Alabama Tracks

Provervbs 3:5-6

5 Trust in the LORD with all your heart and lean not on your own understanding; 6 in all your ways acknowledge him, and he will make your paths straight.

There needs to be a disclaimer here. It reads “Paths will be made straight regardless of whether or not you want them straightened or even if you want to be on said path”. Our path was made straight and it was done so without our consent. That having been said I’m not sure I would change a thing.

The Plan, as it existed, consisted of numerous planned events. While we never kidded ourselves about playing God or setting our own timeline (given our choice of natural childbirth, setting a timetable was an oxymoron) we did have it set where Christmas would be with my mother and sister, Tuesday would be some very brief shopping and relaxation, Wed we would return to work and Tia would drive down, and Thurs we would see the doctor for the last time and hopefully get some labor going.

Our path was straightened at approximately 1:45pm. We had done the shopping and Erin went to take a nap. 15 mins later I hear “Honey… HONEY!!!!!” with that pang of panic dripping. I caught a glimpse of Erin as I ran into the room and I followed her into the bathroom where she told me “My water’s broken. This isn’t pee dripping”. Uhm… yeah. Not good. The Plan didn’t have this. Wasn’t even a scenario we had envisioned (Erin’s a planner, I’m a disaster bunker realist). So I improvise Plan B. After realizing that running around like a madman solves nothing I improvised Plan C. I called Tia (still some 24 hours from her scheduled departure date) and get voicemail. I don’t need voicemail, I need someone who knows something about birthing babies. So I leave a message and suddenly Erin’s cell rings. It’s Tia and the conversation went like this

“I saw you called. What’s up?”
“Erin’s water just broke”
“…oh CRAP”

So now Tia’s racing to leave, like, 10 mins ago and the back bedroom isn’t made, there’s laundry to be done, gear to be assembled and a wife to keep in bed. So I set about doing these things as best as I can. After all, sitting down at this point is not an option. Erin stayed put, stuff got done and Tia made it without any real movement in labor. So now we need labor because, well, water breaking isn’t the best way to start… After a while of no real movement Tia sends Erin and I to bed. It’s roughly midnight on the 27th at this point. Erin gets up at 2:30 feeling serious contractions now. She goes into the living room and tells me to go back to sleep. I awake again around 5:30 and labor has set in now. Contractions are harder and more consistent. I get dressed, say a prayer and call Gerry, a coworker who has agreed to watch Tia’s kids (God bless him for watching Rowan the Terror +2 others). He arrives around 6:30 to take them.

Tia thinks we should wait until 7:45 to head to the hospital. Erin wants to wait until after rush hour. Her stomach wins the argument. She tells me she needs a bowl NOW. I am not a person who works all that well under pressure. Specifically recall of facts. Bowl leads me to think cereal (which I just finished) so I grab one quickly. Good for cereal, bad for barf. The first wave runs in and up the sloped sides and half splashes out onto the table. Enough remains to hold waves 2 and 3 but the bowl is brimming with barf. I toss it in the toilet and Tia goes “OK, maybe now IS a good time after all”. So we pile in the car and head to the hospital.

Preregistration is another oxymoron. Preregistration means they have a file on you. All the serious stuff? Yeah, that has to be done at time of check in. Even more bizarre is that they send Erin off to do all this while in labor and tell Tia and I to wait in the waiting room. Tia stews, I wonder what they’re thinking and after 25 mins we’re allowed to come back. The rooms are generously spaced and share only a common room to heat the baby. Tia and I set up shop and the nurse we get says she understands what a doula is because her daughter is involved in home birthing. So maybe straight paths aren’t so bad after all. She warns Erin of what the vast majority of natural women endure. They get to transition and suddenly want to back out.

Erin seems poised to have a super labor at this point. She is in “the zone” and breathing through the contractions. Our OB is on vacation still but the nurse tries him anyways. No luck. So his partner comes in and, alas, doesn’t seem able to help us. He has more patients at another hospital who need him so yet another partner is supposed to fill in. The nurse seems concerned that she and another nurse might have to do the delivery.

She dilates well but things seems to snag. They think she’s caught on a lip and only at 9cm. Now things are becoming harder and the pain begins to build. The nurse calls the doctor and we’re told he’ll be in in 20 mins. The nurse, who has been trying to forestall pushing, now begins Erin in it. Since her legs don’t bend far enough for stirrups we have to improvise to open enough room for her to push the baby out. Tia takes one leg, I take the other. She lays on her side and we have her push. It takes her some time to figure out how to push but eventually it happens. I watch as, inch by inch, a creamy white thing begins to move out. It’s a long, arduous process. Finally the head is visible in the opening. I figure a few more rounds of pushing but the next one pops out a head. And shoulders, and butt. A whole baby!

They stick her on Erin’s chest while I cut the cord. Alas, there was some tearing but there is nothing but elation there as we welcome her into the world. 6 lbs 9 oz, 19.75″ long. We called whom we could call and I let my mother and sister come back. I had to take Tia to get her kids and returned to move both ladies to the postpartum room.

Alas, things are not as smooth as books or classes lead you to believe. Ruthie isn’t adept at nursing and it frustrates Erin and I. There’s little I can do while this is going on. We try cooing Ruthie and taking turns holding her but Erin is in the driver’s seat and I can’t do much but watch and occasionally hold. We’re both afraid but we know we must press on. After all, God has made the path straight this far. Eventually mother and daughter get on the same page so slowly Ruthie nurses. She’s still not quite there but Auntie Tia and she are working on that in our bedroom as I write this. I have no doubts in my beloved or the path. Morning finally came and our new nurse for Erin is a Brit who knows quite a bit about natural birth. I knew our path was straightened again when she said, “Here in the U.S. they treat pregnancy like a disease”. Too true. She gets on board with us trying to check out early and does what she can to help Erin along with nursing. Our OB-of-the-day comes in and says “Oh, I’ve heard all about your birth and the great job you did”. Apparently nobody in Alabama has ever had a baby before without anesthesia or something.

After some finessing and working with our doctors we manage to check out early and return home with our new daughter. Thank God for straight paths.

I’m a planner and boy am I out of my comfort zone.  I like to have my ducks in a row, all waddling, quacking, and singing the same tune.  I’ve tried my darndest this Christmas realizing that so much was out of my control, but it’s driving me bananas!  There are days that I feel it will be a miracle if I make through Christmas.  This is what is planned thus far.

Sunday, my mother and sister in law will be coming up to spend the day and night with us.  They will go to church along with us, and then we will take them out to lunch somewhere so I don’t have to cook.  Sunday night, I’m planning to make a loaded baked potatoe soup in Panera Bread bread bowls.  Monday, we’ll open a few items (mostly stocking stuffers in boxes rather than in stockings) and I’ll prepare the meal of: Prime Rib, twice baked potatoes, mixed steamed veggies, rolls, and peanut butter pie.  Belle Zora is to bring (based on Joel’s request) homemade chicken and dumplings  and her cheesecake as he remembers it to be, which really isn’t the normal cheesecake but it’s what they called it growing up.  I’m planning to bake the potatoes on Saturday and have the bacon for them cooked already.  The rolls are frozen this year so there shouldn’t be much standing prep time for me.  Following lunch, I’m expecting that they will leave sometime later. 

Tuesday will be a day off for both of us so I plan on taking down Christmas decorations then and recouping from the excitement of having guests.  That is if I don’t start Saturday putting a few things here and there away so I don’t have so much to do all at once. I would imagine I will spend a great deal of time on the couch that day loafing.  (man that sounds good to me today :))  Tia and the kids will come sometime that week (the day is uncertain) in preparation for Ruthie’s arrival.  She is determined to prepare freezer meals for me, go grocery shopping, etc. so I can rest. 

We have yet to paint the cornice board for the curtains in the nursery and I will have to wash the bedding in the cradle and the crib again as the cats have left their hair in both places.  I’m almost done with Ruthie’s gown as buttons and button holes are the only thing lacking now.  That may get done on Saturday so I can have it washed again and pressed, ready for the hospital.  I’m really proud of it as it turned out not too shabby for my first smocked gown. 

It’s quiet here at work today.  Very few people are here and there isn’t a whole lot to do.  I will help Alfa Health with some mailing labels but other than that, the phone is quiet and I’m doing whatever I can find to keep me busy.  Joel found a web sudoku puzzle that I’ve been playing so that has helped pass time.  I keep hoping they will let us go home early but I don’t think they will as we’ve been given Tuesday off instead.  Tonight, Joel and I will go out with Trey and Christina for dinner and probably hang out at their house.  It will most likely be our last time with them without a baby.  Things are a changing.

Christmas is definitely different this year and I can’t wait to see the family, including our newest member.  Film has been purchased and the camera batteries are charged up ready to capture the excitement.  I find myself in a different spot this year, not looking as forward to Christmas as I have done in the past but to the birth of my baby.  So with that, I’ll try to relax and let this chicky’s ducks waddle in their own formation and quack their own tune to the best of my ability.  One or two may get out of line and I’m sure it won’t be the end of world.  Just pray that I let it go as if water ran down their back.

 

Sorry it has been so long since I last wrote.  I’ve been absolutely slammed trying to get ready to leave work, prepare for the holidays, and prepare to have a new little one enter our world.  Crazy doesn’t even begin to sum it up.

I went to the dr. today and was pleased with the outcome.  Everything is still normal though I am 50% effaced and 1 cm dialated of which I can hang out at for quite some time.  It’s going to be a wait and see kind of thing.  He is faxing my birthplan and all my paperwork to the hospital of my choice so it is there ahead of me whenever she decides to come.  I don’t go back to the dr. now until the 28th.  I still think that I will go early as every woman in my family seems to go early, first baby or not.  As such, I am praying for a delivery for after Christmas but before the new year.  The doctor will be on vacation during Christmas so that is a concern.  Ultimatley, it won’t matter in the end but for right now, that is really important to me.  There has been no estimate as to how big she is which is fine as it would be a guess anyways.  So, we’ll just wait and see what each day brings. 

We took Lucie to the shop on Friday as her gear shift has been increasingly tighter.  Turns out she needs some kind of new cable.  We left her there over the weekend so Joel will pick her up today.  Thankfully it won’t be a great deal of money.  Yesterday we had a rock hit the Hyundai windsheild but it didn’t spider.  It just left a pucker.  We hope to have insurance fix it as they usually will just so it doesn’t spider and cost them more money.  It seems crazy to me that in the last 3 years, we’ve have 4 rocks hit our windshield in various cars. 

Work is getting much slower now that the holidays are nearing though I’m trying to get cheat sheets to everyone who will be filling in for me while I’m gone.  Copying files and making things available have proven to be very time intensive.  Many will be out on vacation this week and next so it is bound to be relatively quiet around here.

So anyways.  That is what’s up in a nutshell.  Compact I know but it will at least give you some kind of an idea.  Until next time…

This is something that I just didn’t expect to have to do when I got pregnant.  I guess I was naive.  After all, I myself visit the doctor on a regular basis (not so much now but I used to “live” at the dr. ofc).  Even having a sister who has dealt with pediatricians for years, I just remained outside that little world as it really didn’t affect me.  That was, until now.

Joel and I met Dr. Jeffrey Simon today.  He had come recommended by a few people here at work, his cousin, and the lactation consultant.  Even my ob/gyn recommended him.  I had appointments lined up for his partner as well for Tuesday.  After today, I cancelled that appt.  Dr. Simon gave us a general tour of the office and then met with us in his office for about 20 minutes.  First and foremost, he is a Christian and isn’t afraid to put that out there.  He is ex navy and spent some time in Jacksonville so we immediately had a commonality.  All seemed to be pretty standards throughout the conversation regarding child rearing (spanking, sleeping, breastfeeding, etc.) so I pretty pleased.  It turns out that his wife has used the lactation consultant that taught our class as well.  He then mentioned that he and his wife are part of organic co-ops, have chickens, etc.  Not bad!!!  He is more than fine with delaying vaccinations but would have to refer me to the health dept. if I wanted to split the combinations shots up.  He offerred a few books and “authorities” some being Ezzo ‘Baby Wise’ and www.nogreaterjoy.org.  I was very pleased with his demeanor and his approach to talking with both of us.  Upon leaving, I told Joel that I was going to cancel the appt. with the other dr. as I’ll end of seeing him anyways eventually and if I need his expertise, I know I’ll be able to have access to it via Dr. Simon. 

So one more thing is now off my list of “to do’s”.  Joel is off today and is hanging Christmas lights and shampooing the carpets which are so desperately needing some TLC.  Saturday we’ll spend the day cleaning, preparing the nursery and I may even try to make a dish or two to freeze for after the birth.  I will also put up the rest of the Christmas decorations. 

I go back to the dr. on Monday and will have my Strep B culture done.  I believe after this visit, I’ll be on the weekly visit schedule.  It’s getting so close now that December is here.  It just blows my mind that in just a few short weeks, it will be finished and official and she’ll be in my arms for the first time, ready to meet those who love her already.