It's A Wonderful Life...

Tomorrow is December 15. Today, I have spent probably a little too much time thinking about the events of December 14 and 15, 2007. I was home...huge...giant...some referred to me as a VW Beetle (I work with a bunch of men - they know not what they say). It was unseasonably warm on December 14. I decided that the leaves on my sidewalk were in the way, so I got out the leaf blower. No more leaves. Then I noticed that I had dirtied up my car while blowing leaves, so what did this pregnant Volkswagen do? Went to the car wash...not the drive-thru kind. I washed and vacuumed my car. I came home to do some laundry, but for whatever insane pregnant reason, decided that my washing machine needed to be Pine-Sol-ed inside and out. Are you seeing a pattern here? CRAZY PREGNANT WOMAN NESTING. I got a little nuts with the Pine-Sol that day. Every appliance in my house got a thorough washing. By late afternoon, I had to get ready to go eat catfish at Smokin' M. *************TIME OUT - I had been admitted once in October and once in November for pre-term labor. Ironically, both times I was admitted, I had on the same maternity outfit. I had a gut feeling Meredith was coming that night, so to add a little humor to the night, I wore that outfit to dinner...my hospital-admission outfit. I told everyone that I was ready to have this baby! After eating a small-pond's worth of catfish, Gray and I came home and watched It's A Wonderful Life. Just as we got into bed, my water broke. Thank goodness, I had my hospital outfit handy! Gray only circled the driveway once before he remembered that I needed to be in the car with him in order to get to the hospital. I told him to chill...slow down...I wasn't even hurting yet. 4 minutes later, I threatened his life if he did not have me in the hospital in 30 seconds. I arrived at Baptist Women's Hospital at midnight. Gray dropped me off and went to park. After hours, the doors do not open automatically to the hospital. I couldn't get in. Finally, after what felt like 2 days worth of contractions, I saw the button on the left to open the doors. The receptionist told me to fill out a card and have a seat. HAVE A SEAT?!?!?! Are you serious? I was having a baby...now. I got settled in my room eventually. I was 5 cm. The anesthesiologist administered my epidural...then another...and tried one last time, but nothing. It worked really well in my left toes, but that was it. I pushed for 3 hours. Let me repeat that in case you did not read it thoroughly. I pushed for 3 hours. Then was carted off for an emergency C-section. Meredith's heart rate dropped and she had to come out quickly. I don't remember much of her actual birth. The horse tranquilizers and Versed fogged it over, but I did hear her cry. I heard Gray tell me she was beautiful. And I heard them tell me she weighed 5 pounds and 3 ounces. I am not sure if I said it out loud or just wanted to, but I told them to weigh her again. I just knew she was the size of a 13 year old. Where did those other 20 pounds come from? They placed my little girl on my chest and wheeled us to recovery. Once there, the nurse told me to feed her and that as soon as I could move my legs we could go to a room...I replied with, "move my legs like this?" and pulled my knees to my chest. Her jaw dropped and she took me to my room. That story is my favorite memory. I love being Meredith's mom. I have no clue what happened to time after I had her, but it sped up to an uncomfortable rate. As she said her prayers tonight, she added something extra...She thanked God for birthday cake. I thanked God for her.

Meredith Gray Nickels

5 pounds 3 ounces

17 inches long

December 15, 2007