...and finally #4

We knew all along that we both wanted 4 children. Movin' Dad and I are both from families of 3 children, and both in the middle. We knew we didn't want to have a "middle child", although as fate would have it my second born son insists that he is the ONLY middle child of 4 because the third born is the ONLY girl, which makes him the middle boy. He also has the same traits and complaints of the typical middle child.

Once again, as heartbreaking as it was, I miscarried at 6 weeks. I immediately started questioning myself. Maybe we are only suppose to have 3 children. Which is odd because with the first miscarriage, I never thought twice, it was all about trying again. Maybe it was my age, since I had always said that I wanted all of my children before I was 30. Here I was at age 30, knowing full well that I would be 31 before this baby arrived.

Then it happened again. I had a dream, but this time it wasn't an infant. It was of a baby boy with light colored hair and light colored eyes sitting in a room in his diaper only with hardwood floors surrounded by my kids stuffed animals. I never in a million years thought that this was my child. All 3 of my kids have dark hair & brown eyes.
So I put it in the back of my head and went on.

Within 4 weeks I was pregnant again. It was a little bit more of a challenge to bring all 3 kids to every appt.
But I knew that this had been successful so far as to not have any jealousy in the house. So I included them in as much as I could. I also signed them up for big brother big sister classes. They learned how to wrap a baby up in a blanket, put a diaper on, and how you cannot give your food or toys to the baby. We even went to the hospital on a regular basis just to see the newborns. This pregnancy was blissful. But I no longer had the option to choose the birthing process. They insisted I forget the c-section, it wasn't going to happen.

Although the day I was scheduled to be induced (because of the group b strep) I was to wait at home until a hospital bed opened. Our aunt came over that morning at 6 am to watch the kids for us. I called at 8, they were full. I called at 10, still full. I called at 12, not even close...no beds were available. Then I started to worry because I felt bad that our aunt had been there since 6am. I began calling every hour on the hour. I had been having Braxton Hicks all day. The problem was that they were every 2 minutes then every 20 minutes then every 5 minutes back to every half hour. This was not going to get me into the hospital. Movin' Dad went on the roof to clean gutters while we waited. At approx 6 pm My Braxton's were coming on stronger. Our Aunt who has had 6 children , held my hand throughout. I insisted they weren't labor pains because they were so sporadic. Then I got a big one. She insisted I call the hospital or that I amy be giving birth at home. The hospital said that they were still full but to come on in and they would take a look at me.

I got quite a few on the way and one while going over the railroad tracks. NOt fun!!! As we pulled into the hospital parking lot, I saw another woman walking with her husband and suitcase as pregnant as can be. I told Movin' Dad to pull up to the door and then he could go park. I wanted to get in there before she did. It became a competition.
As I walked up to the desk I saw about 4 pregnant women sitting there. The woman and I both got to the desk at the same time. As they were taking my name...I had a contraction. The woman behind the desk held my hand and helped me breath. She asked the woman, "How many kids have you had?" She proudly stated, "This is my first!"
Then she looked at me and asked,"I said this is #4!"
I WIN!!!!

They put me in a wheel chair and head towards labor and delivery. Although the other woman was right behind me. My nurse jokingly started running to make it to the elevator before her. As we got on the elevator she told me that there is only one bed available. I was cheering her on to get me there first. We got into the room at about
8 pm. They prepped me and put the monitors on me. The nurse asked if I was getting an epidural and I said, I think so...although I was pretty sure that this would be my last child so maybe I was considering going natural. She said, "well your contractions are still so sporadic, you have time to decide, if they get to bad just let me know!"

The DR. walked in and very slowly spoke in a stern voice to me," Why... are... you... here? You know we need your contractions to be closer together...like 2 minutes apart!"

I wanted to kick him...but I was having a contraction!

I wanted to cry because I was scared that he was going to send me home. I was so naive. I had not really felt real contractions with the other 3. Then he said that he would break my water but that I probably would not deliver until the next morning. So he left!

Then the nurse came in within 5 minutes and said, that I was 10 cm and 100% effaced and it was time. I said, "I WANT THE EPIDURAL!"

She grabbed my face and said, "It's too late, you waited too long, we're going to do this but I need you to straighten your body and put your feet in these stirrups. (I was pretty much in the fetal position)

I began calling her a liar! I really needed someone to slap me, because I could not get a grip on the idea that I was not going to get an epidural.

The DR. walked in and within 5 minutes my baby was there!

They cleaned him up and put me in a wheel chair with him in my arms. If you recall, I got into this room at 8 and it wasn't even 9 yet and they were already putting me on a different floor of the hospital.

The funny part was that as we got onto the elevator, there was that woman and her husband and their suitcase, she said,"It was a false alarm." The could not believe that I already had a baby in my arms.

The kids came to the hospital the next day to meet their new baby brother. All wearing their t-shirts that they earned in their sibling class. They each had their own kids camera and photo album so that they could create their own memories if the experience.

As it turned out, baby boy #4 has been a wonderful delightful addition to our family. We have spent the last 8 years laughing hysterically. He is definitely our comedian. It's all about keeping up with the big kids and doing whatever it takes to make them laugh. He's become a pro. Even as a toddler he could crack his brothers up. He know just what to say to make me smile.







If I had not been in that hospital and been taken out so quickly, I would have guessed he was someone else's child.
Then I remembered my dream. It was him. Light hair, green eyes, sitting on hardwood floors surrounded by my kids stuffed animals. He looked just like his father.