One year ago right now, my water broke. 10:30 PM on Saturday, July 19, 2008, my water broke while I was at my parents' house. I was only 34 weeks pregnant, and my sister's wedding was the following Saturday. Also, my two oldest children were born cesarean, so I had to have a repeat cesarean - not good to have your water break and go into labor.
It's kind of a funny story. My sister had just had her hair cut. She was really upset because she didn't like how the stylist had cut her hair - only one week before her wedding. "And the pictures last forever," she said. "I can't have bad hair!" So we all gathered in the living room to cheer her up. My brother told a joke and I laughed. I thought I had peed my pants, from laughing so hard. But then I stood up and realized that was not pee!
My mother and sister drove me to the hospital, with towels between my legs. At that point I was having pretty painful contractions and was worrying about the baby. But mostly I was worried about me. I wasn't ready for this baby, and my sister's wedding was only a week away!!! Cesareans mean 4 nights in the hospital for me, plus a few weeks of exhaustion and recovery.
My beautiful little boy was born in the wee hours of the morning on July 20, 2008. He weighed just 5 lb 6 oz, but was healthy. He didn't know how to suck, so I worked tirelessly to teach him how to nurse. He left the special care nursery 14 days later, able to nurse and ready to come home.
I call my youngest "My Single Baby" because, really, I have been a single mother to him since before he was born. In case you didn't notice, there is one important figure in this story missing: my baby's father. He moved out 3 months before I went into labor. He had divulged his affair to me just 6 weeks prior to me going into labor, and I had just moved back home alone with my children, after a 2 week recovery period at my parents' house, just 4 weeks before going into labor.
I was very very much a single mother. I had to find family members to watch the kids while I was at the hospital. I had wonderful family and friends drive me to the hospital every day to nurse him for 3 or 4 of his feedings during the day. I was the only advocate for this teeny tiny baby in the special care nursery, trying my best to get him home - to this family consisting of just a mother and siblings.
My Single Baby has never lived with his father. He does not know a two-parent household. He still wakes up in the middle of the night to nurse, because there is no one else to go in and comfort him and help him fall asleep. He probably doesn't get the same patience the other kids got at that age - I just don't have what I used to. But he is loved SO much, by me, his siblings, extended family and wonderful friends. I am so blessed to have him in my life, to care for him every day, and to love him. At night, when I nurse him to sleep, I often think that he is all mine. He is my baby. All mine. And I relish that. My Single Baby.
It's kind of a funny story. My sister had just had her hair cut. She was really upset because she didn't like how the stylist had cut her hair - only one week before her wedding. "And the pictures last forever," she said. "I can't have bad hair!" So we all gathered in the living room to cheer her up. My brother told a joke and I laughed. I thought I had peed my pants, from laughing so hard. But then I stood up and realized that was not pee!
My mother and sister drove me to the hospital, with towels between my legs. At that point I was having pretty painful contractions and was worrying about the baby. But mostly I was worried about me. I wasn't ready for this baby, and my sister's wedding was only a week away!!! Cesareans mean 4 nights in the hospital for me, plus a few weeks of exhaustion and recovery.
My beautiful little boy was born in the wee hours of the morning on July 20, 2008. He weighed just 5 lb 6 oz, but was healthy. He didn't know how to suck, so I worked tirelessly to teach him how to nurse. He left the special care nursery 14 days later, able to nurse and ready to come home.
I call my youngest "My Single Baby" because, really, I have been a single mother to him since before he was born. In case you didn't notice, there is one important figure in this story missing: my baby's father. He moved out 3 months before I went into labor. He had divulged his affair to me just 6 weeks prior to me going into labor, and I had just moved back home alone with my children, after a 2 week recovery period at my parents' house, just 4 weeks before going into labor.
I was very very much a single mother. I had to find family members to watch the kids while I was at the hospital. I had wonderful family and friends drive me to the hospital every day to nurse him for 3 or 4 of his feedings during the day. I was the only advocate for this teeny tiny baby in the special care nursery, trying my best to get him home - to this family consisting of just a mother and siblings.
My Single Baby has never lived with his father. He does not know a two-parent household. He still wakes up in the middle of the night to nurse, because there is no one else to go in and comfort him and help him fall asleep. He probably doesn't get the same patience the other kids got at that age - I just don't have what I used to. But he is loved SO much, by me, his siblings, extended family and wonderful friends. I am so blessed to have him in my life, to care for him every day, and to love him. At night, when I nurse him to sleep, I often think that he is all mine. He is my baby. All mine. And I relish that. My Single Baby.
3 comments:
Until your water broke - my hair WAS a big deal! Ha Ha :) Just think of how God had that all planned though. So many things happened for that night to work out the way it did. You should have been flying back from Dallas but cancelled that trip, you decided to spend the night over with us at Mom and Dad's, Dr. Chow was on duty at the hospital......and more that I can't think of right now! Plus, you got the cutest Jack-Jack I've ever seen!
Yes! The kids were alredy asleep in bed, William was in town and was able to be there on the birth day and meet Jack, it was a weekend, which meant I was able to be at your wedding... many incredible things did happen that night!
I just can't believe it was a year ago!! How time flies!!
I was thinking about all of this the other day - how amazing and precious Jack is as YOUR baby. And how amazing you've been as his parent. I love you both more than ever!
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