one year

JJ turned one today!

And it occurred to me that I have never posted his birth story, so here it is.

Dear Gerald,

If I had known that today was the day of your birth, I would have eaten a good breakfast. As it was, I ate two large helpings of chocolate mouse instead of a bowl of fiber one and a nice piece of fruit.

I was supposed to have lunch with my friend Holly, at our favorite Mexican restaurant no less, at 12:30 and right after that I was planning on voting in the primaries. Instead I went to the Dr.'s office for a procedure that was supposed to make you come out faster. It worked, because after the (painful) procedure the midwife looked at my chart and said that my blood pressure was too high and left to find the Dr. She came back right away and told me that I had bought myself an induction, and I burst into tears.

I was upset because I wanted you to come on your own, I was afraid you were staying inside because you needed a few more days to cook. I wanted you to be ready to be born and not hurried in any way. I called your Dad and told him to go home and get the bag that I had packed, and reminded him that since tomorrow was your due date and all, that he probably should have packed himself a bag ahead of time (like I had asked him) because now he would have to rush and would probably forget something (like his toothbrush).

The Dr.'s office is across the street from the hospital, so I drove across the street and sat in the car and made some phone calls. I called my mom, Auntie Adrienne, Auntie Rachel and Auntie Mel and told them all what was happening. Your Grammy was pretty excited and got herself and Grandpa in the car right away so they could be at the hospital when you were born. Everyone else was excited to meet you too! By the time I got up to the maternity ward the nurses had called the Dr.'s office to see what was taking me so long!

They put me into a room and did some paperwork and and started an IV, I asked the nurse if I could please have some lunch and she almost laughed at me. Later a nice nurse got me some graham crackers and ginger ale - at that point I was really regretting my non-nutritious breakfast. Then your dad came and the Dr. broke my water and right away you decided it was a good day to be born :)

I didn't plan on having an epidural, but without any food in my stomach I was really nauseated every time I had a contraction - so while we watched American idol, the anesthesiologist gave me an epidural and I felt much better. In fact, I even took a nap while your dad got some dinner. Grammy and Grandpa came to the room and sat with us for awhile and then Grandma and Grandpa L. arrived - it took everyone a little longer than usual to make it to town because an ice storm was going on outside.

At about 11:30 PM I told the nurses that I thought it was time for you to be born, so your grandparents all went to the waiting room and the Dr. came in and I got to work. At 12:40 AM you were born and the Dr. announced "It's a boy!" You were born on your due date. You were named after your father, grandfather and great grandfather (someday I will tell you wife to find a new name, the insurance company still insists on mixing up you and your father).

You were the sweetest little thing I had ever seen, your eyes were wide open and you kept looking right at me, and opening and closing your mouth like a little bird and making the cutest coo's and grunts. I wanted to hold you forever and ever, and I guess that was what you wanted too, because every time I tried to lay you in the bassinet you cried. It wasn't a teeny newborn cry - you had lungs! In fact the nurses had hard time giving you your hearing test because you were crying so hard.

We couldn't wait to take you home, we figured it wouldn't be too hard to have a baby in the house - boy were we wrong. You cried and cried and cried whenever I laid you in your bassinet, you preferred to sleep in the bed between me and your dad. Once you finally decided to nurse we all got some sleep and life hasn't been the same since.

We love you more than we knew was possible. We want nothing more than to teach you how much you are loved and how to love others. Our hopes and dreams have suddenly become all about you, and neither of us would change that. Ever.

I love you, little man, forever and ever,

Mama