October 5,2006

Might be just any other random date to some, but it's one of the most important days of my life. The day I became a mom to my beautiful baby girl.

My parents had come into town for *the big show* on the 3rd, even though I wasn't officially due until the 9th. My mom was determined to make her come *now*. Well, it worked!

The evening of the 3rd, not wanting to disappoint, I drank half a bottle of castor oil in a large mountain dew, and circled the block our apartment complex was on for an hour at a super fast pace for a very large pregnant woman. If anything, I thought the dog would enjoy the walk. We sat outside in between laps in the courtyard of the complex, surrounded by friends and family, enjoying the nice weather and timing what I thought were braxton hicks contractions. I'd sit on my excercise ball and bounce while we chatted. It was really an awesome day.

We called it a night and went our separate ways, my best friend Taylor (who was pregnant at the time with her first son, Camron) left with a "call me if you go into labor" over the shoulder and my parents and I hit the sack. I woke up around 3am for one of my many middle of the night bathroom breaks, and noticed something a little more... *wet* ... than usual down under. I quickly grabbed a mirror, sat on the pot, and prepared myself for the worst.. it wasn't my water, and I was peeing myself.

I didn't disappoint! Not getting my hopes up, I bore down and waited to see where it was coming from. Sure enough, it was my water! I woke up my parents, called Taylor, and off we went, on the scariest ride of my life. Next time I was in the car, I'd be a mother!

Taylor arrived within the hour, and soon we were off to the hospital. Note to self EAT before you go! We stopped at the Shell station by the highway for coffee, and I grabbed a raspberry leaf green tea, which is apparently supposed to help put you into labor. If this wasn't the real thing, I was going to do everything I could to MAKE it the real thing!

We pulled up to the hospital at around 4:30am on the 4th. We went to triage and ta-da! it was amniotic fluid and I was being admitted! My water had sprung a high leak and she'd be here anytime now. My mom was really excited, as the 4th of October is also the birthday of my brother, Jeremy, who is no longer with us. I was really excited because I was soon going to have my baby in my arms! I got all strapped in and undressed, relaxed a bit, and contacted the Red Cross so they could let Frank know I was in labor. It was just a matter of time now.. or so I thought.

I don't remember exact specifics, all I remember is not being let out of bed to walk around and get my labor going, so I layed in bed for 27 hours start to finish. I do recall a few things, such as my parents and Taylor getting McDonald's when I was STARVING and walking in with their giant cups flaunting it in my face, then promptly sneaking me food out of their purses after I whined. I remember Taylor and her mom, Rose, being with me in the tiny room almost the entire time. Even at 7months pregnant, she stuck with me until the end.

At some point during labor, I was finally talked into getting the epidural. Damn thing didn't even work, and soon I was threatening my step dad with dragging him behind an eighteen wheeler by a super sensitive part of his anatomy. Somewhere in there were a lot of phone calls from Frank that I was too in the zone to deal with, so my poor hubby had to hear from everyone but me what was going on.

around 5:30am on October the 5th, I decided I really needed to use the bathroom... like, REALLY needed to. The nurses assured me it was just the baby dropping, and I swore it was a real need. So I lugged my booty out of bed and tried without success. Defeated I climbed back into bed where after fifteen minutes I felt the urge to push.

Frank called at around 6am and was on the phone to hear Caleigh Marie's grand entrance at 6:05am. She was promptly handed to me all gooey and crying, and the only words I could muster were "she is so beautiful. oh my god, Frank, she's gorgeous." After getting a quick wipe down, she was back into my arms again and finally at my breast, nursing like a little 7lb 15 ounce champ. Soon, we were wisked away into our room for the next 24 hours until we could get home.

Within 8 hours of her birth, Frank got to see his baby girl at the first VTC ever to be held at Balboa hospital. Frank had been in Iraq since July, and wouldn't be returning until January 2007. These short teleconference sessions were the only precious moments he got to see his little princess.

After oogling at Caleigh on the tv, and having a million pictures of us taken, we headed back to our room to rest up. Finally, on October 6, 2006 around 9am,we were released to go home, and our lives as mother and daughter could finally begin.