A Birth Story... 2 and 1/2 years later

It was Friday, March 28th, exactly 4 weeks before my due date. I came to work that day large as a house and whining the entire day. I couldn't make myself comfortable in my work chair. I fidgeted all day long and remember asking my co-worker "Is his head between my legs? It sure feels like it". My belly felt strange that day, I felt him move but at one point in the day the movement felt like a flip.

I carried on with my day and was excited to pick up one last thing for the nursery...the glider. A glider I always said I would not need but caved it and got it because the room needed something. I use that glider now every night and love it. Lesson learned.

I was also excited because we made plans to have dinner at my cousin's house that evening.

After work I picked up the glider and came home. Ry unloaded it and put it in the nursery...it was finished.

My hospital suitcase was by the stairs for the past week and I would just dump things in it as I remembered. It lay open as a reminder to get it filled with stuff I would probably never need.

I took a shower and got ready for dinner. We arrived at my cousin's house and she went all out with dinner.

She made fish, rice and veggies. We talked a little before dinner was ready. We sat around her round dining room table. Ry sat across from me. As we finished our delicious meal I had an urge to go to the bathroom and felt a little trickle of "something".

I announced "I'm going to the bathroom", till this day I don't know why I did, maybe a sense of something about to happen.

I made it halfway to the bathroom before I felt a huge "trickle", I got nervous. Did I just pee on myself? Gosh this pregnancy thing is strange.

Before I even had a chance to sit on the potty I felt a huge gush of water come out.

Holy crap, what the hell?!

I sat there thinking this can't be it. Before that thought escaped another gush of water.

You know how they tell you when your water breaks it's not really like it is in movies, all dramatic with a huge amount of water between the woman's legs and a guy has to come and mop it all up?

Yeah, well...

IT WAS EXACTLY LIKE THAT FOR ME!

I remember saying "Ryan, I think my water just broke". I heard chairs being pushed away from the table and 3 voices outside the bathroom door. One of them said "Are you sure?". In a surprising calm voice I said "I think so".

From what I know after the fact, my cousin told me that Ryan and her husband just starred at each other, one thinking Dude, it's your wife, you figure it out and the other Dude, my wife is in freaking labor...NOW WHAT?!

My cousin, bless her heart sprang into action and was calming everyone down, including me. I informed her I needed a towel. If you know me you can believe that I had to straighten the bathroom out as best I could before emerging looking like a deer in head lights.

I remember putting the towel between my legs and getting out the door with my cell phone in hand. First, I called my Dr. who told me to go to the hospital, (already were on our way). Then I remember calling my mom when we were on the expressway, she doesn't handle situations like that very well. She started getting all worried and said things I can't remember. I told her "Don't come until I call you to let you know what is going on" (I was in denial that I was in labor, rookie!), I hung up with her and started dialing my in-laws number. No answer on either of their cell phones.

In the mean time my contractions started.

I finally called my in-laws house and they picked up. I calmly (they claim I was calm, I don't remember being calm at all) told them "we're on our way to the hospital but don't come until I call you and let you know what is going on".

I wobbled in with a towel between my legs looking like a frightened child.

I remember asking for a wheel chair and the security guard looked at me like I was some spoiled brat asking for a diamond ring. Things moved in slow motion for me. No one was doing anything quick enough. I finally got a wheel chair and we were off to labor and delivery.

We arrived and all the nurses around me were calm as I panicked inside.

They said it was a slow night and I could have the biggest room there, but when they wheeled me to the room I noticed the room was #13. I did not want it. The preggo nurse assured me she even requested #13 when she delivered her baby. If you want to be that cruel to a lady in labor then FINE!

From that point I remember a Dr. (not mine, of course) coming in and setting up all the equipment. They confirmed my water did actually break and that we would be having a baby soon.

It took 4 nurses to find a vein to get my IV in (they had to call a "special" nurse), that was a hoot. They were asking me questions that the answers to were in my file but because I was 4 weeks early my file hadn't made its way to the hospital yet.

The first ultrasound machine did not work properly so they wheeled in another one. In the meantime when I was examined I was ZEROS across the board. The Dr. said "You will be here a while", the monitor showed I was having regular contractions but I only felt a few of them, nothing bad at all. Ryan asked if maybe now he could go get the bags at home but my evil look of are you insane, I'm having a baby and you want to go back home to get STUFF. Nuff said.

AND then it happened...

The ultra sound showed our little peanut in a breech position. Those of you that don't speak preggo, that means, feet down-head up, opposite of what it should be for a "regular" birth.

Then, all I heard was "CCCCCCCCCCCC-SEEEEEECCCCCCTTTTTIOOONNNNN".

I started crying and during this I saw my mother in law, father in law, mom, sister and Ryan's aunt peeking in through the door. OBVIOUSLY, no one heard we'll call you don't come instructions.

They started prepping me for surgery and it seemed so quick. Our families came in and then I saw MY Dr. Oh sweet Dr. B, how I love him. He's also my mom's and sister's Dr. as well, my mom loves him so much she started pleading with him to HELP me in her broken English. Now, we were the freaks in room #13 with the entire family there from the old country begging for mercy.

I remember someone giving Ry directions to change into his scrubs and all I kept thinking was he's going to put it all on backwards! He's famous for doing that.

As I was being wheeled off, everyone kissed me like I was going away forever and everyone was crying. Our family is a bunch of criers, I tell you. I was a mess myself.

OK, so now we're in the operating room and I get a spinal to paralyze me from the waist down. Ry was outside waiting.

I told the anaesthesiologist that I get claustrophobic and panic when my hands are tied. He didn't tie them and gave me something to relax.

It felt like forever before Ryan came into the room and I kept asking them to get him.

Finally, he came in and told me he wasn't nervous, what a great liar.

I saw the flourescent lights above me and tiled walls around me but whatever they gave me made me calm. I felt tugging and pulling like the air was getting sucked out of me but still calm.

The Doctors were talking amongst themselves about something unrelated to the patient on the table. I remember him saying "you'll hear your baby in about 60 seconds", a minute later "get ready to hear your baby in 30 seconds". They told us that he may have to go to the NICU because he was early and they had a Dr. and nurses there to see if he needed any extra help.

And then I heard him...

the most beautiful sound ever that still brings tears to my eyes as I write this.

They showed him to me over the curtain and whisked him away. He was screaming his little lungs out. Ry went over there and kept saying "he's wiggling and fine". Then I heard the confirmation, "he's got a good set of lungs, he's fine". And he just kept crying and so did I.

He was fine, PERFECT to be exact.

They put him in my arms for just a second before taking him away to be cleaned up. I told Ryan to go with him while they finished me up.

I was in the recovery room for an hour and did not see my baby but Ry kept going back and forth telling me exactly what was going on.

Meanwhile, in the waiting room, after 2.5 years of laughing about it I know what went on in there. My cousin Liz and her husband went to get our bag in the mean time and were waiting to see us come out of surgery. Our families kept checking the nursery to see if a new baby was in there. My sister spotted Ry in the nursery first and almost killed herself running back to everyone to tell them HE was here!

Everyone ran like ducklings following their mama and lined up behind the glass of the nursery to see this. One of our favorite shots taken by Grandpa.

They put D up to the glass to meet the family and my mom says he stuck out his tongue at everyone. A little personality already.

I told Ry "no one gets to hold him until I do".

My request (demand) was granted as soon as I was wheeled back into the room.

With our family there, it was a PERFECT way to meet our son. Perfect that everyone was there even though I was supposed to call them before they showed up, which in retrospect I wouldn't have had time to nor remembered until the baby was born.

We were surrounded by our loved ones to welcome DANIEL (6lbs 1.7 oz 18.5 inches long, born at 10:13pm, he got that #13 in there to make me happy about the room number) into the world.

He made a BIG entrance into this world and we know he will make a huge impact on it. Happy 2 and 1/2 birthday!!!!!!!!

When you're here you're family

This weekend we ran around like crazy, but what else is new at the Marron clan house. Between dentist appointments, window estimates, clothes shopping with my mom and food shopping we were pooped, and that was just Saturday. Speaking of food, we went to a new local grocery store nearby and fell in love. Mariano's offers fresh fruit, veggies, bakery, deli and they make hand dipped caramel apples right in front of you. The best part...they have these awesome car carts that D enjoyed. It's hard food shopping with him sometimes but we want to take him with us all the time as it's a cheap way to get family time in when our weekends are filled with madness.

Sunday, we went to church and put D down early so that we could leave to celebrate Dziadzia's (Polish for Grandpa) 60th birthday!
This year we all went to a place that reminded us of the commercial with a tag line of "when you're here you're family". Well that would have been the case any place we went but we had a good time. Everyone obsessed over D, as always, and it was nice to go out and relax.
D helping Dziadzia blow out his candles. He was practicing blowing candles all the way to the restaurant.
FINALLY some cake!
My sweet baby boy turns 2 and a half tomorrow! Happy 2.5 year birthday sweetness! I will have a tribute for that by Wednesday...his BIRTH STORY! It's never too late.

Girls...and a boy...just wanna have fun

As fall clothes have come out in every store, so has the hunger to buy it all.
My mom is going to Poland in a month to visit family and with that come her infamous trips to stores to find cute outfits, which my sister and I have to review. The other day I went over to her house with D so she could try on everything, unfortunately I had to tell her nothing was good enough. After she complained that she's getting old and needs help getting dressed, I invited her over this evening, after I bought a few things for fall. In our bedroom were bags of clothes, two "girls" that were trying stuff on and enthusiastically looking for approval from the young boy who cared less about fashion. Although, he tried to model a couple of things he returned to running around like a mad man, convincing Bunia he will need stitches soon if his mother did not learn how to control him.
After a few "that color is ugly" for me and a few "doesn't fit right" for her we were done. A special mother/daughter trip is planned this weekend to help with some additional purchases.
If only the little farm that my mom comes from cared as much about fashion as she does this would be actually worth it.

Catch up!

We've been busy lately with nothing exciting happening except the regular errands and LIFE! I took a break from blogging as I didn't even feel like taking any pictures, let's be honest pictures make every post more interesting.
Last weekend we ventured out to both grandparents to celebrate Grandparent's Day! I think I'm the only one that still gets sucked into this holiday as neither Grandpa had a clue it was a holiday. One grandma (you know which one you are) had it on her calendar (bad move on my part because that was my personalized X-Mas gift to her. Note to self next year's calendar might have that holiday removed.) It was a nice time and D made out like a bandit with more gifts than he brought in. (Note to self: continue to include this holiday on personalized calendars for G-parents, for selfish reasons.)
Going for a surprise visit.
He got a cool car toy and this sharp hat.
Last week D also started his class with grandma, I went to the first class too and witnessed first hand how ready he is for day care.
He complained this blender did not have batteries and kept demanding it needed "batteries".
The winner of the day was this chair. He called it his "Blue's Clues Chair" and was obsessed with it. So obsessed, that when it came to reading time, he wanted nothing to do with it and I had to hold him down to listen. Once that was over he was great.
We need to get him a train set for X-Mas. He loved it.
He went up to the other boys and said "My name is D" and shook their hand.
In the mean time out of all the projects I had to get done this weekend this is the only thing that got my attention.
BEFORE:
AFTER:
Don't let your eyes fool you this is NOT just white, it's a very country French light ocean breeze. It needed a new look.
Yesterday, we celebrated our 6 year wedding anniversary. We had grand plans to go to the Art Museum but with the pouring rain I didn't feel like just going to the museum without enjoying anything else outside. So we ran errands sporting D's rain coat.
We went to the mall to get some fall clothes. D made out with some cute stuff including 2 CARS pajamas, CARS cup and a Lighting McQueen car from the Disney store. He was a happy boy. Ry and I went to our favorite restaurant later that evening, Ruth's Chris. The best steaks EVER. Both Ry and I did not feel good but we devoured our food including their new cheesecake. To die for.
This morning I woke up miserable. I was so congested, coughing, sneezing like a crazy person. Ry wasn't feeling well either. I had such great plans for today, including cleaning the basement and hanging up some wall art. All failed after we went to church and food shopping, when we got home D had a melt down and so did I. I threw a bunch of ingredients into the slow cooker to make my first chili of the season. I was done. I went to bed and stuck tissues in my nostrils so that my nose could run as I slept. It was awful. I still feel pretty crappy but some Benadryl is making me feel a bit better. It might be allergies, it might be a cold, who knows but I want is gone.
Daddy and D helped to clean the family room up so I wouldn't have a heart attack with no cleaning being done at all.
Thanks boys!
This was my view laying down from the couch.
I hope this goes away quickly. I don't make a good patient and I'm sure my hubby is getting tired of making me his perfect cup of tea every 2 hours.

Fall craze

Yes, we're alive but with fall officially starting next week we have a lot of projects on our hands.
We sold our couches and cleaned our garage, I'm also hanging up much needed pictures around the house and shopping for fall clothes.
I'll be back to update soon. For now, I'm enjoying the energy I have to put the house together a little so I can finally invite friends over.

C ya soon!

Looooonnnnggg Post

This weekend was full of activities for us. With D bugging us every minute of the day to go into "Dada's Car or Mama's Car" we spend a lot of time in the passenger seat looking at him press all the buttons possible. He is absolutely obsessed with cars. He can pick out a Honda (both our cars or a Toyota (papa's car) from a mile away, all colors and different years).
Sweet face! I love this picture. It was after church.We also did something new this weekend, we bought D's first movie Cars that he LOVED!
Did you notice anything? The couches are officially back in the room. Saturday we spent the day putting the vanity into the bathroom (will post picture soon after it gets a coat of paint) and I washed this entire rug on my hands and knees with my birthday gift (little green bissell cleaner). The room still needs some decorations but it's nice to have a family room again.
We hit the park to have some fun.
daddy too
On Labor Day it was a chaotic morning trying to decide where we should go to spend the day. After much talking we decided we would go apple picking.
We caught some cow rides.
D enjoyed riding on a tractor
and Bunia did too.We j.umped until I felt sick.
We finally caught a ride to the apple orchard.
We had our own personal apple picker (my nephew)
D mostly enjoyed throwing the apples around
We enjoyed spending time as a family

and took in the last days of summer. (I'm holding D's hands down so he would stop throwing the apples, after 10 takes it was the best we could get.)
I'm getting excited to bring out my fall decor in the next couple of weeks!

Time stood still

Life is different with a toddler in the house, there is always noise, things being thrown, crumbs on the floor and so much life, this morning I was tested on just how unpredictable these little beings are.
I noticed the garbage overflowing in the kitchen (a friendly reminder to the hubby the night before must have escaped him this morning) so I took the garbage and recyclables to the bins right in front of our garage door. I walked out of the front door and D was right by me. I didn't hear the door open behind me or anything. As I threw the bags in the bins, I noticed the darn garage door didn't close after Ry left (we've been having issues with the sensor, the door thinks something is there and when you try to close the door it stops and comes back up) so I walked into the garage and closed the door. I walked into the house through the garage. It was quiet, D was not running to me like he usually does. I didn't hear cars crashing, and I got nervous. I called for him and nothing. I ran in front of the house and he wasn't there. I ran upstairs, downstairs and called his name and nothing. I panicked and started screaming his name...nothing. I started screaming and crying while calling his name, what seemed like an eternity there was silence. Finally after screaming for a good 5-7 seconds I heard moans and 'mama'. It sounded faint like it was outside. I ran downstairs and saw him standing on our patio in his socks and his face looked scared. He lips pouted and he started crying.
My heart sank. I was angry at myself, mad at him for leaving the house but most of all relieved. If you know me you know that I go to the worst case scenario in a second. I saw 2 trucks outside by our neighbors and my mind was going wild. D loves trucks did he run over there to check them out? Did he try to walk to my sister's house down the street? He was telling me "mama's car and D's car" (while crying) which meant he went looking for his red car. I think the lesson was learned as he's been saying "no D outside, Mama, Dada, Papa, Grandma, Bunia go", which came after I told him he cannot go outside by himself except with someone else, and continued to list the people he can go outside with.

And that's my Friday morning story.