Miracle of miracles; I'm posting to my blog again! It has been three months. Unforgivable!
It amazes me how many excuses children come up with to not stay in bed. There are the usual; "I need to go to the bathroom." "I'm thirsty. I need a drink of water." Then there are the scary ones; "There's a monster in my closet, or under my bed." "I'm scared of the dark."
But until last night, I hadn't heard this particular one. I was both amazed at the creativity and amused by the ridiculousness of it. Funnier still, it was given by my three year old! I understand why it was so hard for Ethan to go to bed last night. He fell asleep late in the afternoon and wasn't able to be awoken until almost 6:00pm. So when bedtime rolled around at 7:30pm, he was not quite ready to settle down. But it was bedtime; no ifs, ands, or buts about it.
After giving the usual excuses ("sometimes I get cold" or "sometimes I get scared") Ethan stood at the top of the stairs and said, in a very pathetic, sad, whiny voice, "But sometimes I get lost." Talk about lost, I lost control of my laughter! This may be funnier to those who have seen our house and know how the upstairs is laid out.
Picture a long, straight hallway. At the far end, facing the street, is the master bedroom. There is a small room directly to the right of the master (while facing the master door), which is the laundry room. Heading down the length of the hall (now facing away from the master door), you will reach the boys' bathroom on the right, the computer room, also on the right, and at the opposite of the master, is Joey's room. Directly to the left of Joey's room (while facing his door) is Nick and Ethan's room. It's a straight hallway, impossible to get lost in. No twists and turns, no hidden passageways, no trick doors. Just a straight strip.
As if to prove that he gets lost, we heard Ethan playing around in the computer room, where Andrew sleeps. Daddy yelled up the stairs to "get back in your room, and in your bed." Ethan calls back down, "See, I get lost." What an amusing boy he can be.
Andrew is growing quickly. He now has six teeth on top, and none on bottom. We can feel they're in there, just not poking through yet. He has his 15 month check up yesterday and is doing well. He had to have three shots, a finger poke to check iron levels, and his teeth painted with fluoride, so he had an unpleasant time. But he sure charmed the nurse before that. She was pleased to see he hasn't lost his cheeks. Those are not likely to go away anytime soon.
He has been up and walking a little bit. I think he has gotten up to ten steps in a row, once. He like to practice standing and walking, and it won't be too much longer before he is walking and running all over the place.
Nick and Joe are doing well in school. Nick's handwriting has improved greatly since the beginning of the year. And he is finally starting to read a bit and getting really good. He has very clear diction, which I find impressive.
Joe had to created a project and present it to his class on "Working Together". He made a diorama of him and his brothers cleaning the room. Each of the boys had a job to do. So, one person was picking laundry, one was picking up toys, and one was picking up garbage. It was well done and he got the highest score possible on his presentation! Very proud of how well they are doing in school.
Christmas is coming up quick, and we are really looking forward to spending with our families again. It's the best part of the holidays. I just wish I could make my children understand that, as well. They are very focused on the "getting presents" aspect, and I am very tempted to cancel gifts all together, at times. I know part of it is the age they are, and the fact that we live in a country of abundance. We are very blessed. But this gives them a false sense of entitlement that I find disturbing.
It is lunch time, so I need to go get the nuggets into the over. I believe, also, that I have a stinky Fella that needs to be changed. My eyes started watering a couple minutes ago, so it's past time to get him changed.
Saturday, December 17, 2011
Wednesday, September 28, 2011
One Year Goes Too Fast
So much has happened in the last few weeks! Sometimes it is all I can do just to remember to put my clothes on the right way, let alone put thoughts to "paper" to keep my blog up to date.
So the biggest event happened on September 14, 2011. My youngest, my baby, my precious little Drew-Boy turned one year old! Hard to believe that so much time has gone by, and yet so much has happened in that year, that it doesn't seem to be able to fit in just 12 months.
I was working on Andrew's First Year Photo Book, which allows 30 pages at no additional cost, and was concerned with how the book was going to end up when I had completed 12 pages before he was a week old!
On Sept 8th, Andrew finally cut his first tooth, the top front tooth on the left. Then on the 21st of Sept., he cut his second tooth, the top front on the right! On that same day, he finally started crawling. He is taking his own sweet time in his development, and I couldn't be happier. It is hard enough to keep track of three boys running helter-skelter. Having one more on his feet will be that much more "fun"!
So, here is the last of the age comparison pictures. Kind of sad, isn't it? Here are the four Luty boys, each at one year old.
We'll start with Chubba Bubba. He was such a precious love at this age. Even now, he desires more time to sit on my lap and rock. I love that about him. He may be seven, and getting too big, but he still wants his "mommy" time.
My biggest ham, Nick! He was a constant source of hilarity at one year old. He was so strong-willed (and still is) and determined. He found joy in each discovery, even what if felt and sounded like to spread an entire newspaper all over the floor.
Ethan was always in a hurry to keep up with his brothers. Even at a year old, while first learning to walk, he was acting like he believed himself to be able to do the same things he saw his brothers doing. He is total Alpha-Male around here, and I love watching it! The shirt we got him for his birthday says it all: "I may be small, but I'm the boss." And he fully believes it. When his Nick will say "You're not the boss of me!" Ethan will reply with, "Yes, I am. My green shirt says so!"
Andrew is a complete joy, and totally cute enough to just stare at all day! The doctor's visit went well, although she was a little concerned that his chart was showing that he is plateauing a bit. She did say that he didn't look like an Ethiopian, but he was weighed in at 20lbs 11 oz (20th%) and measured at 29.75in (32%). Not that those numbers are bad in themselves, but they didn't show much change from three months before. Although, his head was 48.9 cm, still in the greater than 97th percentile! Not surprising. All my boys inherited their Daddy's big noggin! He's a sweetheart, though.
It is lunch time, and the little booger is getting very upset and impatient. So I will finish up here and say good-bye for now.
Friday, August 19, 2011
A Brave Day At The Doctor's
Nick and Ethan, having just celebrated their birthdays, went to the doctor today to see how much they have grown. Each of them are doing well and were very brave. Ethan has been scared of the doctor for awhile, but today, although he played a very shy child, he did not fuss with all the equipment as usual. They were each given a book, as each patient is for their well-child check ups until age five, to promote reading.
They each needed shots today which has been a horrifying experience for both of them in the past. They have been so afraid of getting shots. They don't even like it when their brothers need shots. Nick decided to go first today. Although he was very scared and shaking, he never cried even once. I was so proud of him. As I was helping him with his shoes, he looked over at the nurse and said, "That hurted." (Kind of reminded me of the "Charlie Bit Me" video on Youtube.) Then it was Ethan's turn. I think he was lulled into a false sense of security with Nick not crying. He didn't seem to scared at first, but then he was poked for the first time and did not like it AT ALL. He only cried a little and was very quick to calm down. They were so good.
I also got to show on of Andrew's 10 month pictures off and everybody thought all my kids are the most beautiful. Everyone agreed that my kids are too beautiful to stop having kids. Nick wasn't happy to here that when I told him. Of course.
Nick also had his eyes and ears checked and has perfect 20/30 vision and perfect hearing. He's all set to start Kindergarten in a couple weeks.
Here are their stats:
Nick - 39.3 lbs (39%) 43.5 in (52%)
Ethan - 32.3 lbs (56%) 37.75 in (59%)
The school offices just opened back up yesterday, so hopefully, we will hear soon about what teachers each of the kids have. I did find out that the first day of school for 1st and 2nd graders is Wed Aug 29, and for Kindergarteners with last names starting with A-L is Sep 1st. So Nick will go to school, yes a full day, unfortunately, on Thursday and then have a four day weekend. There will be on open house on Mon the 29th so we can meet the teachers and see the classrooms. And then we are supposed to have a 1/2 hour meeting with Nick's teacher sometime during the first day of school (the 29th.) I'm still worried about Nick going to school. I'm sure he'll be fine and will adjust, but he is still so young. If in a couple weeks he doesn't seem to be handling it well, we will rethink the situation.
I have given up soda and started drinking that horrible water. But I'm doing really well. I drank 84.5 oz on Saturday, 70 oz on Sunday, 80 oz on both Mon and Tue, and 120 oz on Wed and Thur. By 3pm today, I will have finished 60 oz, so I'm well on my way to another 120 oz day. I'm still getting headaches everyday, which is not fun. I don't think it is because I'm detoxing from soda, or dehydration anymore. Nick wants me to go to the Dr. but I think it may just be allergie congestion. I don't feel very congested in my nasal sinuses, but the headaches feel like an intense pressure at the top and front of my head, as if my skull is ready to burst. The bones above my eyesockets feel bruised to the touch, as well. I hope these headaches subside before too much longer.
Well, I'll leave you for now and will endeavor to be more consistent in my blogging in the future.
They each needed shots today which has been a horrifying experience for both of them in the past. They have been so afraid of getting shots. They don't even like it when their brothers need shots. Nick decided to go first today. Although he was very scared and shaking, he never cried even once. I was so proud of him. As I was helping him with his shoes, he looked over at the nurse and said, "That hurted." (Kind of reminded me of the "Charlie Bit Me" video on Youtube.) Then it was Ethan's turn. I think he was lulled into a false sense of security with Nick not crying. He didn't seem to scared at first, but then he was poked for the first time and did not like it AT ALL. He only cried a little and was very quick to calm down. They were so good.
I also got to show on of Andrew's 10 month pictures off and everybody thought all my kids are the most beautiful. Everyone agreed that my kids are too beautiful to stop having kids. Nick wasn't happy to here that when I told him. Of course.
Nick also had his eyes and ears checked and has perfect 20/30 vision and perfect hearing. He's all set to start Kindergarten in a couple weeks.
Here are their stats:
Nick - 39.3 lbs (39%) 43.5 in (52%)
Ethan - 32.3 lbs (56%) 37.75 in (59%)
The school offices just opened back up yesterday, so hopefully, we will hear soon about what teachers each of the kids have. I did find out that the first day of school for 1st and 2nd graders is Wed Aug 29, and for Kindergarteners with last names starting with A-L is Sep 1st. So Nick will go to school, yes a full day, unfortunately, on Thursday and then have a four day weekend. There will be on open house on Mon the 29th so we can meet the teachers and see the classrooms. And then we are supposed to have a 1/2 hour meeting with Nick's teacher sometime during the first day of school (the 29th.) I'm still worried about Nick going to school. I'm sure he'll be fine and will adjust, but he is still so young. If in a couple weeks he doesn't seem to be handling it well, we will rethink the situation.
I have given up soda and started drinking that horrible water. But I'm doing really well. I drank 84.5 oz on Saturday, 70 oz on Sunday, 80 oz on both Mon and Tue, and 120 oz on Wed and Thur. By 3pm today, I will have finished 60 oz, so I'm well on my way to another 120 oz day. I'm still getting headaches everyday, which is not fun. I don't think it is because I'm detoxing from soda, or dehydration anymore. Nick wants me to go to the Dr. but I think it may just be allergie congestion. I don't feel very congested in my nasal sinuses, but the headaches feel like an intense pressure at the top and front of my head, as if my skull is ready to burst. The bones above my eyesockets feel bruised to the touch, as well. I hope these headaches subside before too much longer.
Well, I'll leave you for now and will endeavor to be more consistent in my blogging in the future.
August 14, 2011 - Eleven Months
Andrew turned eleven months old on the 14th of August, 2011. This quick post will be a visual tour of each child at eleven months old.
Joseph
Nick
Ethan
Andrew
Joseph
Nick
Ethan
Andrew
July 14, 2011 - Ten Months
I know it has been a horribly long time since I've blogged. It's not that I don't want to, it's just that I don't have a lot of time...plus, by the time I have sat down to blog, I have already told the stories I would have written about to all the people who ever read my blog anyway. So then I find I have nothing more to say. Although, since I use my blog as an ongoing "baby" book for all my kids, I should write them down anyway, so that when I go back to write in their actual baby books, I'll have something to write. So for now, let me catch up on the "biggies" that I've missed, starting with the ten month comparrisons.
Andrew turned ten months old on July 14, 2011. He is such a sweet, contented baby...for the most part. So let us take a look at what each of the kids looked like at ten months old.
Joseph was a cute chubby, curly-headed dream.
Nick was already a ham-bone, always posing with a cheesy grin.
Ethan was showing early signs of precociousness, (a trait I find adorable, admittedly.)
Andrew is just too cute not to look at. I could sit at stare at him all day. Such a sweetie, he is.
Andrew turned ten months old on July 14, 2011. He is such a sweet, contented baby...for the most part. So let us take a look at what each of the kids looked like at ten months old.
Joseph was a cute chubby, curly-headed dream.
Nick was already a ham-bone, always posing with a cheesy grin.
Ethan was showing early signs of precociousness, (a trait I find adorable, admittedly.)
Andrew is just too cute not to look at. I could sit at stare at him all day. Such a sweetie, he is.
Friday, June 17, 2011
Nine Months Have Come And Gone
Nine months ago, I gave birth to our fourth precious package of perfection. He was, amazingly so, our smallest package. But you know what they say....good things come in small packages. And it is most definitely the truth. Andrew is an absolute joy! He is so contented, happy, loving, snuggly. He has reached the age where he does like to be down and moving about. When it comes time for floor time, I can hardly keep him in the living room. He loves to make a bee-line for the kitchen. I'm sure he has learned that he can find the most to pick up under the table. As often as I sweep the floors, he manages to find little treasures.
I love how Andrew knows when he gets to go to sleep, because he settles himself so comfortably in my arms, and closes his eyes nearly right away. It's as if he has reached his safe haven and can completely let go. Nick likes to say that he just melts into my arms. There is nothing better. I am going to miss that feeling most of all.
It is that time again to show what each of my kids looked like at nine months old. In my opinion, Andrew looks the most like Joey at this age. They were all so adorable.
Joseph, aka Bubba, was a round, chubby lover-boy.
Nick was always smiling, always mischevious, and always a ham.
Ethan was too cute with those huge cheeks. He still has the chubby cheeks, but the fit so much better on his face now, than they did back then!
Andrew, my precious little pea-head, my sweetie-peetie pie.
I have been mightily blessed with my children. Joe is going into second grade, Nick will start Kindergarten, and the other two are growing so fast I can hardly catch my breath.
I do have to go as Andrew is past due for his nap and is reminding me quite forcefully. Nick and Ethan absolutely need a snack before the starve to death because I obviously never feed them. So I will sign off for now.
I love how Andrew knows when he gets to go to sleep, because he settles himself so comfortably in my arms, and closes his eyes nearly right away. It's as if he has reached his safe haven and can completely let go. Nick likes to say that he just melts into my arms. There is nothing better. I am going to miss that feeling most of all.
It is that time again to show what each of my kids looked like at nine months old. In my opinion, Andrew looks the most like Joey at this age. They were all so adorable.
Joseph, aka Bubba, was a round, chubby lover-boy.
Nick was always smiling, always mischevious, and always a ham.
Ethan was too cute with those huge cheeks. He still has the chubby cheeks, but the fit so much better on his face now, than they did back then!
Andrew, my precious little pea-head, my sweetie-peetie pie.
I have been mightily blessed with my children. Joe is going into second grade, Nick will start Kindergarten, and the other two are growing so fast I can hardly catch my breath.
I do have to go as Andrew is past due for his nap and is reminding me quite forcefully. Nick and Ethan absolutely need a snack before the starve to death because I obviously never feed them. So I will sign off for now.
Thursday, May 26, 2011
Inverted Deja Vu
Last Saturday, I took Joseph to the Rochester School District's Bi-Annual Arts Festival. Participation was not mandatory, but we were happy to go. As I walked Joseph in to the gym, I had a twisted sense of deja vu. It seemed so few years ago that I was the student getting ready for a concert.
Choir has always been a passion of mine; not just singing, but specifically ensemble singing (which includes musical theater.) I love how a group of individuals can come together to make a beautiful and amazing sound woven together. Unfortunately, I was part of a school choir where the majority of students didn't share my passion to excel in the choir, it was more of a class to take for an easy 'A'. Our sound, as a whole, was lacking, even though we did have a few real talents.
So as I sat in the gym of Rochester High School waiting to hear Joseph's school sing, I was experiencing a weird combination of sensations. Part of me felt like I should be preparing myself to sing, and the other part felt pride in my son for performing. I had a sense of feeling what my Mom may have felt hen she came to watch me perform, while at the same time, feeling entirely too young to have a child in school performing (as it was obviously just the other day when I was on stage performing.)
I guess I was feeling a bit of nostalgia; a fond remembrance for something I wish I could still be a part of. Not my high school choir necessarily, but something. My best choir memories are from being a part of Ambassadors of Music. This was a choir of about a hundred high school students from all over the state, where each member had a true passion and talent. We were given one week to learn all the music on our own, and one weekend to practice is as a choir before leaving for a European tour. It was the most amazing sound, the most amazing experience.
Anyway, enough reminiscing. The boys are playing well together before Joseph leaves for school. We are excited to have some company this weekend. Greg, Janell, and Peyton will be staying with us Sunay night. It will tae the rest of this week to get the boys to get their rooms cleaned up. I usually end up doing all the work, but I don't want to this time. I want the boys to learn some responsibility, and not to expect that I will always do it for them. But that means that it takes much longer, and I have to let go of some of the OCD driven perfection. Let's just say it's. Work n progress.
I have to make sure Joseph is ready for school. I'll be back later.
Choir has always been a passion of mine; not just singing, but specifically ensemble singing (which includes musical theater.) I love how a group of individuals can come together to make a beautiful and amazing sound woven together. Unfortunately, I was part of a school choir where the majority of students didn't share my passion to excel in the choir, it was more of a class to take for an easy 'A'. Our sound, as a whole, was lacking, even though we did have a few real talents.
So as I sat in the gym of Rochester High School waiting to hear Joseph's school sing, I was experiencing a weird combination of sensations. Part of me felt like I should be preparing myself to sing, and the other part felt pride in my son for performing. I had a sense of feeling what my Mom may have felt hen she came to watch me perform, while at the same time, feeling entirely too young to have a child in school performing (as it was obviously just the other day when I was on stage performing.)
I guess I was feeling a bit of nostalgia; a fond remembrance for something I wish I could still be a part of. Not my high school choir necessarily, but something. My best choir memories are from being a part of Ambassadors of Music. This was a choir of about a hundred high school students from all over the state, where each member had a true passion and talent. We were given one week to learn all the music on our own, and one weekend to practice is as a choir before leaving for a European tour. It was the most amazing sound, the most amazing experience.
Anyway, enough reminiscing. The boys are playing well together before Joseph leaves for school. We are excited to have some company this weekend. Greg, Janell, and Peyton will be staying with us Sunay night. It will tae the rest of this week to get the boys to get their rooms cleaned up. I usually end up doing all the work, but I don't want to this time. I want the boys to learn some responsibility, and not to expect that I will always do it for them. But that means that it takes much longer, and I have to let go of some of the OCD driven perfection. Let's just say it's. Work n progress.
I have to make sure Joseph is ready for school. I'll be back later.
Saturday, May 14, 2011
Four Months To Go
First of all, happy birthday Dad.
Okay, I am going to have to make this quick...Andrew is screaming, ready for his nap. Andrew is eight months old today. Only four more months until my baby is one year old. I'm not ready. I'm not ready to be done with the baby stage. And since everyone who matters is determined that we won't have any more kids...this is my last baby phase.
So here are all my kids' pictures from when they were eight months old.
Joseph
Nick
Ethan
Andrew
Time's out. Andrew won't be ignored any more.
Okay, I am going to have to make this quick...Andrew is screaming, ready for his nap. Andrew is eight months old today. Only four more months until my baby is one year old. I'm not ready. I'm not ready to be done with the baby stage. And since everyone who matters is determined that we won't have any more kids...this is my last baby phase.
So here are all my kids' pictures from when they were eight months old.
Joseph
Nick
Ethan
Andrew
Time's out. Andrew won't be ignored any more.
Thursday, May 05, 2011
I Became A Mom Seven Years Ago
The alarm clock went off at 6:00am. Nick got up to get ready for work, and noticing that I was awake, asked if I was okay. I felt a little uncomfortable; nothing I could exactly pin down. I thought I was having some mild contractions, but having never been in labor before, I wasn't certain that what I was feeling was, in fact, labor. I told Nick to go to work. I had a doctor's appointment a few hours later and I would call him if I needed him home.
I made it to my appointment, feeling more confident that I may be in labor, but since I was already scheduled, I figured I would let the experts tell me. I was shown to the examine room and the nurse walked in. She looked at me and said, "You don't look like you feel very well. You look like you are in labor." They hooked me up to a monitor and, sure enough, I was having steady contractions about every three minutes. I got on my cell phone and called Nick. He was kind of exasperated...I mean excited. (You know how men are; they kind of fall apart for the first birth.) He had driven the work truck to work, so he didn't have his car, and had to borrow somebody else's to get home.
Then I called mom. Actually, I paged her. She was at work, too. She was scheduled to work in Hillsboro, but had been flown to Aurora, so she didn't have her car either. She also borrowed a coworker's to get to the hospital. Thankfully, her boss said, "No one stands in the way of grandbabies being born." and had no problem letting her off work.
I drove myself home, feeling the contractions more keenly. I called Aubrey on the way to let her know, and I had a hard time concentrating on what I was saying. It was a very stilted conversation. Nick and I were very good first time pregnant people....we had our bags packed and ready to go. Unfortunately, we hadn't loaded them in the car. Nick told me to wait for him, but he was still an hour away, and the doctor had already called the hospital to have me admitted. So, of course, I didn't wait for him. I kept busy waiting so the time went by faster.
I was thrilled to be ushered right to an LDRP room when we arrived at the hospital. I was quite terrified of having to go to the "prove-it" room. The lady who taught our birthing class told us about the room the nurses call the "prove-it" room. It's just the exam room that you go to when you show up at the hospital believing yourself in labor, and they hook you up to the monitors and do a physical exam to make sure you are in labor. She also told of the high numbers of women who came in and were sent home. I was terrified of being in that number. So I was relieved to be able to skip that step.
We got settled into our room, turned on my relaxing music, turned on my fan (very important) and settled in for a nice long day. My mom, my mother-in-law, and my sister-in-law joined us. I remember being worried about how bored everybody must be. There really wasn't anything to do but watch the monitor go up and down with my contractions. I enjoyed being in the whirlpool bath, but the first time Nick turned on the bubbles, I immediately lost concentration, and to have them kept off. I asked mom at one point how far apart my contractions were, because they felt one on top of another. I was certain she was wrong when she told me they were two minutes apart. She obviously had never gone through labor before, or she would have known that they were really much closer than the clock showed.
I'll tell you what; there is NOBODY better to have during labor than my mom. I love my husband, and he was the best, doing what he could, and whatever I needed, he saw to it that I had. But my mom was able to give me that childhood comfort that I always got from her. She knew when to be quietly comforting, and when to be vocally encouraging. And to have her there to hold my child as soon as he was born (after Nick and I) was a very special moment for me.
It was also special to me to have my mother-in-law with me. This was her first born son having his first born son. It is a precious memory.
The moment finally came for Joseph to be born. It was the absolutely most amazing experience. The very best part of pregnancy is giving birth. And then to hold my son for the very first time; words simply can't describe how wonderful.
And today, it has been seven years since that day. SEVEN. I still love to hold him. I love that he still wants me to. I don't hold him often anymore, and every few days he will ask to rock with me since, "I don't get to rock with you much anymore" as he says. He can try my patience, he's a school age know it all who doesn't believe his mom can possibly know more than him, and he can be the biggest bully to his brothers, but he is still my precious Bubba. He prefers to be called Joseph now, but I often forget. In fact, Joe is usually called "Ethnijoe", just as Nick is called "Joeethnick", and Ethan is "Nijoethan." He is the first to try to smooth over my upset feelings when the kids have pushed too many buttons. He stills mentions to me when I have forgotten to ask him how he slept or given him a good morning hug. He is still my love bug and I am incredibly proud of him.
One of the five best days of my life was seven years ago today. I love that I am reminded of that everyday I see my son.
I made it to my appointment, feeling more confident that I may be in labor, but since I was already scheduled, I figured I would let the experts tell me. I was shown to the examine room and the nurse walked in. She looked at me and said, "You don't look like you feel very well. You look like you are in labor." They hooked me up to a monitor and, sure enough, I was having steady contractions about every three minutes. I got on my cell phone and called Nick. He was kind of exasperated...I mean excited. (You know how men are; they kind of fall apart for the first birth.) He had driven the work truck to work, so he didn't have his car, and had to borrow somebody else's to get home.
Then I called mom. Actually, I paged her. She was at work, too. She was scheduled to work in Hillsboro, but had been flown to Aurora, so she didn't have her car either. She also borrowed a coworker's to get to the hospital. Thankfully, her boss said, "No one stands in the way of grandbabies being born." and had no problem letting her off work.
I drove myself home, feeling the contractions more keenly. I called Aubrey on the way to let her know, and I had a hard time concentrating on what I was saying. It was a very stilted conversation. Nick and I were very good first time pregnant people....we had our bags packed and ready to go. Unfortunately, we hadn't loaded them in the car. Nick told me to wait for him, but he was still an hour away, and the doctor had already called the hospital to have me admitted. So, of course, I didn't wait for him. I kept busy waiting so the time went by faster.
I was thrilled to be ushered right to an LDRP room when we arrived at the hospital. I was quite terrified of having to go to the "prove-it" room. The lady who taught our birthing class told us about the room the nurses call the "prove-it" room. It's just the exam room that you go to when you show up at the hospital believing yourself in labor, and they hook you up to the monitors and do a physical exam to make sure you are in labor. She also told of the high numbers of women who came in and were sent home. I was terrified of being in that number. So I was relieved to be able to skip that step.
We got settled into our room, turned on my relaxing music, turned on my fan (very important) and settled in for a nice long day. My mom, my mother-in-law, and my sister-in-law joined us. I remember being worried about how bored everybody must be. There really wasn't anything to do but watch the monitor go up and down with my contractions. I enjoyed being in the whirlpool bath, but the first time Nick turned on the bubbles, I immediately lost concentration, and to have them kept off. I asked mom at one point how far apart my contractions were, because they felt one on top of another. I was certain she was wrong when she told me they were two minutes apart. She obviously had never gone through labor before, or she would have known that they were really much closer than the clock showed.
I'll tell you what; there is NOBODY better to have during labor than my mom. I love my husband, and he was the best, doing what he could, and whatever I needed, he saw to it that I had. But my mom was able to give me that childhood comfort that I always got from her. She knew when to be quietly comforting, and when to be vocally encouraging. And to have her there to hold my child as soon as he was born (after Nick and I) was a very special moment for me.
It was also special to me to have my mother-in-law with me. This was her first born son having his first born son. It is a precious memory.
The moment finally came for Joseph to be born. It was the absolutely most amazing experience. The very best part of pregnancy is giving birth. And then to hold my son for the very first time; words simply can't describe how wonderful.
And today, it has been seven years since that day. SEVEN. I still love to hold him. I love that he still wants me to. I don't hold him often anymore, and every few days he will ask to rock with me since, "I don't get to rock with you much anymore" as he says. He can try my patience, he's a school age know it all who doesn't believe his mom can possibly know more than him, and he can be the biggest bully to his brothers, but he is still my precious Bubba. He prefers to be called Joseph now, but I often forget. In fact, Joe is usually called "Ethnijoe", just as Nick is called "Joeethnick", and Ethan is "Nijoethan." He is the first to try to smooth over my upset feelings when the kids have pushed too many buttons. He stills mentions to me when I have forgotten to ask him how he slept or given him a good morning hug. He is still my love bug and I am incredibly proud of him.
One of the five best days of my life was seven years ago today. I love that I am reminded of that everyday I see my son.
Subscribe to:
Posts (Atom)