Breaking Up is Hard to Do, Part 2

Dear Layla,

It's pretty hard to believe that you've been here a month. It's also pretty hard to believe that it's taken me a month to complete this post. How do I begin to tell you that I loved you during my pregnancy but even more now? I don't know how that's even possible, but it is. The simple fact that you are so stinkin' adorable helps.

During Part 1 of this letter I wrote about us "breaking up". It's now time for me to tell you about your actual birth day. Unlike the sleek dramatizations created by 20/20 or Dateline with the cool cut-aways and edits, this is just a story. It may be "just a story", but it was one of the greatest days of my life.

You were scheduled to be induced on Monday, May 3rd. At my last appointment the previous Monday, Dr. Byrd didn't think you would sit still and wait. This sent shock waves through the family. Your Grandparents (That's my parents. Can you just name them already?!? For the sake of future letters, I will call them G-Pa and G-Ma. You can change this whenever.) were flying into town from Jacksonville, Florida, Uncle Jason was flying in from Washington D.C., and Daddy's Grandparents, Mom, and brother were driving from Pensacola all on Saturday. If you decided to grace us early, they would have missed it. I prayed all week long for you to wait until Saturday.

Saturday came and you were still tucked neatly into my belly. You are such a perfect child!! :-) Despite major, I mean, MAJOR flight delays -I'm talking many hours of flight delays and missed planes all due to tornado warnings - all the family members made it to Memphis for your big day. Once everyone got here I gave you permission to make like a baby and head out! Buzinga!

You didn't listen. We waited all of Saturday night. No action other than the massive storms, flooding and tornado threats. We waited all of Sunday. No action other than massive storms, flooding and tornado threats. Do you see a pattern here?! Sunday night we all went out to dinner at one of my favorite places called Boscos. It was our Last Supper of sorts. You had decided to wait until Monday.
So as Daddy and I went to bed Sunday night, we set the alarm wicked early - 3:00 am to be exact. I think we just laid there talking about you for hours. How could we not? We were like kids on Christmas Eve trying to sleep but just too anxious about getting that new bike/video game/Barbie/whatever that we had begged Santa for.

When the alarm went off, Daddy and I slowly got ready. I don't think I said anything. I was purely lost in my thoughts. We woke up G-Pa and G-Ma, took one finally picture as a couple, got into the car, and headed to the hospital. I still hadn't spoken to Daddy. I wasn't mad, just in a daze I guess. Daddy decided to drive through Shelby Farms. It was still pretty dark yet, but I still looked for the horses. I thought, "One day she'll want to ride the horses. Won't that be fun?!" As we passed a nail salon, I noticed the "Open" sign was still lit from the previous day. I said, "Wanna stop and get a mani/pedi together?" Yep - that was the first thing I said to him. Charming.

After checking into the hospital, the nurse took your Daddy and I to the delivery room. I was then started on pitocin and told to wait. After nine months of waiting, we had more waiting to do. Dr. Byrd arrived around 8:00. He decided that I was still at 2 centimeters dilated and that he would come back around lunch. He told us that if everything continues as it was, then you would arrive around dinner.

You, as always, had different plans. At lunchtime, Dr. Byrd told me that I had dilated to 9 centimeters and that I would begin to push in about an hour. I was shocked and for what felt like the 100th time, I cried. We were going to break up within an hour!?

Thanks to the miracle of modern medicine, labor and delivery went really smoothly. It wasn't anything like in the movies. The scene of Katherine Heigel pushing in the movie "Knocked Up" kept flashing in my mind. She screamed and swore. I did not. There wasn't any yelling or cussing out your Daddy. We were actually laughing. We were able to listen to the sound of your heartbeat beat through the contraction monitor. It sounded like a galloping horse. G-Ma and I kept laughing about it. Daddy and I commented several times that you were going to be in our arms within a few moments. And when I heard your scream, I felt such joy. I was so thrilled to know that you were here! I said, "Oh my gosh, she's here!" Instantly Dr. Byrd replied, "No she's not! She's only half way out. Just give me a little push". You were only half way delivered and already alert! Guess Dr. Byrd didn't need to stimulate you!

During the whole pregnancy, Daddy said he didn't want to look as you came out. He was certain it would gross him out. G-Ma gets nauseous at the sight of blood so I knew she wouldn't look. They both surprised me on that day. After hearing you scream and Dr. Byrd say that you weren't fully delivered, they both peeked. I forget what Daddy said, but G-Ma's comment was priceless; she said, "Oh my gosh! This is amazing!" It was awesome!

Once you were completely out, Dr. Byrd placed you on my chest. All I saw was your butt rather than your sweet face. Don't get me wrong - it's a perfectly nice butt, but it wasn't your face. A nurse then came to get you, clean you, weigh you, measure you, and do other things to you that prevented me from seeing your face. Daddy got to hold you once she was done. I was so jealous! He was holding you and I still hadn't seen your face. I asked him to come hold you beside me. So it was while you were in Daddy's arms that we saw each other for the first time. That was our first family moment.

Now, there will be some women that will read this letter and scoff that I had an epidural. To them, I scoff back. I mean, seriously ladies - I had an epidural and perhaps you didn't, but didn't we both leave the hospital with the same thing . . . a baby? You don't get some gold medal for pushing for hours until you reach the point of pure exhaustion. And, as I previously discussed, Layla was a perfectly healthy baby. Moving on . . .

The rest of the weekend was a whirlwind. Family and friends stopped by to meet you. Snuggling with you became everyone's favorite hobby. It was great. And after two nights at the hospital, we brought you home. Daddy and I had arrived at the hospital as a couple and left as a family.

Greatest. Break Up. Ever.

Love,

Mommy