I found out I was pregnant with Jamie about four months after my husband and I were married. I was happy– and terrified. Don’t get me wrong, I wanted him more than anything, but looking at that “Pregnant,” made everything real, and I knew how much my life would change. And Jamie didn’t pull any punches. It felt like I was sick from the day he was conceived. I lost twenty pounds in the first trimester. Food was my enemy. We’d go out to eat, I’d order my favorite thing on the menu, and sit eagerly awaiting the meal. The minute I took a bite, though, it was over. My husband kept trying, and each time we went somewhere, I thought it would be different. But it wasn’t, and I didn’t mind, especially once I felt him moving. Being sick was a small price to pay for a healthy, beautiful boy.
The day before he was born, I felt amazing. I went to the store, went to a birthday party (and sat around outside in the heat!), cleaned the bedroom, and went all the way across the county to a dinner party with my husband. I should have known….
Before going further, I should probably tell you that I always joked that I wouldn’t know when I was in labor. I didn’t take a birthing class, but I did watch a video the hospital sends out. I heard all about the warning signs, timing the contractions–the typical stuff… All of that only gets you so far…
I woke up at 5:30 in the morning on July 15. I had to go to the bathroom. It was at that point that thought my water broke. Did I freak out? Did I rush to wake up my husband? Nope. I got my dog and I went downstairs to watch TV. Everyone says the first pregnancy can take hours, and even the doctor told me that you don’t want to get to the hospital too early, so I figured I’d sit on the comfortable couch with Lexy, my sweet pup, to time the contractions. The started about ten minutes apart.
I thought it was going pretty well. I was timing the contractions at about 8 minutes apart when Lexy started to get antsy. (She has always been a smart pup..) I was having moderate pain about every 8 minutes, and this little minor twinges about halfway through. Lexy left the couch and ran over to the stairs. She waited and when I didn’t follow her she came back into the living room and stared at me pointedly. She went back to the stairs, but waited only briefly before coming back into the living room and barking at me. Realizing it would only get worse, I headed upstairs to wake up David, my husband. I called the doctor and left a message on the line, explaining I thought my water broke but that the contractions were far apart, and then hoped in the shower while David took the dogs out to the field for a potty break.
Then things got interesting.