By Meg Hodson
My oldest and middle child share the same birthday. My daughter recently turned 11 and my son turned 9. They LOVE sharing a birthday. Sometimes we have done group parties, sometimes we have done separate sleepovers and such. This year, we actually bought them separate birthday cakes.....you would think we told them we were taking them to Hawaii.....they loved it.
This year, for some reason, I am really focused on thinking of their lives and specific memories I have of them. Sure, every year my husband and say say the quintessential "you're getting too big" or "stop growing up". I love my kids being kids and sometimes I truly have that thought; please don't grow up.
So, I think that's why I've been reminiscing about their birth. It struck me that my memory of their birth is my memory alone; I own it. No one can recount it or remember it like I do. And this goes way beyond knowing what time they entered the world or if they cried right away (albeit those are important memories, too).
After about 18 hours of labor with my daughter, the doctors recommended a C-section. I had gotten to 9 cm and was stalling. She was going to be a larger baby. I remember lying on my side, crying. I don't think I was crying because I couldn't give birth naturally; I was just emotional and told that I should have surgery to take my first born child out. We took time to decide what to do and opted for the C-section.
I can remember every corner of that operating room. I remember feeling nauseous and having a very caring anesthesiologist. I remember the color of the blanket they wrapped her in; it was those recognizable hospital baby blankets, her's with blue and pink stripes. I remember thinking how crazy the amount of stainless steel was in that one room. I panicked ever so slightly when it took a little longer to get my bleeding under control.
Fast forward 2 years later to my son being born. I was scheduled for a C-section the day after my daughter's birthday. Well, he had other ideas and decided Super Bowl Sunday would be a good time for Mom to go into labor. I followed all the What To Expect When You're Expecting tips....yeah, I had what seemed like labor pains, but I would walk around a bit and they would go away. I was fine.
But at 2 am, I bolted awake and knew this was the real deal. We had recently moved further away from my doctor and the hospital we were at with my daughter, but we still wanted to be there for the birth of my son. We had about a 30 minute drive. All I know is that I can't believe I didn't pull off that handle that is above the window of the car door to brace yourself. My sweet daughter was a champ in the back seat as my husband feverishly woke my sister in the middle of the night to come and get her.
I am sure there are tons of mothers that have similar stories. I smile as I can recall my story with exact detail. Makes me almost want to experience it again.....almost.
Do you have vivid memories of having your baby? What stands out to you?
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