One Big Birth Day
Saturday, April 26th started like many Saturdays have in our married life - an early rise (too early in my opinion) and a good breakfast, followed by a return to our bed for a nap before 10am. This particular Saturday was the day of a much-anticipated baby shower, hosted by our friends at church, so after our nap and a long, hot shower, I headed to the Gaar's house, leaving Drew at home with Malcolm in the Middle and his financial planning spreadsheets. My back and hips were so achy that morning - a feeling that wasn't altogether new, given that I had been experiencing uncomfortable pelvic pressure for weeks, especially in the mornings. I couldn't get comfortable standing or sitting; I just kept walking around massaging my own lower back [and butt] and kind of squatting against conveniently placed furniture. Looking back now, it's clear to me, as it was to some of the more experienced ladies at the shower, that I was actually in early labor.
In spite of how uncomfortable I was in my own pelvis, the shower was perfect. It was book-themed from the decorations to the food to the gifts. Each dish was inspired by and arranged with a classic children's book: fruit kabobs with The Very Hungry Caterpillar, quiche with Green Eggs and Ham, pizza with Curious George and the Pizza, cookies with If You Give a Mouse a Cookie, cupcakes with If You Give a Cat a Cupcake, and blueberry muffins with Blueberries for Sal. Katie made the cutest book garland and framed printed quotes about the joy and importance of reading to children. And most of the gifts helped us build a little library of children's books for Naomi. In addition to lots of friends from Relief Society, my mom and sister were at the shower as well, and it was really nice to sit around with so many people who were so happy for us and eager to meet Naomi. Armed with a bunch of cute children's books and an extra dose of excitement, as the shower ended, I was all the more ready to get this show on the road and get this baby on the outside. Here's a look at the shower (through iPhone pictures):
When we left Durant Nature Park, we headed to Chubby's Tacos for dinner. It was still sunny and warm, so we sat at a table outside and ended up staying for a long time, just talking about this and that. As the sun started to set, we picked up some Rocky Road ice cream from Food Lion and went home to relax a little. Again, I found it really difficult to just sit around, due both to physical discomfort and a general antsy feeling. I worked on a sewing project while Drew worked on our budget and long-term savings plan (some Saturday night, huh?).
After I finished sewing and put away my machine, I went to the bathroom (which was not at all unusual in my 39th week of pregnancy) and heard a small pop (which was slightly unusual, but I just assumed it was one creaky joint or another). Then, I sat down on the couch to see Drew's financial spreadsheet masterpiece and a moment later felt a wet and warm gush (which was very unusual, given that I generally have very adult-like bladder control...). I made it back to the bathroom just in time for a massive flow of fluid to hit the toilet instead of our couch or living room floor. Although early contractions might leave room for doubt, the puddle of amniotic fluid and vernix in the toilet made it quite clear that my water had just broken and Naomi was on her way. I said "Drew... It looks like we'll be having a baby tonight."
And we did. That story is next.
In spite of how uncomfortable I was in my own pelvis, the shower was perfect. It was book-themed from the decorations to the food to the gifts. Each dish was inspired by and arranged with a classic children's book: fruit kabobs with The Very Hungry Caterpillar, quiche with Green Eggs and Ham, pizza with Curious George and the Pizza, cookies with If You Give a Mouse a Cookie, cupcakes with If You Give a Cat a Cupcake, and blueberry muffins with Blueberries for Sal. Katie made the cutest book garland and framed printed quotes about the joy and importance of reading to children. And most of the gifts helped us build a little library of children's books for Naomi. In addition to lots of friends from Relief Society, my mom and sister were at the shower as well, and it was really nice to sit around with so many people who were so happy for us and eager to meet Naomi. Armed with a bunch of cute children's books and an extra dose of excitement, as the shower ended, I was all the more ready to get this show on the road and get this baby on the outside. Here's a look at the shower (through iPhone pictures):
When I got home, Drew and I unloaded the car and got everything put away, and then Drew laid down for a nap. I tried to nap with him, but I just laid there, staring around the room, thinking about all of the other things we should be doing with what might be one of our last baby-free Saturdays. Our hospital bag wasn't packed, we had some doubly-gifted gifts to return, there were newborn clothes to wash, and our apartment still needed some organizing. I eventually got up and did some laundry and unloaded the dishwasher (loud chores that got Drew out of bed...). After eating some leftover stir fry, we decided to feel productive by packing the hospital bag and then to take advantage of the pretty weather, not with errands, but with a walk at Durant Nature Park.
Drew, Peter, and I had been to the park about a month ago, but just to walk on the Greenway; we hadn't seen any of the park itself. This time, we took one of the first trails we found and ended up walking to Lower Lake on the campsite access trail, then along the Lakeside Trail, and back to the car along Charlie's Service Road, none of which are particularly legitimate trails either. Next time, we'll look at the map first and make sure we explore the Border Trail or Secret Creek Trail. In the end, given my then-unknown uterine condition, it's probably a good thing that we walked tamer paths. The weather was practically perfect and it felt really good, mentally and physically, to be outside, moving around, focusing on little details in the landscape instead of to-do list items.
When we left Durant Nature Park, we headed to Chubby's Tacos for dinner. It was still sunny and warm, so we sat at a table outside and ended up staying for a long time, just talking about this and that. As the sun started to set, we picked up some Rocky Road ice cream from Food Lion and went home to relax a little. Again, I found it really difficult to just sit around, due both to physical discomfort and a general antsy feeling. I worked on a sewing project while Drew worked on our budget and long-term savings plan (some Saturday night, huh?).
After I finished sewing and put away my machine, I went to the bathroom (which was not at all unusual in my 39th week of pregnancy) and heard a small pop (which was slightly unusual, but I just assumed it was one creaky joint or another). Then, I sat down on the couch to see Drew's financial spreadsheet masterpiece and a moment later felt a wet and warm gush (which was very unusual, given that I generally have very adult-like bladder control...). I made it back to the bathroom just in time for a massive flow of fluid to hit the toilet instead of our couch or living room floor. Although early contractions might leave room for doubt, the puddle of amniotic fluid and vernix in the toilet made it quite clear that my water had just broken and Naomi was on her way. I said "Drew... It looks like we'll be having a baby tonight."
And we did. That story is next.
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