Bump!

Well, Stephanie at Adventures in Babysitting is doing a pregnancy Bump picture thingy, so I thought I'd scrounge up a shot or two. You have to know that our camera isn't digital, and I didn't start developing with computer disc negatives till about 2 years ago, so I have no pregnancy shots for the computer of me with either boy. Of course, I could figure out the scanner thing that isn't even hooked up, but that requires brain cells and computer savvy - neither of which is available right now. Also, our camera was broken and overdeveloping all of our pictures for about 4 months of my pregnancy with Corinne (and her birth too... I'm still heartbroken over losing those shots) so I am missing about 7 rolls of pictures... Sigh. BUT, I do have sisters and these sisters DID take pictures of my belly when I was preggo with Corinne. SOOOOO without further ado, here's my belly!

This one is of me, camping in July. Good Lord, it was soooo hot that week! Anyway, we were in Wisconsin at Yellowstone SP (nice place. A beach, bats that come out at night and decent campsites. I recommend it!) This is the ONLY time in my life that I have ever truly TRULY loved the way I looked in a bathing suit. Truly. When pregnant, I don't feel "fat." I mean, I feel huge, and uncomfortable and all that, but geez louise. It's the only time in your life you're actually SUPPOSED to be big and round. How awesome is that?!? I loved my round hard belly, every time (even when it had corners...)

And this next shot I think is so cute. My older sister is on the left with her 7 month old daughter, I'm in the middle, 9 months pregnant with Corinne, and my younger sister is on the right, 6 months pregnant with my next niece! Three sisters, having three girls in one year! It's been very cool to see them growing up together. I am HUGE. I am also wearing an orange turtleneck, as it's almost Halloween and I figured I might as well look the part of a pumpkin... This was on Sunday, the 23rd at my younger sister's house for her husband's birthday. I went into labor that night!

I remember making the sandwiches for the lunches the next day, timing contractions, putting all of the unfolded and folded laundry into a basket, making lists of everyone to call for Patrick's aunt (she was coming over to watch the boys), timing contractions, waking Patrick with that whole "Honey, it's time" speech that I had NEVER given before, getting worried cuz I deliver fast and the contractions jumped from 6 to 5 to 2 minutes in less than an hour...

I remember losing my plug (tmi) and getting freaked cuz, for me, that's never happened anywhere other than a hospital RIGHT before delivery. I remember wondering what the heck my husband and aunt-in-law were thinking chit-chatting and repeating the same questions to me and wondering why I wasn't answering when I was CLEARLY in transition and moaning while rotating my hips and humming while clinging to a bannister.

I remember having that moment in the car on the way to the hospital that everyone thinks is funny in the movies, but isn't so funny in real life: that moment of "Oh God. I'm going to deliver in a car on the side of the road... and the car is filthy!" I remember my husband being frantic, for the first time in all of my deliveries (he's a calm dude) and actually saying "don't push!" in the car.

I remember the ABSOLUTE RELIEF of seeing that hospital and saying about 40 times in less than 5 minutes to the admitting nurse that I DELIVER FAST, this is my third child, the doctor MISSED my last delivery, and, oh by the way I DELIVER FAST so don't waste time doing the paperwork, woman: CHECK ME. I remember the realization that, oh YEAHHHHH... labor and delivery hurts like a &#&!! and WHAT was I thinking?!?

I remember the look of concern on my doctor's face (the nurses listened to me and called him and just about yelled at him to get to the hospital NOW, cuz she's at 5, no she's at 6, wait 7?) and how when he said "there's meconium present" I absolutely forgot my own pain and pushed her out with complete focus. I remember how she was whisked across the room, and worked on and how my husband, mother and mother-in-law (all in the room) were all oblivious to this fact. They kept on saying how beautiful she was, how she's perfect, how LOUD she was (Good Lord. The LOUDEST newborn EVER). I remember asking repeatedly if she was ok, is she ok, is she OK?!?

I remember being amazed that she really WAS a girl and that all of that pink stuff in the closet at home was going to be used by MY daughter.

Hmm... I don't think this was supposed to be a rambling delivery topic. Sorry if I went off a bit. But I got on a roll and it all came flooding back to me. I need to record the boys' birth stories here, too, so as not to forget them. Maybe on Evan's birthday, I'll do his (April 1st!!).