Flashback Friday: Just couldn’t wait

After our trip to the ER this week for Allyssa's busted nose, I did a lot of reminiscence of her birth. Even as a newborn she was impatient, and at 31 weeks, that's nine weeks early, she made her grand entrance into this world… backwards.

At the time her Dad was deployed, and I was still in the military stationed in Hawaii. I had yet to go on maternity leave, and was trying to get away with as much fitness as I could during PT, though I always got caught and was made to walk the track. It was my nephew's birthday. Cramps had started in the afternoon, getting steadily worse throughout the day. I just thought it was something I ate and dealt with it. Women in my family have a very high tolerance for pain, and having no clue what to look out for I didn't know that these were contractions, not cramps. That evening after talking to my mom and getting plenty worried I decided to get my tush to the hospital.

I wasn't able to drive at this point, so I called a co-worker and good friend Mac. Did I mention all my friends were guys and I worked only with guys? Yeah. After Mac had picked me up, he managed to get us lost on the way to the hospital. We finally made it and I got settled in for an exam by one of the military doctors. Have I mentioned what idiots they are? The Doc checked me out, yelled "Oh Bleep!" and ran out of the room leaving me scared to death. A few minutes passed before the nurse came in just as calm as can be, and told me that the doctor had seen a foot and we were going in for an emergency c-section. My mom was contacted and on a plane within a few hours. Having no one else I signed for my friend Mac to be present in the room so I didn't have to be with a bunch of strangers. He had a blast taking photos for my hubby, including a dozen of him in the restroom with scrubs on. He held my hand throughout the whole procedure, until Allyssa was at last out and being cleaned.

To this day he says he will never have children.

I got to see Allyssa briefly, before she was taken to the NICU. I pestered the nurses for hours to see my daughter even though I couldn't even stand to go to the restroom. They finally wheeled me down the hall, and I got to sit beside her for a few minutes. She was so tiny, weighing only 3.2 pounds, and no bigger than a half of loaf of bread. To this day her uncle calls her little baby half-a-loaf. She was hooked up to several monitor, and an IV. Wires ran everywhere. It was a heartbreaking sight for a new mom.

I had visitors from my guys at the shop, my best friends (brothers), the squadron commander and first shirt, and finally my mom. I was so happy to finally have my mom there.

After three days, I got discharged, but Allyssa had to stay for another month in the NICU. Mom stayed that whole time, helping me get back and forth to the hospital three times a day. In Honolulu traffic, that is a chore.

At last I got to bring her home.

Every mom has their birthing stories. It's a grand adventure becoming a parent!

Ta!

A.McBay