Happy Birthday Megan!

It seems like only a short time ago, Bill and I began our family together. In reality, the five years that have passed since then have just flown by.

Megan loves to hear stories about the day she was born. With the new baby on the way and her birthday here now, it seems as though we talk about "her day" more and more often. So in honor of her fifth birthday, I'll do what she loves the most and tell the story about the day she was born...

The first indication that she was on her way was when I awoke on the morning of 3/18. I stumbled down the stairs around 6am in a sleep induced stupor and I remember being distinctly irritated that "I had to pee for the 3rd time that night!!" Although I don't remember if I really did have to pee or not, I do remember sitting in the bathroom and looking slightly confused at the mess I had made on the bathroom floor.

Although I knew better, every movie I had ever watched made me believe that when my water broke, I would automatically be thrown into the woes of labor. Not the case of course, but the lack of any pain or even twinges confused me even more when I stared at the puddle.

I quietly and calmly called to Bill from my "perch", knowing he would still be sleeping and not wanting him to hear my cry and think that something was wrong. Although I thought I sounded calm, his frenzied stumble down the stairs indicated otherwise. When I asked him what he thought of the mess on the floor, he looked at me like I was nuts and told me either my water broke or I managed to pee all over the bathroom floor. Together we decided that I had not lost control of my bodily functions and after cleaning up the mess we crawled back into bed together and for the next two hours,before I could call the doctor or my office, we discussed how things were finally happening.

I waited all day long for something...anything...to happen. Nothing. I made sure I ate small'ish meals because I had this fear of eating too much and pooping during labor. (Nice I know - but give me a break - it happens!) I finally decided to crawl into bed around 10pm that night in order to get some sleep for what I "knew" would be a long and difficult labor. I mean c'mon...the books tell you everything you need to know (ha ha) and since this was my first kid...surely I was in for a long painful event.

The contractions started shortly after I dozed off and finally around 12:30am, I called the doctor to let them know I was in labor. Early labor of course because I was definitely not in much pain. While speaking to a doctor I had not yet met in the practice of many doctors and mid-wives, I of course was asked the usual questions about strength of pain, length of contractions, could I talk through them and was this my first child. I was told I had long way to go. (Thanks for the insight Doc - I already knew that!)

Around 2:30am I was pacing the bedroom floor and I convinced Bill to place the call to the doctor this time as I knew I would just back down if asked the same dumb questions over again. But all I wanted at this point was for someone - anyone - who knew what was going on, to tell me how I was doing. Maybe my pain threshold was extremely low and these contractions were nothing, therefore I was doing great. Maybe it was extremely high and I was on the verge of giving birth but didn't even know it! I had no idea and I remember hating that feeling of the unknown.

Thankfully, Bill convinced the doctor to let us come in to the hospital to be checked out. Not wanting to jump the gun and rush right in, I decided to take a hot shower first. Waste some more time...help the contractions which were killing my back at this point...anything...

We finally got into the hospital around 4:30am, I was checked out and told that I was not dilated at all. Interesting...how could I be going through this pain for nothing...no results what-so-ever? I was told to either go home or even out for breakfast as we were scheduled to be back at the hospital at 7:30am for a planned induction due to my water breaking 24 hours prior.

Sure! Just what I wanted to do - go sit in a restaurant while trying to contain the fact that I was in labor. But we politely left the hospital and headed back home where I spent the next hour on the couch while Bill went in search of a heating pad for my back.

At 6:30am, Bill pulled me off the couch and advised me we were waiting no longer - he was taking me back to the hospital early. Good thing too - I had a contraction on the couch, walked to the front door and had another. Yep - they were less than a minute a part but I had not been keeping track for a while so I really had no idea.

We arrive at the hospital, I was sent to a room to change, I crawled up on the bed and was examined and to my surprise was told that I could start pushing on the next contraction. THANK YOU GOD!

Megan was born about 30 minutes later, crying all the way. She stopped long enough for me to nurse her and then started back up again. I sent her back to the nursery at night time with the instructions to give her a bottle if she would take it, otherwise bring her back to me and I would nurse her. (Best advice I ever received, by the way!) This was in order for me to get what would turn out to be my last two nights of decent sleep for years to come. I remember asking the nurse the next morning how she made out the night before and she responded by saying that Megan was quite verbal.

And she's consistent - that's for sure, as she's pretty much kept this routine up for the past five years.

So happy birthday Megan! Mommy, Daddy, Bryan and Matthew love you very much. You are a wonderful little girl, a beautiful daughter, a great little sister and an even better big sister. Hugs and kisses from all of us!!