8 months old...

My baby is 8 months old today. I cannot believe how fast time has flown. She has brought me so much happiness and adventure. The older she gets, the more she is changing and becoming her own person. I cannot get over how she is already crawling, trying to stand up, interacts so well with other babies, and is just a great baby! On the 18th of every month, I tell her the story of her birthday.



8 months old today- having her bottle in her birthday suit :)

 As she does get older, the day of her birth gets farther and farther away. When we have another baby (God willing), there are a hundred things I would do differently. But hindsight is 20/20. I do not think I will ever forget the day she was born, but I do want to capture it in writing before details get jumbled.

If you don't like reading about childbirth or the processes involved, I suggest you stop reading now. Its not gory, but I don't want to offend anyone! :)

It was a Wednesday morning, and I had not slept very well the night before. My stomach had been giving me problems for about 2 weeks and it was really bad that night. I woke up and made it to school, where I was on morning duty. I remember sitting at my desk feeling like I was going to pass out at any moment. My stomach was so upset and I knew I would not make it through morning duty without a stop at the bathroom. I called a teammate to see if she would cover for me for a few minutes. She answered her classroom phone, "Are you having the baby?" I laughed and just asked her to step in the hallway to watch the kids.

The morning went on, and I started to feel better. My long term sub was shadowing me that week just to get a feel for how I run my classroom and to get to know my sweet babies. The kiddos were completing their morning routines and I was doing my normal morning tasks. We had our morning meeting and they went to related arts (it was either art class or music). I had a team meeting during my planning and was feeling fine at that point. After the meeting was over, it was time to pick up my kids. My sub volunteered to get them because she knew I was on the complete opposite side of the building and didn't want to make me walk. While she did that, I ran to the bathroom because I knew it would be a long day if I didn't. It was then that I realized I had sprung a leak. I didn't want to panic, so I calmly waited for her return. She got back with the kids and I said that I needed to go to the nurse.

I went to the nurse and called my doctor. Voicemail. I called again. Voicemail again. I was heading back to my classroom when I decided I should let my principals know what was going on. In a smart move, I talked to the female assistant principal rather than the male principal. She asked what color the leak was. When I told her clear she immediately said I needed to call my husband and get to my doctor! The principal walked in, asked what was wrong, made a disturbed looked, told me not to have the baby here, and turned the other way.

I called my husband, who proceeded to ask me "Are you sure?" (YES THEY TOLD HIM IN BIRTHING CLASS DO NOT SAY THAT! my darling dear husband said it anyways). He was supposed to be in Murrells Inlet that day for a meeting. I was panicking a few days earlier saying I didn't want him to be 3 hours away so close to my due date. He told me that the baby wouldn't come and it would be fine! (they cancelled the meeting that week...)

I finally got a call back from the doctor's office. They told me to come in and get checked out. All of sudden a flood of emotions overcame me- fear of what was happening, excitement that today may be the day, sadness that I might not see my sweet students again, and so many more. I went and hugged each of my students and told them I loved them very much.

My husband finally got there and we left for the doctor's office. At the doctor's office there was a bit of confusion. We finally got to see the doctor, they did a test, and confirmed that we would be having a baby! (fun fact I learned: when amniotic fluid dries, it crystallizes and looks really cool! They kept a slide of it because they said it was rare for them to get it in the office)

Vladimir went home to get my hospital bags, and my mom made her way to the hospital. I was so scared but excited. I did not have a SINGLE contraction, so they immediately started me on pitocin. It was only 11:00 am. I feel like I wimped out (mainly because the nurse talked me into it) and got an epidural. Family started showing up, my legs were as numb as can be. Time was flying by for me. I wanted it to slow down so I could take it all in, but I was ready to meet my baby!

Eventually, I stopped dilating. Baby was in position and ready to rock and roll. My body-not so much. At 10:30, they decided I needed a c-section. My worst fears were coming true. My mom, aunt, and cousin all had c-sections. I wanted to break that cycle. Not this time. (I still think the epidural is what did it, and next time I will think twice about it)

So, I signed the papers, they prepped me, got my sweet husband in his scrubs, and wheeled me to the operating room.

I was shaking (I had been the whole day, but now it was nerves, not just being in labor). In a whirl, they were cutting me open and all of a sudden I heard cries- sweet, beautiful, life changing cries. My husband stood up and immediately told me "It's a girl!" I had to ask him if he was sure- I had been feeling boy all along. They brought her around the curtain and I immediately fell in love with her. She had the most beautiful eyes. They took her away, along with my husband. I laid there and got put back together. I remember the doctors and nurses talking about music.

They finally wheeled me to recovery and I got to meet my sweet girl. I was in love. They helped me learn how to nurse and she was a natural. I never wanted to let her go. I knew that my life was forever changed and I could not have been happier. There was also a nice button of morphine that became my BFF.

That is the story of the day, 8 months ago, that my sweet Amy came into the world. The following Monday was the worst day when I had to go to the Emergency Room and was separated from her until that Wednesday. The longest three days of my life- but that's for another blog.

I am sorry this was so long, but I did this for me and for my girl. If you stuck with me through it, I applaud you! :)