Monday, April 5, 2010

April 3, 2004

On this day, one of the two best surprises of my life was born.  (My first son, Garrett, being the other one.)  My husband and my daughter have already said some wonderful things about him on their blogs.  He brings all of us lots of joy.  


I just wanted to take this opportunity to give a little counsel to mothers of more than one, a few, several, lots of kids.  Don't think that just because you have given birth one, two, three, four times before that you know everything.  


When I was pregnant with Anderson, my 5th baby, I knew everything.  I knew all the signs of labor, all the intricacies of pregnancy and what my body did during childbirth.  I was experienced.  Confident.  Well-informed.  An old pro.


So, when I was 9 months pregnant, all that knowledge and experience paid off.  I clearly knew what was going on....


We had just moved into a new house and had ordered kitchen cabinets.  They weren't ready when we moved in, but they were installed on April 2nd.  So, some of my friends came over to help me put all of the kitchen items away in the new cabinets.  I tried to help out, too.  But wasn't feeling too well.  In fact, I remember saying, "Girls, I'm sorry that I'm not helping very much, but every time I stand up and move, my stomach knots up."  


Later that night, my friend, Tessa, and I went to the mall to get some groceries and supper.  The only thing I felt like eating was a baked potato.  Then I went to the grocery store, but as I roamed the aisles with my shopping cart, I had to stop a few times because my stomach was knotting up in pain.  


I then came home and fell asleep on the couch.  Woke up, went upstairs and told my husband that I was having contractions.  "I know it's not the real thing yet,"  I said.


We got into bed.  I had a contraction, then 5 minutes later, another.  "It will stop, " I said.  "If it doesn't, I'll get up and take a warm bath.  Then it will stop."


Then my water broke.  Then horrible pains came.  Then 2 hours later,  I was a mom again.


This whole day, with pains and contractions, and the first time I even suspected that it was time, was when my water broke.  And I had 4 other kids.


Why the dumbness? 


I was carrying Anderson really high.  He hadn't dropped at all.  He was right up under my ribs.  I just knew that he would have to drop first, then I would be ready.


Days later when I arrived home from the hospital with my new baby boy, I found this information on babycenter.com.


It's impossible to say precisely when your baby will "drop" or descend into your pelvis, because every pregnancy is unique. If this is your first baby, this process, which is also called lightening, is likely to occur several weeks before labor begins, though it may happen later. For subsequent pregnancies, lightening often doesn't occur before labor starts.




Oh.




Anyway, it was all for a good cause.  This little guy has always been full of surprises.





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