What a Year!

When I left work on Friday, January 8th of last year, I knew I'd be a mom before the weekend was over...and so it was! The contractions started first thing the morning of the 9th. They were mere cramps so of course I'd continue with my day as planned. That morning I had a "Mocha Moms" interest meeting. Dale drove me to the meeting around 10 and picked me up shortly after noon. All the while, I'm having contractions periodically; nothing too elaborate but enough to know...We went to lunch at a new buffet place in Tallahassee. I had some meat loaf and lima beans...I would later learn why that was a huge mistake. It was about 3 that afternoon by the time we got home and the intensity began. We got our stopwatch and started timing the length of the contractions and how often they were coming. Well, by the time they got to be 15 minutes apart, it was about 5 o'clock. We decided it was time to go to the hospital. Dale grabbed my bag and I grabbed my pillow and purse and we were off. It was starting to hurt! When we arrived at the the hospital, the contractions seemed to be closer together but they still weren't lasting too long. In any case, I knew they wouldn't send me home at this point. They checked us into a room and we made some calls to let family know it was happening. I called my two coaches...my niece, Ty, and my daughter, Galen. I changed clothes, put on my comfy socks and let nature take its course. Fast forward through 6 hours of intense contractions, some laps around the labor and delivery floor, the Diary of a Mad Black Woman, the reckoning of the meatloaf and lima beans, some major fatigue and we're at midnight. At that point, the doctor had to break my water which still didn't get me to dilate at the rate we'd hoped for. I suffered through another 7 hours to a shift change and a dose of pitocin...which made all the difference! The contractions became fierce and baby was ready (at that time, I still didn't know whether it was Grace or Miles) but it would only be another hour or so before the doctor was in position. Push down....that's it.... you're doing good (as CeCe Winans' Throne Room blared in the background).... Ok....rest and when you feel another contraction....Push....I see the head.... You're almost there....Ok...you're going to feel what we call the ring of fire....just push through it and the hardest part will be over. OMG...Push...I see why they call it the ring of fire....It's Grace! Sunday, January 10, 2010 9:53 a.m., 7 lbs.1 oz., 19 3/4 inches.
Nursing and crying and sleeping and growing and rolling over and crawling and cooing and getting on a schedule and not getting on a schedule and sitting up and spitting up and pulling up and growing up and clapping and waving and winking or blinking and smiling and melting my heart and kissing and hugging and cruising and walking and....WHEW....What a Year!