It seems like just last week that I was still collecting maternity clothes and playing around with outfits. Today, I’m all about nursing tops. The 39 weeks flew by. I can barely remember being pregnant now except for the excrutiating contractions that preceded the big day.
The Outdoor Retailer Show cruised into Salt Lake last week and, determined not to miss an appointment, I booked up the days and made my way to Willard Bay for the outdoor demo day. Why the organizers insist on running that event so far away from everything is beyond me- especially when we have at least three other great reservoirs within 30 minutes of the Salt Palace. Instead I hauled my butt about an hour from town to hang on the shore in the 90-degree heat and meet with a few manufacturers like Teva, Garmin, Hobie. I felt fine and still no one really said anything to me about being pregnant (except when I pointed it out myself and then they offered statements of disbelief.) When are you due? they’d ask. Next week! I’d eagerly and proudly reply. If only to be so lucky. The due date came early.
I hit the show on Thursday, making all of my appointments – including the party at the Depot featuring Flock of Seagulls. I stayed the night at Ryan’s place with every intention of hitting the show bright and early the next day. Then those damn contractions. Imagine your worst menstral cramps (or, guys, diarrhea) then times by 10. Every five minutes they hit, driving me to screams, pillow clutching and pummeling, and thoughts of guns and bullets. I couldn’t take the pain but the hospital told me to wait until these contractions were THREE minutes apart rather than five. You have got to be joking, I thought. After three hours, the status hadn’t changed but I couldn’t sit around. We drove home to Park City at 6 a.m. where I collapsed on my bed from exhaustion and managed to sleep…for 15 minutes before the next round of contractions. Stef called in a prescription for Lortab and I laid low on Friday. By nightfall, I was sick of sitting in the house. Ryan and I headed back to Salt Lake for the OWIC Ramp It Up Party at Port O’Call.
The room spun and the appetizers swing-danced in my belly until I was grabbing for empty glasses on the table and hurling into them. I swear to God, I’m telling the truth. I filled four glasses with puke then covered them with napkins. It was too crowded to make a dash for the bathroom safely.
Home by midnight. Contractions by 2 a.m. it had begun again. At 4 a.m. Ryan drove me to St. Mark’s. At 5 a.m. I was four centimeters dialated and the epidural flowed. A sigh of relief sped through my body. They left us in the delivery room to sleep and wait for further dialation. at 6 a.m. Stef arrived to tell me that they were going to dose me with pitocin because the epidural had slowed the dilation. More drugs? Cool.
At 10:25 a.m., game on. The head was already peeking and though I could feel absolutely nothing from the belly button down, I held my parapalegic-legs and did an upright version of ab crunches to the delight of my doctor. Three ‘pushes’ and out popped Sage. It was 10:33 a.m.
Ryan and I can’t stop staring at this little girl. She’s gorgeous. Of course, I wonder if I just think that because she’s mine but who cares. The 6 lb, 17″ tiny creature is beyond anything I could imagine. She’s a week old now and still I can’t get enough time with her. It’s hard to get anything else done as I find myself watching her every little movement and facial expression. She stretches often- like a kitten. She purses her lips like Betty Boop when she’s about to wake up for feeding; she scrunches her face when she squeezes out a little green poop. And she’s so quiet! Rarely cries and almost always asleep, she’s too tiny for much more.
Sage isn’t sleeping through the night but she’s making a valiant attempt. She’ll wake at 2 a.m., 4:30 a.m. and then 10 a.m. I can handle the hours (look, I’m writing this blog at 2) but Ryan is a mess and can be quite irritating when he’s woken like this. His mom has been here all week as well but she leaves Monday. She came to help out but I don’t need it- not yet. So this was more a time for them to bond. My mom will be here Thursday.
Well, I’ve babbled enough and need to try to sleep before the baby wakes and needs a boob. I’ve posted photos at http://pg.photos.yahoo.com/ph/pcskigal/album?.dir=/e9dere2&.src=ph&.tok=phO3WXFB4LlCA7Fa if you care to surf over to yahoo!
P.S.-We’re still in need of small Happy Heinys pocket and Wallypop All In One cloth diapers if you are thinking of sending a gift. We need about 20 of these things to start cloth diapering her but we only have 5 so far. They are pretty cool inventions. You can check them out at http://babysbottomline.com & http://www.thestorkwearhouse.com.