How time flies...

Two years ago today I drug my tired, very pregnant body to work. I was huge, I mean really huge! I felt certain that I wouldn't actually have to give birth, but that the baby would fall out of my stomach when my belly button was finally pushed beyond it's limits and split open. My feet were swollen... really swollen... which was made worse by sitting at my desk most of the day. I had my 38 week appointment that afternoon and I had decided that I was going to go on home after my appointment to try to get the swelling down. Everyone at work was totally grossed out by the size of my elephant feet, so I knew they would not miss me!

I went to my appointment at 1:20 that afternoon. But things were different this time. My blood pressure was high... they checked it several times but it stayed high. Then when my doctor checked me she discovered that the baby's heart rate was too low. Then she told me to call my husband... we were having a baby that day! I was a little nervous... for several reasons (not the least of which was the baby's heart rate). This was great timing... I didn't have my bag packed... the husband was in Austin for a meeting... and I had not eaten anything since 7 am and I was STARVING!!! 

The clinic and the hospital are connected, so I decided to just walk to the 3rd floor of the South Tower, which was still experiencing a little bit of construction... and I got lost... totally lost. So on the 3rd floor of some section of the hospital I finally asked a receptionist to point me to Labor and Delivery. She totally freaked out... she thought I was about to actually deliver the baby right there. Even though I tried to explain it was not really an emergency, she proceeded to take me to L&D herself, bless her heart. She was so panicked, however, that she walked 90 mph. Being 38 weeks pregnant, I was having quite a time trying to keep up with her... I thought I was going to pass out! Finally, after what seemed like an eternity, we reached our destination.

The nurses were ready for me... they even had A Baby Story on TLC playing on the T.V. (Like that was what I wanted to see, other women suffering through labor!) 

When the nurse hooked me up she said "Oh, so you are in labor!" 

And I said "Uh, no. I am being induced."

"Hmmm. You are having contractions."

"No, I'm not."

"Yeah, they are pretty regular. You don't feel them?"

Yeah, I was having regular contractions and I didn't feel a thing. Not even the slightest bit of pain... or tightening of my stomach. Since I was already contracting on my own my doctor left me to labor without the help of any drugs. I was already dilated to a 4.5... so they just broke my water (then I was a 6). Then we waited... for a total of 13 hours. Yep, 13 hours... I was starting to wish they had given me some drugs to make things go faster....

...to be continued