Annie's Day, Part I
Unfinished blog I guess...
I just promised my wife that I would write the story of the day our daughter was born and I have what you might call willful writers block. Sometimes I need a little outside prodding to get started. And since we are about to pull a breastfeeding all nighter, now seems like a solid time to jump back in.
So here goes Annie…here is your story.
Mom and I decided that we would induce labor on Thursday, June 28th 2007. This was four days after you were due, and about two weeks longer than she ever wanted to have you hanging out inside her belly. All of our friends placed their bets for your birth date on the family chalk board and all but one (Steven’s friend Taryn) picked early. Not only did she not pick early, but she picked the date right on the nose. Congrats, Taryn! The check is in the mail.
There were a couple of factors that led to our decision to jump start the process by what we think was only a few days. However, the way you were holding on (and the way you are currently holding on to her right nipple), might indicate that it would have been a lot longer than any of us may have ever guessed.
The first factor was that we are moving in 44 days from this post, so 48 from birth day. We will get to where we are headed (it’s a doozy man) in another session. The point is that every day you hung out in her uterus was another day less spent with us before we took the plunge. The second reason we had you evicted was that your grandparents were leaving for Paris just a few days later, and given that you are their first grandchild, we thought it would be a bit sad for them to miss your birth. I believe Grandma Liz said that if she had to choose between her grand daughter and her husband that Grandpa Steve wouldn’t much like the outcome. Essentially you were brought into this world out of convenience and also as a way to save a wonderful 20 year marriage that has encompassed 6 kids, lots of laughs and more diaper changes than I care to imagine.
Sorry, one moment please. I keep imaging all of the directions that this story can turn…The story of any of your nine Grandmothers for instance; or that you are the fifth living generation of the Thompson/Van Hart/Brown/Lejnieks now Poulas line of women. What we should really do is get into the fact that at 26 your mother is five years older than any of the previous four women in your line were when they had their first children. Wait, Jesus. What we should talk about is that at 26 she is TEN years older than your Great Great Grandma Betty was when she had her first. So it just wouldn’t be fair to Mom if I digress. She happens to be a finisher and wants this done sooner rather than later. I happen to be an un-finisher and would be happy to put this down again. I will not digress and I will forge ahead to Thursday the 28th of June in the year ought 7.
We were all due to arrive at Mountainside Hospital in Montclair, New Jersey at 7 a.m. sharp. We were meeting our Midwife Joann there and the process would begin shortly after our arrival. Mountainside is a sleepy little hospital surrounded by many more well known hospitals that deliver thousands and thousands more babies every year. At mountainside you can order Indian food in, the husbands get their own beds, and with only two or three births a day, all the attention from the staff you need.
Mom and I decided that in keeping with both the hospital’s and Joann’s laid back attitude we would make sure that we arrived sufficiently nourished and awake. We stopped at our local Dunkin Donuts for some iced coffee and bagels. When one of the employees that works there asked how your mother was feeling, I laughed and told her that we were headed to the hospital right then. The look of concern on her face was very sweet and then I explained that were on the way there to have you. I should have told her that we were inducing, but I enjoyed having her think that we would really stop for coffee if you mother were in labor. We really do love Dunkin Donuts though, and even have some very close friends who own a couple of them…someday you will inherit this great empire honey…a free medium regular anytime you want it.
Time out Annie, you are crying…a lot.
I just promised my wife that I would write the story of the day our daughter was born and I have what you might call willful writers block. Sometimes I need a little outside prodding to get started. And since we are about to pull a breastfeeding all nighter, now seems like a solid time to jump back in.
So here goes Annie…here is your story.
Mom and I decided that we would induce labor on Thursday, June 28th 2007. This was four days after you were due, and about two weeks longer than she ever wanted to have you hanging out inside her belly. All of our friends placed their bets for your birth date on the family chalk board and all but one (Steven’s friend Taryn) picked early. Not only did she not pick early, but she picked the date right on the nose. Congrats, Taryn! The check is in the mail.
There were a couple of factors that led to our decision to jump start the process by what we think was only a few days. However, the way you were holding on (and the way you are currently holding on to her right nipple), might indicate that it would have been a lot longer than any of us may have ever guessed.
The first factor was that we are moving in 44 days from this post, so 48 from birth day. We will get to where we are headed (it’s a doozy man) in another session. The point is that every day you hung out in her uterus was another day less spent with us before we took the plunge. The second reason we had you evicted was that your grandparents were leaving for Paris just a few days later, and given that you are their first grandchild, we thought it would be a bit sad for them to miss your birth. I believe Grandma Liz said that if she had to choose between her grand daughter and her husband that Grandpa Steve wouldn’t much like the outcome. Essentially you were brought into this world out of convenience and also as a way to save a wonderful 20 year marriage that has encompassed 6 kids, lots of laughs and more diaper changes than I care to imagine.
Sorry, one moment please. I keep imaging all of the directions that this story can turn…The story of any of your nine Grandmothers for instance; or that you are the fifth living generation of the Thompson/Van Hart/Brown/Lejnieks now Poulas line of women. What we should really do is get into the fact that at 26 your mother is five years older than any of the previous four women in your line were when they had their first children. Wait, Jesus. What we should talk about is that at 26 she is TEN years older than your Great Great Grandma Betty was when she had her first. So it just wouldn’t be fair to Mom if I digress. She happens to be a finisher and wants this done sooner rather than later. I happen to be an un-finisher and would be happy to put this down again. I will not digress and I will forge ahead to Thursday the 28th of June in the year ought 7.
We were all due to arrive at Mountainside Hospital in Montclair, New Jersey at 7 a.m. sharp. We were meeting our Midwife Joann there and the process would begin shortly after our arrival. Mountainside is a sleepy little hospital surrounded by many more well known hospitals that deliver thousands and thousands more babies every year. At mountainside you can order Indian food in, the husbands get their own beds, and with only two or three births a day, all the attention from the staff you need.
Mom and I decided that in keeping with both the hospital’s and Joann’s laid back attitude we would make sure that we arrived sufficiently nourished and awake. We stopped at our local Dunkin Donuts for some iced coffee and bagels. When one of the employees that works there asked how your mother was feeling, I laughed and told her that we were headed to the hospital right then. The look of concern on her face was very sweet and then I explained that were on the way there to have you. I should have told her that we were inducing, but I enjoyed having her think that we would really stop for coffee if you mother were in labor. We really do love Dunkin Donuts though, and even have some very close friends who own a couple of them…someday you will inherit this great empire honey…a free medium regular anytime you want it.
Time out Annie, you are crying…a lot.
posted by Unfinished Dad at
11:06 AM
1 Comments:
I love you puppa-rone-star! Thanks for writing this!!! You are an amazing, thoughtful, eloquent writer.
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