The Beginning

October 12, 1989, noon.


A test to see how the baby was responding to stress. Due date had been September 30. Test done, baby is fine. Don’t worry, this far over due, this test will send you into labor.

10:30 pm, contractions stop all together. Go for a 45 minute swim and a 2.5 mile walk.

October 13, 1989. 8 am, awaken, realized no more contractions … and there is a test in Intro to Sociology in the morning at 9 am that if the baby had come, I’d have been excused from.

Then realize there is a test in Spanish 11 am

And in American History at 1 pm

And in the 4th class at 3 pm and I’d not cracked a book or watched a video because I assumed these tests would not be taken.

So, I went to the pool and swam for 30 minutes, walked 2.5 miles and came home and took a shower. At 10 am had my husband drop me off at the kettle to study for the 4 tests I was facing since apparently this baby would not come until he was ready to graduate from college.



5 pm, I took a break and went for a 2 mile walk. Back to Kettle to study.

9 pm …exactly my stomach tightened up and it was incredibly uncomfortable. I went back to studying. I’d been having Braxton Hicks for WEEKS, it was a bit stronger, but not too bad.

9:20 on the nose … again .. tight! And then again at 9:40.

I was studying and laughing with all the regulars, co workers and friends.

10 pm, on the nose, another contraction.

10:05 pm ..another .. THAT got my attention.

I asked my friend Janet, sitting with me, who’d had a baby what she thought. She jumped up to get the phone for me to call D. I did.

He came and got me, they stayed bout 20 minutes.

I was mad, I still had a swim and half a mile walk to go for the day.

I’d also spent all that time studying apparently for nothing.

We stop by the house to get the bag that is supposed to be in the car.

D opens the door

Ssssssssssssssssssssssssssssssssssssssssssssssssssssssssssssssssssssssssssssssssssssssssssssssssssssssssssssssssssssssssssssssssssssss

What’s tht?

What?

Seriously D, what’s that ssssssssssssssssssssssssssssssss sound. I’m terrified of snakes, not getting out if that is what it is.

D winces. The tire is flat. I get out, call my mom who lives a block away.

We sit on the steps waiting for D to change the tire. I see D climb under the car. I look back at my mom. I hear a loud crash .. the car was on the ground and off the jack. I FREAKED …that was how my uncle died.

D looks around the corner of the car to see why I’m crying.

*whew*

Suddenly, contractions are 3 minutes apart .. Mom takes me to hospital, D calls his friend to come help him get car up onto jack and then a ride to the hospital (while he goes back to fix car)

I check into the hospital at midnight.

Has your water broke?

No

They check, it had. Apparently drinking umpteen zilion cups of coffee and going to the bathroom every few minutes can hide when the water breaks.

Labor progesses till 6:37 in the morning when S makes his entrance into the world. A few unusual things … 1, he can lift his head from the warmer and look around. Doc tells me to get prepared, this is one very strong child. 2, Meconium stain. That’s not good.

I’m smiling, I’m excited. Life is good.

D sleeps, mom goes home and sleeps I stay awake calling everyone I know to tell them S is here.

That night, visiting hours are about over. Mom is about to leave and goes to take our first family picture. I try to smile. I’ve been smiling all day. My smile won’t work. Nothing I do can make me feel like the smile I feel inside is on my face. Mom says I look tired, worn, but ok.

I had no idea that my world had just changed so dramatically. That inability to smile was the tip of the iceberg and that iceberg would control the next 21 years.