This is for the MOC9 Challenge #23 Interview about the Past
I used Love you more by Forever Joy and Recyclables #56 by Scrapping with Liz to create this. I interviewed my husband, and daughter to compare our different memories of the day Curtis (my youngest son) was born. It was fun seeing the parts of it that we each remembered the most. I have some black out spots, so it was interesting to hear what they had to say about that time as well!
Journaling reads:
What do you remember about the day Curtis was born?
I remember not being able to sit down. I had this intense feeling that I couldn't sit down. The anticipation was so strong, and I kept looking at your mom. I was just looking for any little thing that I could do to help. I occasionally kept an eye on Rachel but every little beep and sound in the room almost made my heart burst out of my chest. When the nurse said “Baby's crowning”, I was practically leaning on top of your mom. I squeezed her hand, and she squeezed my hand back much harder in response. Then your mom said she couldn't do it, and I said, “You got this!” And, then she was pushing, the head was out, and baby flying across the room for measuring and cleaning. Time of life 11:59am! I didn't feel a major change, just that there was a new and cherished responsibility in my world. -Chris/Daddy
Everything! It was awful! It was early in the morning and we were all tired. I was nervous. We were starving so we had to ditch Mom and go downstairs to get some food where we talked about how we did not know what we should do to help Mom. Then we went back upstairs and both sat there trembling in fear and helplessness. But, then everything went really fast. I remember Mom was shaking the bed. There were a lot of nurses. I am going to skip the gross parts. And, then in 10 minutes, Curtis was on a table I did not realize was there. He was very orange looking and very cranky. I couldn't help but laugh at him and how funny he his face was. He was making funny faces from birth. Then, they put him on Mom and he dove for her left boob, and I remember thinking “Holy shit! Somebody catch him!” And, apparently he had no problems latching. After that, I got to hold him while he was asleep. He was kind of like a baby doll and everything was good after that. I was sad to leave him to go on my choir trip but excited to see him again when I got back.
-Rachel/Sister
I remember walking into the hospital and the person at the information desk shouted out the directions for us to get to the maternity ward. I was feeling so happy that she could tell by looking that I was pregnant and not just fat. Once we got there, I remember a lot of stuff took so much longer than I thought it would, and the nurse missed on my first IV. I have never had anyone miss before and I told her so. She got someone else to come and put in the IV on the second arm. She told the second nurse she forgot her glasses. I was not pleased. Your dad played movies on the TV, and Rachel was sitting in the chair. Everything seemed like it was going pretty well, but my doctor kept coming in to check on me and offering to give me a c-section. The nurse even said she couldn't believe all the c-section talk when I was so clear that I didn't want one, and I was laboring really well so far. I remember I was laying in the bed and things were starting to get painful. I was thinking I didn't know if I could do the medicine-free birth I had with Rachel at my age. I decided if I wasn't dilated to at least 7, I would ask for drugs at my next check. The nurse came in to check me and I was dilated to 6. I asked for drugs, she said “which kind?” I said, “FAST ones!” She said she'd have to put a monitor on the baby, I said, “OK” She looked at the monitors while she was putting on gloves and getting the monitor ready. I asked what time it was, 11:50. I told Rachel she should write it down somewhere that I was dilated to 6 at 11:50. Rachel posted it on Facebook. The nurse asked me to change positions, and I did. She went to put the monitor on and said, “Oh, no drugs for you, baby's crowning!” She called for more people to come in and out you came. I don't remember much from that section of time. I know they were worried once the head was out that you were going to get stuck because I stopped pushing to take a breath. And, then I pushed you out. It was 11:59. I remember the nurse saying “9 pounds 13 ounces, 24 inches long! Woah, Momma!” as the door opened and my doctor walked in. She said, “I guess you didn't need a c-section after all!” Then, I was holding you and that was that. The rest of the day was a blur of blood sugar tests, breast feeding, formula feeding, looking at you, holding you, and telling people about you! We went home the next day!
-Sarah/Mom
