My sweet baby boy is almost 2 months old - and yes, time does go by faster with your second child. For the most part, everything is getting back to normal -or what I like to call - our 'new' normal. Presley is in love with her little brother and to watch her with him - makes me love her more, if that is possible. So I said I would blog about Carter's actual birth - a funny story, but really the 1st of 2 lessons I learned from that day. So most of you know that Carter was scheduled to arrived by C-section on Monday, April 14.
1st lesson: GOD is the one with the plan. NOT ME.
I never dreamed he would arrive early! The 14th was 9 days before his due date and I had each day planned with what I needed to finish, etc. before his arrival (including his nursery). We had registered at a different hospital than where I had P, and everything and everyone was ready for a baby boy on the 14th. Nope. On Friday, April 4, I had taken P to gymnastics and dinner to another friend who had just had a baby. It was a normal day, I didn't feel any different, just very pregnant. We had dinner, we put P to bed, and Michael went to play poker with some friends while I went to bed around 11. I got up around 2 and 4am of course to use the bathroom, but then had crawled back in bed. At 7:30 am, Saturday April 5 - I thought he had kicked my bladder - because suddenly the bed was very wet. I sat straight up in bed and kind of gasped. Michael said, "What's wrong?" Me: "Ummm.. I'm not sure -I think I might have peed on myself." M: "Gross". I went to the bathroom and was very confused as to what was going on. The next 10 minutes went something like this:
M: "Well, did you?" K: "I don't know"
M: "How do you not know? Why don't you smell it."
K: (add sarcastic tone here...) "Why don't you smell it?"
M is still in bed I might add K: "I think my water broke"
M: "Are you sure?"
K: "no" (For the record, when it broke with P - it was a huge gush. This could have easily been mistaken for a bladder accident.)
Then the realization of all of my worst nightmares started. I realized my doctor was out of town turkey hunting and would have to call his partner (whom I had never met). I also realized that if I called this doctor, I would not be delivering at the new hospital, I would have to go to the old hospital, where I had Presley, the place that tried to kill me. (whole other story, but it does end with a $25 gift card to Red Lobster). Then I realized that I had not one thing packed in a bag, his nursery was not done, my 2 year old was still asleep, we didn't have a plan for her, my parents are out of town, we had an engagement party that night, I wasn't ready for him yet, and on and on... until sheer PANIC. I start to cry.
M: "Calm Down! If you aren't in labor - you are going to put yourself in labor by freaking out!"
K: "I don't want to go to that hospital, I don't want to have that doctor, I don't want him to come right now! What do we do?"
M: "I don't know. Call Paige"
Here is the irony in the situation. We are two, college educated adults who already have experienced the miracle of childbirth. We both knew what was happening, but somehow needed to get confirmation from Paige as to what we should do.
I call Paige at 7:30 on a Saturday morning. That conversation went like this:
P: Hello?
K: (trying to use the I'm not crying voice) Paige?
P: Are you in labor? (Funny that she can tell this by me saying her name)
K: I think so. I think my water broke. What do I do?
P: Go to the hospital. (Moron! She didn't say that, but I think she was thinking it.)
This is where I learned lesson number 2.
Everybody needs a Paige, and everybody should try to be a Paige to someone. Paige is who you call when you are in crisis, and she goes into crisis mode with you. When M and I finally get our wits about us enough to stop staring at each other in the bathroom, we put on clothes, got P dressed and headed to the hospital. We were there by 8:45. Presley could tell something was wrong because I was having contractions every 90 seconds in the car. I was trying not to scare her, but squeezing Michael's hand, we are flying down the road with our hazards on...similar to a movie. When we wheel into the parking lot, there is Paige - waving, smiling, and waiting to help. Presley was even relieved to see her - a calm soul in the midst of this chaos, and jumps to her as soon as Paige gets her out of her car seat. Long long story short, we made it to the hospital, they gave me meds to slow my contractions, I had a c-section and by 10:22 am - Carter was here! None of my planning or timing could have made it more perfect. It really reminded me that God is in control - not me. And just when you think you have it all together - your water breaks on a Saturday morning and everything is different. Lesson 1: God is in control.
Lesson 2: Be a good friend. Everybody should have a friend like Paige. Someone you can call at any time and they will fix what is broken. One that will come to your defense without question or even knowing the situation. If you have a friend like that, hold on tight. If you are a friend like that, the world is a better place for it. Ok - such a long post, but I had to get that out! Here is a pic of my soul sister... Love you Paige!
