It was Sunday March 26, 2006. I awoke feeling amazed that I had slept so well, all night long. It had been at least 4 months since I had last slept through a whole night. Wow! Gonna be a good day. Then I tried to get up and realized that it was NOT going to be a good day. I looked down at my giant belly and was instantly pissed. I was still pregnant.
The previous afternoon, at precisely two o'clock, I chugged two tablespoons of Castor oil mixed in Pepsi in a desperate attempt to force my last child into this world a week early. I had had a promising start. I experienced the diarrhea that is typical of Castor oil use, and contractions started about two hours after drinking it, they were irregular but getting stronger and more frequent. I was on my way. I sat next to Greg that evening watching TV, confident in my plan for inducing labor. Around midnight I decided to help labor along by walking and went to the only 24 hour store in town... Walmart.
Two hours later I returned home exhausted and frustrated. My contractions not only failed to progress, but stopped all together. Perhaps my daughter was fearful of a "Hollywood fast" delivery and didn't wish to live her life known as "The Chubbuck Walmart Baby"? I can't say that I blame her. A person can only have so much red on the neck of their family tree and this would have pushed our family over the edge.
So, I was awake and so very disappointed, my baby girl still wasn't coming. The baby I never dreamed would be possible, not because I have fertility problems. No, I have been blessed in that arena. But a GIRL! My husband's family is not known to make very many of them and I wanted one. I wanted her so badly. It was so unbelievable when I was told she was a girl i refused to open anything I had bought until she was born (I broke down anyway two weeks before she was born) But she had her own plans. I would have to wait.
I waddled my way to the bathroom that morning, shuffling my feet and kicking proverbial rocks. My husband was in the bathroom already when I sat down. I looked up at him, very sad and near tears, "Greg, we didn't have a baby last night." He put on his empathy face, looked down at me and said, "I'm so sorry honey." I stood up, pulled my underwear up, and was just about to walk out of the bathroom when... SPLASH! I looked down, he looked down. My water had broken, and then we smiled at each other. "We're having a baby today."
That was almost true. I hung out all that day walking around wearing those pads old ladies with no bladder control have to use waiting for my labor to start. A the 12 hour mark my midwife had me come in to get me started. Worked like a charm too. Four hours later and just after midnight on Monday March 27, 2006 my little pink dream came true. Lily Mae Harmon was born. She was 6lbs 15oz and the most beautiful thing I have ever seen. Happy Birthday my angel.
"she's the answer to the pray I hadn't foundshe's the answer to the silence, she's my sound.
oh what a girl. oh what a beautiful girl she is."
~Blue Does by Blue October
