Today was C's 17th birthday. We will have a small family party for him tomorrow because today was just too busy. I thought I would take some time to reflect on that day 17 years ago when my oldest child was born. It was a busy day too, but in a very different way.
It was a Wednesday and the day started out with a regular doctor visit to check on the progress of the pregnancy. I was 36 1/2 weeks pregnant with 3 1/2 weeks to go to my due date. The day before, I was not feeling a lot of movement from the baby. When Kurt got home from work we talked about how the baby had not been very active, so I figured that I would mention it to the doctor when I went to my appointment.
I went into the OB/GYN clinic at the hospital for my appointment and let them know of the baby's decreased movement so they hooked me up to some monitors. Soon after the nurses hooked me up the doctor came in and told me that they were going to admit me for further monitoring. They kept loosing the baby's heart rate. I got upset by this because I thought something must be wrong if they are admitting me. The nurses told me not to worry that I would just be monitored for a little while and they would probably send me home in a few hours.
Once I was admitted and taken upstairs they hooked me up to too many things to list here. It seemed like things were okay for a while then within a matter of seconds (and I do mean that literally, it was just seconds) my room was full of doctors and nurses. They first told me to roll onto my left side. When that didn't accomplish what they had hoped they told me to roll onto my right side. This still didn't give them the result they wanted so I was then instructed to get on my hands and knees. . . Okay, wait a minute. . . they do realize that I am a 36 weeks pregnant woman and they want me to get on my hands and knees? But that is exactly what they wanted and they wanted it now! So as quickly as possible I managed to get on my hands and knees. I was then told that the doctor was holding my baby's head up and that was the only way my baby was able to breathe. Please don't try to visualize that. Thanks.
The baby had the umbilical cord wrapped around his neck and was is distress. His heart rate kept dropping. They decided pretty quickly that I was going to need a C-section. At this point they did not know if I was going to be able to stay awake during the C-section or if they would have to knock me out. Kurt would be able to be with me if I was able to stay awake, so they brought him scrubs and told him to get changed and they would come back for him. Well. . . by the time I was taken in for surgery things had changed for the worse and they had to sedate me and get the baby out. They did come back for Kurt but only to tell him he could visit the baby in the nursery.
C was born at 6:50 P.M. Wednesday, June 1, 1994. He was taken to the nursery and put under an oxygen tent. I was taken to recovery. I was not able to see my baby boy for the first 12 or so hours of his life because they would not bring him to see me and they would not take me to see him. I was so happy when I could finally hold my sweet baby boy in my arms. He was such a little guy, weighing in at just 6 pounds and 1/2 of an ounce.
Now that sweet little baby has grown into this 17 year old young man. Sometimes moody, sometimes funny, sometimes helpful, sometimes lazy, sometimes wonderful, sometimes not so much. But always loved!!!
He has brought great joy to my life these past 17 years and I am blessed to be his mom.
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