Just in case you were wondering, here is how it happened.
On Thursday night around 7:30 we were eating dinner around our little card table, laughing, and having a good time when I thought I peed my pants. Oops! I thought as I ran to the bathroom. Being just over 38 weeks pregnant, I knew there was a chance that it was not pee, but also being 38 weeks pregnant knew there was a very good chance that it was pee (anyone who has ever been pregnant can relate, I'm sure). Anyway, I decided that it was nothing significant until the same thing happened 30 minutes later. About an hour later, yet another episode. Now, I was starting to get a little nervous. This frequency of pant wetting would be unusual, even for me. I called my OB office, and they told me to head to the hospital.
I started freaking out a little (or maybe a little bit more than that). We had only been in Ithaca about 2 weeks. I had expected to have another 2 weeks before having a baby. My bag was not packed. I had not washed Jack's laundry. There were 6 half opened boxes and their contents strewn about our living room. Jack's car seat was still in in a box somewhere in the attic. His bed was not set up yet. And most of all, I did not have anyone lined up to take care of our little Maggie-pie while we went to the hospital! I was not planning on having a baby yet.
My mom was to arrive 1 week before Jack's due date (in plenty of time, I thought!) to be here to watch Maggie. In the very unlikely chance that Jack decided to come more than one week early, I had planned to ask our neighbor to watch Maggie. Turns out, she went to Ohio for the weekend. Crap!
I had ONE (and only one) other phone number in my phone for any person living in the area, a girl named Trina. "Well," I said to Joe, "I guess I will call her." She has also been so welcoming and kind from the very day that I arrived. Still, calling her, I felt like I was saying, "Hi, remember me? Yes, we just met one week ago. Will you come over to my house, right now, and watch my two-year old and keep watching her for an indefinite amount of time while I have a baby?" Luckily Trina is wonderful and sweet and came right over without hesitation. Still, by the time she arrived, I was in tears because I felt so horrible asking such a big favor of someone that I hardly know, because Maggie was going to wake up in the morning in a house that she still doesn't really understand with no idea why Joe and I weren't there, because my house was in a complete disaster, and because I was really not quite ready to have a baby.
Joe and I headed to the hospital arriving around 10:30 p.m., and sure enough, my water had broken. The MD on-call recommended that we begin induction that night to avoid the likelihood of infection, so around 12:30 pitocin was running, but at a very slow drip. I had hoped that with just a small dose my body would kick into labor on it's own. By 7:00 a.m. (and after a few blessed hours of sleep) it was clear that labor was not happening, so the medical staff started cranking up the infusion. Every 20 minutes they increased the dose and within a couple of hours I was in active labor and only starting to actually believe that I was going to have a baby and soon. Things started moving quickly. At about 10:00 a.m. I was dilated to a 4-5, and I asked for an epidural. By the time the anesthesiologist made it to my room around 10:30 a.m., I was at a 7. By the time he left a little before 11:00 a.m. I was at a 9. Ten minutes later, a 10. A healthy, beautiful, little Jack came to join us at 11:23 a.m.
Even though I was quite unprepared and unready to have a baby, I am so happy that Jack is here! I certainly would trade a messy house and a little unprepared-ness for a shorter pregnancy (Maggie didn't come until 41 weeks!) and a healthy little baby. My little brother Jeff jumped right in his car after work and drove out from Boston on Friday to stay with Maggie to relieve Trina who cared for Maggie through Friday afternoon. We are so grateful to all of the people who so willingly helped us! I was really nervous to move across the country and away from friends and support systems right before having a baby, but thanks to so many kind people, things have turned out well. In many ways it is a blessing that Jack came two weeks early. Because of his early arrival, Joe still had about a week before starting school and we have been able to enjoy some wonderful time as a family.
And, WE HAVE A BABY!!!
Welcome baby Jack. We are so glad that you are here!
