A Year Ago Today

A year ago today, this is where I was.  Posing for a silly picture with my mom's friend (and my friend) Sandi, who, in case you can't tell, has a watermelon in her overalls.

Usually, I hate pictures of myself, but for some reason, I didn't mind having my picture taken when I was pregnant and I don't really mind looking at those pictures now.  It certainly is NOT because I was looking fabulous...hadn't done my hair in a while, my shirt was obviously too small but just stretchy enough to fit around me (I refused to buy any more maternity clothes), and my feet were swollen around the straps of my sandals.  I don't remember worrying about those things when I was having my picture taken.  Must have been the pregnancy hormones to make me feel so confident, and completely oblivious to the excessive hair growth and back acne I was experiencing.  Pregnancy hormones are awesome.  Sometimes.  Not the times when they make you cry, or be angry, or exhausted, but definitely at the times when they make you feel amazing just for being an incubator.

I remember this particular day very vividly.  It was a Thursday and it was more than two weeks before my due date.  Having personally been delivered into this world a full two weeks AFTER the date my mother expected me, I fully intended to "hold her in" until the end of August, possibly even longer.  That, combined with the fact that I really wasn't too sure about getting the baby OUT of me, convinced me to believe that I had plenty of time before this baby was coming.  My mother thought otherwise.  She thought we should run a marathon that day getting all the "last minute" things I still needed.

Marathon is an understatement because frankly, running 26.2 miles might have taken less energy than the amount we expended on that Thursday.  We were in and out of the car at least a dozen times that day.  It started with a trip to the doctor where I tried not to look at the scale, but had to peek anyway, and then wished I didn't.  I was 2cm/80% and was assured by the doctor that I'd be seeing him again in a week.  The rest of the day is a blur, but I do remember it included a trip to Walmart to stock up on things I'd need after the baby arrived, a trip to buy nursing bras, a visit to Sandi's new house (obviously a very important visit as you can tell from the photo), a visit to another friend's house (more pictures), lunch (definitely a must), and some other things that the last year of sleeplessness has allowed me to forget.  Not to mention, it was the middle of August and was at least 100*, and I weighed...HA!! like I would tell you that.  Suffice it say, I was very heavy and I was reminded of it everytime I moved.

At the end of this very long day, I collapsed on the couch to watch TV until bedtime.  Ryan was working his usual swing shift so I was alone with the dogs, my shows, and a huge belly that would not allow me to be comfortable in one position for very long.  Then I started having contractions.  Nothing painful, nothing more than the usual Braxton-Hicks I'd been having for a week or so, but this time, there were like a billion of them.  OK, not a billion, but a lot, and it was irritating, and a little unnerving.  Then they stopped, and I went to bed, and went on with my life - thankful that there were a few more things I could check off my "to do" list, but still in denial about how this baby was actually going to come out of me.

To be continued...

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I didn't share Laci's birth story when she was born because I thought that might be more information than some people want to read.  Then I got too busy with life.  Then it didn't seem important.  Personally, I love reading other people's birth stories.  They are all so different and amazing to me.  As we are getting closer to her first birthday, I decided I want to share it now.  If it gets too graphic, come back after her birthday.  What can I do?  Life is graphic.