Two Years Ago

I'm feeling more than a little sentimental today as I realize that my Adrie has been part of my life for two years today. I'm going to reminisce - it's not graphic - but might not be the 'thing' for you so feel free to skip it.

She was due on Sept 14th, and I was disappointed that I was feeling NO contractions or signs to herald her arrival. Saturday night the 16th I went to the University mall by myself and walked around for hours, window shopping mostly. I most vividly remember being in Bath & Body Works, and I think I bought my firstwallflowers air fresheners.

Sunday morning Sept 17th, 2006 I woke up and upon starting to get out of bed, realized my water was broken. I called the hospital, still in semi-disbelief that this could actually mean I was having a baby. I called the ER where Kurt was working and paged for him to call me - which meant all of his coworkers and he knew already what that meant. While he hurried I home I leisurely gathered up my things, washed my face & did makeup, and got ready to go.

On the car ride to the hospital - which was a glorious, sunny Sunday morning - we hit up a redbox outside McDonalds for hospital entertainment. We tried timing 'contractions' but they still weren't very painful and not that big of a deal. Kurt wore his scrubs to the hospital for extra prestige and respect - which really seemed to work! They checked us in to the hospital, and I was still half-expecting them to say "go home" or something - and it wasn't until I stripped into only a hospital gown that I really realized I wouldn't be leaving this hospital without a baby.

We spent the day in a beautiful room with a gorgeous view, and despite the fact I brought books, movies, and lots to do, we mostly sat around, talked, thought, journaled a little. With the help of ptsosin I progressed amazingly fast, and it was fun to have my doctor check in on me every few hours in his suit and tie, neglecting stake presidency duties across the street. With the mercy of my early epidural - about 11:00 in the morning, only an hour or so after arriving at the hospital - I was amazingly comfortable and enjoying the experience. We watched contractions on the screen and I only pushed the "more drugs" button once. I had to wear an oxygen mask because her heartbeat would drop after contractions. I was pretty shocked to have a nurse come check me and say "She's station 3" which I knew from my birth class station 4 meant 'delivered'! I couldn't believe my good fortune!

About 6:00 in the evening with the change in nurses, my new nurse decided we could practice pushing. They helped prop me up in that bed - it was awful not being able to move my legs entirely on my own! - and the most uncomfortable part of this whole experience was sitting scrunched up with my ribs killing me due to the massive baby there. We did one set of practice pushes - which is 3 pushes 10 seconds each - and then she said "We'd better not push anymore, I've got to call the doctor." I tried to adjust because of my aching ribs (seriously, I was hurting - which is really funny to me now, being that my ribs were the worst part!) and she looked over and said "Don't MOVE!" they called a team to deliver because the doctor wasn't there, but he swooped in just in time and at 6:23 pm after one big push and the craziest feeling I've ever experienced in my life as she came out of me - like losing your stomach in reverse - Adrienne Sage was born.

She didn't cry a lot, or very loud, and she was surprisingly clean. I looked at her with interest, sort of like "Huh. That's her. Interesting. She's cute." It was not really love at first sight, which some of you may think sounds awful but I am totally okay with. Kurt was completely enamored and followed her around while being cleaned & checked. As I was still in the process of finishing up I said "Whoa! That wasn't so bad. I could do that again!" and the doctor laughed.

We spent every hour we were allotted in the hospital, and kept Adrie in the room all but 4 of those hours, to get a little sleep the second night. We didn't interact with the nurses much and I didn't leave my room for the full 2 days. It was sort of like our little island.

We came home and began life! She was an easygoing, happy baby who cried very little unless she needed something, or during that fussy period in the evenings. Grandma Wood always said "You're going to spoil that baby by holding her so much!" and Grandma Williams kept saying "You just wait, around ten days old they 'wake up' a little" (meaning she wouldn't always be so good-natured.) They were both wrong, and Adrienne Sage has been an easygoing joy and delight for the whole two years I've been blessed to have her in my life.