5 Years Ago

It was a dark and stormy night… Isn’t that how all great stories start? On January 19th, 2007, Adam and I made our way to the IWK Women’s and Children’s hospital in Halifax, Nova Scotia. It was a weird January night. EXTREME rain fall and low pressure system. For most people, that might be enough to send them into a tailspin of labour, but of course, not me. I had been in prodromal labour since December 24, 2006. From 34 weeks gestation. Adam talked her out of coming that night… So I waited and waited to meet our new princess. On January 19, since she was already engaged in my pelvis, my hips were SO sore. I couldn’t get comfortable we ended up going in since I hadn’t slept in almost 3 days. If only I knew then, what I know now, I never would have consented to be put on the induction list. But, young naive me, agreed almost too eagerly to be placed on the list. They warned we might not hear from them until after the weekend. I settled in to wait some more. Enjoying a final lazy Saturday morning, the phone rang promptly at 8:00 am. They had an opening on the induction list.

The phone was on Adam’s side of the bed and he isn’t a huge fan of talking on the phone. He didn’t ask questions I would have… Or maybe I would have forgotten! We were having a baby! After painstakingly packing my bag shortly after 34 weeks, I unpacked it all and repacked. I’m sure the nurses laughed at us. “Oh silly first time parents… they bring everything!” We arrived shortly after 10 am. Since my veins suck even while pregnant, they couldn’t get a line. Good times! Pitocin and water broken commenced at 11:00 am. Meanwhile my inlaws arrived (Yes. My MIL was welcome in the room. No, I hadn’t lost my marbles… yet…)

Let’s just say from here on out, I was in a zone. I wasn’t talking, I wasn’t looking around, I was just doing my thing… Finally after being on pitocin for almost 7 hrs, I relented for the epidural. Bummer for me, I was 8 cms when I requested it and 9.5 when I laid back down. But of course, true to Lauren style she couldn’t come the ‘normal’ way. Nope. Toes wrapped around my rib cage (literally) silly kid needed a quicker exit. Off to c-section. I cried when this happened. I said I felt like a failure and the nurse almost hit me. Apparently I wasn’t a failure, but they can say “Failure to progress” in my chart, nice, right!?

Anyway… 11:01 pm, Lauren Danielle was born. Thrust into 2 parents who were in love, in awe and absolutely scared shitless at this girl wrapped all in pink. I used to wonder if her “real” parents would just show up one day and take her back. Oh maybe I still wonder that.

(See those feet?? Yeah… they hung out in my rib cage!)

This morning, when I woke up, I pulled Lauren in for a hug and whispered “Happy Birthday” I looked into my confident 5 year old’s blue eyes as they sparkled with delight. She still needs me, but there will come a time when she’ll think she doesn’t. Let’s hope teenage hood isn’t the end of us both.

Happy Birthday, beautiful girl!