Birth Story (chapter 1)

"You might want to get the car seat in the car this weekend."

That was from my OB on Thursday, May 15 during my 36-week check-up. Turns out I was 75% effaced and 2 cm dilated.

A friend assured me I could stay like that for a few weeks. I immediately began cranking on all of that last minute stuff: a birth plan (yeah, I caved), a post-birth plan for Missy’s care, a list of what to pack for the hospital. I cleaned. Looking back, it should have been a sure sign of imminent labor that I was scrubbing my shower with a half of a lemon dipped in baking soda.

Friday, May 16 was freakishly hot in Portland. My cankles responded super well to the heat. My mom was in town for the baby shower and we spent the day shopping in this hip section of town, enjoying the sun. My back ached a little bit. I chalked it up to hauling my huge belly around in the heat. I was having BH contractions throughout the day but thought nothing of it.

A little after midnight, I was lying in bed and woke from a dead sleep. I felt a trickle. And got mad.

I can take the fat ass. And the swollen face. And the cankles. I haven’t complained about them all one bit. But to have this pregnancy make me pee the bed is just downright insulting.

I jacked myself up and barely made it to the bathroom before more "pee" came out.

I wonder if my water just broke?

I woke up Cowboy who, after imbibing in nearly a bottle of wine at dinner earlier in the evening, was none to happy to be awake.

I think my water just broke, I said when he appeared in the doorway.

He looked like a deer trapped in the headlights. Seriously. I wish I had picture of his face.

Go wake up your mom.

I am not waking up my mom, I hissed. This is our deal, not hers.

Instead, I woke up the answering service of my OB. The OB on call rang back immediately. She wanted us to get the hospital sooner rather than later.

She asked if I had felt the baby move since the "pee" incident. I had not. And immediately I was terrified. We hadn’t come this far to have something bad happen to Missy. I begab praying that she was still okay in there.

We packed in a jiffy (good thing I had written up a list the night before) and headed off. On our way to the hospital we passed the Old Lompoc Bar. We joked about going in to have a beer since it was 30 minutes before last call.

Besides, it might be our last chance to do so for awhile without hiring a babysitter.