would be coming later. She knew that this was baby #2 and wanted to get everything going because second babies are faster. She put the gown on the bed and told me I could change. I remember telling her that I would need a minute and was laboring hard at this point, rocking back and forth. She asked me all sorts of questions and I had to sign a few things. She also kept asking me questions about how my labor was going and at one point we both looked at each other and I said I was nauseous and in transition. (I think she checked me at sompoint also) She transformed into superwoman. She took my right hand and began the I V. I, in all my medical wisdom proclaimed my desire to have My IV in the other arm and under my wrist. She informed me that we didn't have time and she could only stick me once and it had to count. At this point Robby walked in and I told him it was coming. The nurse hooked up the heart monitor on me and (it was 1030) walked out to get something, supplies I think. Robby of course went into total doula -amazing mode (I think in his prior life he was some sort of birthing coach??) and started asking all sorts of questions as to what I needed and what he could do. Finally he said, "Do you want me to just be quiet? I will just be quiet." I asked for my CD player (only cool people still have one of those... and use it) and started to listen to the hypno birthing cd. It was hard to keep that with the monitor and the I V. I gave up after a few seconds. He kept his hand on my back and I looked up at him and said, "I have to push." He said, "What??? Wait right there." I remember thinking in my head, "roger." I heard him yell down the hall "She has to push!" Seconds later the door flew open and people, all sorts of people started running in. I said I had to use the restroom and they said I was not allowed (hospital policy). They asked to check me again and I was an 8 I think but we had no OB so they were paging my OB and I stood again and was laboring asking if it was to late for an epidural and they confirmed. The thought crossed my mind- what if I regressed? what if I wasn't close? They told Robby that he was going to have to help, that they didn't have enough people working, that everyone was in surgery. My OB flew in and checked me saying I was complete and just had water. She asked if she could break my water and I said yes. Realizing that I had NO idea what was going on I sat up and threw my hand out and shouted "stop." I asked what it would feel like and she told me I wouldn't feel anything. I braced for the worst because when is that statement ever true? She broke my water and she was in fact being honest. She then started walking me through it and I got ready to panic yet again. I had not done this without an epidural and had no idea what I was doing. It was like something out of a birthing video, she looked me dead in the eye and told me it was ok and that she was going to walk me through it. She started giving directions and Robby says I pushed twice- I really don't remember. I just remember thinking about the ring of fire everyone talks about and waiting for it. When it came I remember thinking the statement is untrue...it is in fact fire but a cannon ball of fire, not a ring. Emma Clara Jones was born at 11:11 February 17th. We had no camera, only my iphone. No cute outfit or hair accessory. I remember the OB staring at me and saying, "You still have all your make up on!" I reminded her I was only coming for an ultrasound.
These are slightly out of order. I remember with Robert feeling excitement but he was born in the middle of the night after almost 24 hours of hard labor. All I wanted to do was sleep. With Emma, I couldn't sleep. I just wanted to watch her (and Fox News) and Robby and I kept saying all night, "Can you believe what just happened?!?" I felt like something from the 6'o clock news headline.
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