Cabbage Patch - The Beginning
*warning to men* this is girly mom talk, just move on to the other posts and ignore this.

Three years ago today I woke early on a Friday morning still painfully pregnant and two days past my due date. I was doing daycare from my home at that time and had an over active 2 and a half year old of my own in addition to the two toddlers I took care of three days a week.

I was feeling fairly good for me while pregnant (I'm miserable while pregnant, sick a lot, quite uncomfortable, moody, food cravings and aversions, waddled when I walked and HUGE) - that few weeks preceding that day were actually really good and I was feeling really really good and even enjoying my pregnancy (which was a first). Going past my due date was absolutely expected for me. I went 6 days past with Super Girl. The midwife had told me on the past visit on Sunday or Monday (I forget exactly) that I would not make it to my next appointment the next week, she was certain I would give birth before then. I was excited. I had already made up my mind months earlier that I would deliver this little girl on the 13th of July as her sister was born on the 13th of February and I wanted both girls to be born on the 13th.

My sister D knew of my desire to birth on the 13th - I don't think she believed it would happen though. D would be acting as my doula for this birth. Either on the 12th or the 10th she drug me and Super Girl out to walk around the historic down town area of my city, in hopes that all that walking would start my labor. It was hot, very hot and I was uncomfortable. I hated that walk but I also wanted to get things going as I was HUGE and ready to birth - have I mentioned it was hot? All that walking didn't get get labor started.

Back to Friday. When I woke that morning I knew I would give birth that day. One of my clients had taken her baby out of care as she was having pre-term labor issues and was now on restricted activity so she wasn't working anymore - no work, no money for daycare. I was still watching the 2 year old though. We followed the normal schedule for the day. Playtime, reading time, song time, learning time, lunch time, nap time, outside play time, snack time, reading time, more play time, home time... During nap time I called D and we chatted about things I had done and could do to get labor started. I had already had sex the night before and was drinking some read leave something or other tea. We discussed nipple stimulation to start things moving. Oh, K & I had decided that we would use Hypnobirthing to get me through a natural home birth (K is a hypnotist). After D and I finished our conversation I the above mentioned labor starting method as well as some self hynosis. I started feeling a few cramps, nothing really strong though. Through out the day when ever I had a chance I concentrated on labor starting. At 4 pm I called D and told her I was having some contractions and was in labor. "Do you want me to come over now??" she asked excitedly. I said "Don't rush, it's going to be a while you know, come over if you want." Then I instant messaged K and told him that labor was starting "Do you want me to come home now???" he asked, my answer "Only if you want to, you can wait until you finish work, it's going to be a while." Both said they were on their way home right then. I called the aunt of the toddler I watched to find out who would be picking her up and when as I was in labor, but it wasn't a rush. I left that message for her. D showed up at 5:30 pm. The aunt showed up 5 or 10 minutes later - she was all panicked that I was in labor, I assured her that she needn't have rushed nor should she worry, I was just in labor. When she asked if I was having contractions and I told her I had just had one while we were talking I thought her eyes were going to pop out of her head. heh. I wasn't in pain at all. K showed up at 5:45 pm. Everyone rushed over despite my instructions to not rush. D started timing contractions while K took Super Girl with him to the store and the Chinese take away place to procure things for the evening.

Karma wasn't smiling on K that night, he discovers that the restaurant forgot/lost his order - this is after an hour of waiting. At about 8:30 pm D and I joke that K is going to miss the birth of his baby if he doesn't arrive soon. After 2 and a half hours he returns with food and movies. At 9:30 pm I decide that I will take a nap as labor will take a while so I should sleep while I can. At 10 pm I get out of bed to go sit in the tub as the contractions are getting more intense - not really closer together just a little more intense. D hears the tub running and comes to see if I'm OK, I tell her I am, I just need to be in the tub. K comes into the bathroom to check on me also. D and K sit down and talk with me while I'm in the tub (the bathroom is really huge). After a bit I told D that maybe we needed to start timing the contractions again. She wrote down 10:20 pm as started having a contraction and moved to a hands and knees position. My water broke right then and I delivered a 9 lb baby girl 7 minutes later. (I won't bore you anymore with details of that since I've bored you enough.)

Now she's 3. My baby.