Just The Two of Us

Memories of Having Our First Baby

Thought I would share a memory with you all this fine Monday, being as I am trying to keep it lighthearted with another Dental appointment this morning...sheesh!

Just the two of us got married young and couldn't wait to start a family. We both agreed we wanted to start right away. We were getting a bit worried, after all, we were giving it a diligent and gallant effort with our desire to start a family...lol, when finally after a little over a year we discovered we were, indeed, pregnant and going to have a baby...our first! Pictured, I am 9 months pregnant!

The 9 months seemed to drag on forever. We lived in a small town in Iowa. My hubby was the Assistant Manager of Woolworth's, which was located in a beautiful modern mall. It was only three blocks from our first apartment so we decided it would be more economical to sell one of our two cars, both Pintos. Yes, you would be correct if you thought you had heard they were the car that had the manufacturer's defect, and if hit in the rear of the vehicle they tended to catch on fire. haha! The Woolworth store was the same store we had met at, while my hubby was kind enough to pour me and my friends a cup of coffee, while we were having a bite to eat in their restaurant called Harvest House.

We were elated to be having a baby, and like most, soon to be Mom's, I ran out to get whatever books I could find about having a baby, along with books on baby names. The Dr. Spock book was the thickest, so I think that ended up being my choice. More bang for my buck, right. lol Okay, bang didn't mean that back then.

After reading about Lamaze, just the two of us opted for this method of natural delivery, no pain meds. For some reason, unbeknownst to me, I was up doing laundry at 1:00 a.m., must have been that burst of energy thing women experience right before they go into labor, cause right then and there, I had my first contraction. Having no desire to go to the hospital before it was necessary, and with hubby sleeping in our bedroom, I must have spent at least two hours trying to decide if I really was having contractions. Looking back, what a fool I must have been, who else would jump around like a jumping bean in an attempt to nearly cling to the ceiling at every chance. Eventually, came to my senses and woke up my hubby after a couple of hours and he quick like, dressed and threw the overnight bag in the car and off to the hospital we went, the Doctor would meet us there.

Upon being prepped, and settling into the delivery room, I can remember several little things I did like grabbing my sweet hubby's hand and saying in a rather low grumble and a scowl on my face, "if I can't have coffee, then you can't either"! grrr! Oh, I remember after being told the umbilicord was wrapped around the baby's neck the words " no sweety, sorry you can't push yet", over, and over, and over. Oh my word!

Then in the heat of everything...and loosing any and all modesty I ever had, somewhere along the line, I apparently gave them permission to allow some interns into the delivery room.

Well, it wasn't long before I was ready...r e a d y (deliriously happy) they said it with a smile, it was like music to my ears! Quickly, I was wheeled, bed and all, into the delivery room where they requested me, yes me, myself and I to move from the bed I was in, to the delivery bed, all of me, including my 9 month ~ pregnant belly, which made me feel more like a beached whale at this point. I was astounded but upon looking up and actually focusing on the room, I was appalled that there were 20 to 30 men standing around encircling the whole room, several who had clipboards. "Oh my word, these were the interns", nothing like having an audience! Between breathing and the full blown contractions and just wanting to get on with this I did a 360 barrel roll and panicked everyone, in my attempt to move to the proper delivery bed. Well, who knew my own strength, and there was nothing proper about any of this! hehe!

After 8 hours of fast labor and a few tense moments with the umbilicord wrapped around his neck, our beautiful little baby was born, it was with excited anticipation waiting to hear if it was a girl or a boy. The Doctor quickly announced, "It's a boy!" and just the two of us shared a flushed moment of knowing love and appreciation I will never forget... a glorious breathtaking moment! A God given miracle, like I never would have imagined, witnessing the birth of a baby! There was an enormous sense of love, and wonder that washed over us, with that came the incredible sense of responsibility and we both breathed in and admired the beauty of our new little bundle of joy, holding him, touching him, and using our fingers tracing each and every one of his delicate little features, in an effort to memorize every inch of his precious being! God's greatest gift is a child, and sharing and receiving this gift, this cherished gift together is something we to this day treasure! It was beautiful!

Later the next day, the nurse brought in like the 10th or 13th little boy blue floral arrangement that was from my Mom and Dad, and in their excitement, they wrote my name on the card with my maiden name and not my married name...we all had a good laugh over that!

The day we brought our beautiful little baby Kevin home from the hospital, my hubby got "the call"...he was being promoted to his first store as Manager, 8 hours away. We were ecstatic and completely taken for a loop. We only had one car. I had no family that could come and stay with me, both Mom's lived out of town. So off he went for a whole month, leaving me with a brand new baby, and no car. Thankfully, I did have some girlfriends that did help me out, or I don't know what I would have done. Kevin was a good baby, excluding one time in that first month that he did have colic and wow! That was an experience that made every hair and nerve in my body stand up...Wendy, my friend saved me that night, and I admire anyone who has ever had a colicky baby. We got through it all and I was never so happy as when, a month later, we were all on our way to the Quad Cities area on the Illinois/Iowa border to live as a family. :)


Just the two of us had a pleasant weekend. Dennis had to work the night shift, because one of his employee's was on vacation. So it almost felt like he had two days off, which rarely ever happens. We turned the ringer off on the phone so he could sleep, and enjoyed total peaceful bliss with little or no interruptions. So if any of you want to share your first...let me know, I would love to be your audience, and I'll leave the clipboard at home! lol

posted by Pamela @ 1:34 AM