I am beginning to wonder if my 21 month old son, Josiah, has had any effect of the worlds supply of banana's in the past year. He has the yellow fruit with every meal and often stands around, swaying side to side, saying, "Nana...Nana..Nana..?" He will stare up at me with huge blue eyes that seem to scream," What are you doing woman? Can't you see I need a banana! I haven't had one since breakfast and my levels of potassium are deteriorating!"It is no coincidence that the banana is his favorite fruit. It just so happens our life together is a little bananas.Way back in the summer of 2007 my husband Jaime and I had been married almost 4 years and I had recently graduated from The University of North Carolina at Asheville ( Yes, I was only 20 when we got married but don't worry, I knew what I was doing). What to do next? Humm...maybe a baby? I mean, I knew all about them already having been a nanny for so long. We could totally handle one, tiny little baby, right? Maybe I would just quit taking my birth control pills and see what happens. Well, 2 weeks later a baby happened. Wow! I hadn't even had time to get used to the idea. Did this mean I was going to get fat? I was NOT going to spend the next 9 ( no wait, 10?) months walking around in elastic pants and long, overlyflowered shirts. Was I supposed to give up my love of raw fish and daily turkey sandwich? Why did I feel so crappy so fast? OMG...life was changing...but it would all be worth it when I had a beautiful little girl come spring.
Fast forward 20 weeks to the ultrasound Jaime and I had been waiting for. I was wearing my favorite long sleeved pink shirt ready to hear the doc confirm what I already knew; I was carrying baby Ella in my surprisingly and thank God, cute little tummy. Here I am January 15th, 5 days before the ultrasound:
Back to the morning of January 2oth. I was so excited I could barely stand it. The doctor put all sorts of goo on my belly and began looking around. The head, the hands (which were flashing a peace sign!), the heart, toes, the penis- hold up! What??? But I am having a girl baby! See my pink shirt? A Girl. Not a boy. I don't know anything about boys and I have already picked out beautiful girl bedding in pink flowers! I have a pink room! What would we even name a boy? I don't like ANY boy names. Oh well. As long as it's healthy right?
Here he is:
Time passed on and I got bigger and bigger. I continued with my daily workouts, running all the way until the 9th month. I found some semi-cute bedding with fishes on it. I started thinking about boy names...I wanted something that was cool but not too weird. I definitely didn't want Jacob, Aiden or any name ending in such (i.e. Jadyen, Bradyen, Haydin, etc...) It seemed like every kid I met bared one of these names. Eventually we settled on Josiah Lennon. Josiah because of its awesome biblical roots and Lennon for the great John. "All you need is love, love, love is all you need."
Enter Mothers Day 2008. Jaime surprised me with my very first Mother's Day present. A trip to Chimney Rock. I was due in about 4 weeks and it would be a while before we would be able to take a long hike together. Maybe it was knowing this or excitement over the beautiful spring weather but for some reason that day we decided rather than parking in the lot at the top of the mountain we would just park at the bottom and hike up...and back down. I think it was somewhere in the ballpark of 7-8 miles. And maybe around 200+ steps. The people we passed all commented on how I was a "go-getter" or said something to the effect that I must be finding it all so challenging.
Maybe now is a good time to mention my exercise addiction. Considering my previous addictions and my current sugar obsession an exercise addiction isn't only healthy, but necessary. I run, bike and swim 6 days a week. Sometimes 7 if I get bored on a Sunday. I have supreme endurance and most days feel that I could keep going forever but inevitably the kids end up needing something and to them I must go...
So anyway, I was really begining to find the comments at Chimney Rock rather irritating. "Jaime, do I look handicap or pregnant?" I would ask my husband, who would say," Tine, most people take the elevator to the top and they aren't even pregnant. Definitely not 9 months pregnant." Why do people talk to pregnant women so much? I have never in my life gone up to a complete stranger and said something like, "Wow, you must feel like crap, because you look like crap. So...." I mean, really.
Thankfully, we made it off the mountain that day and went to home to cookout with neighbors and friends. I was a little bit tired but we had plans to head out downtown and hear a band play. I put on my red dress and we headed out. Here we are are earlier in the evening.
I was driving and told Jaime to have as much fun as he wanted. I knew that it would be a very long time before we would be able to go out again. Our lives were going to change forever very soon and it only seemed appropriate to give the old Kelley and Jaime a deserving send off. Well, really just Jaime but you know I'm saying. I was extremely thirsty and had about 9 soda waters with lime. Jaime had a few beers and decided it would be fun to take a shot of tequila. Hey, why not right? The band wasn't great and I said to Jaime, "I want to be home in my PJS by 11." We were just getting ready to leave and suddenly my shoes were soaked. OMG, I thought..! I just peed on myself! Okay don't panic. I very discretely went to the restroom and tried to repair the damage so hopefully no one would notice. No such luck, I was really wet. Greattt. I would have to tell Jaime and we could try to sneak out without anyone seeing. As I walked to find him more and more liquid just kept coming out. What the hell? What is this? I am in a bar, my hubby is drunk, I am not due for 4 weeks...This can't be, could it? WOW! Officially panicking. I go back into the restroom, stand there a minute. Pace in circles. Think, think...what to do now? Shit. I gotta make a run for it. Maybe they can make it stop. I don't feel ready to have a baby yet!!
I run out of the restroom grab Jaime's arm and beginning dragging him outside saying all the while, " We have to get out f here immediatley. NOW. Hurry!" Finally outside I say, "I think my water broke." He glances down at my wet dress and then looks at me with glassy eyes that suddenly glaze over with tears. He looked terrified! We walk up the street a bit and more water is dripping down my leg. Each person we pass is eying the ginormous pregnant lady in the wet dress with serious curiosity. "I can't drive like this!!!!" I can't even walk all the way to the car!!"
Jaime says to me, "I can't drive either!" We sit on a bench. I begin to cry. It wasn't supposed to happen this way. I didn't even have my hospital bag, or the car seat or anything!! I was positive the baby would be late. Everyone says that babies are late right??
Suddenly a nice looking, drunk, older gentleman is in front of me. "Is this your first baby?" he asks. "Yes." I tell him. "It's all good" he says,"I've got three. You have plenty of time. Don't freak out." "My husband can't drive! I am not ready yet." Slight laugh..."Well, I think you are gonna have a baby. So get ready." He hails over a cab and tells the driver to take us to the hospital. I get in, grateful but yet embarrassed. Who in the world shows up to labor and delivery in a party dress and a cab? As we are pulling away, I look back and see the guy in the street dancing and yelling, "You're gonna have a baby!! Waaahoooo!! Yeah!"
Walking into the ER I pass a little girl. I am practically in tears and covered in liquid. She comes up to me and looks at me with the biggest smile, " You look so pretty!" she says. Wow, that may be the one acceptable thing anyone could have said in that moment. I got upstairs and they confirmed the obvious. It appeared I was gonna have a baby. Here we are getting checked in.
I saw my doctor at 11pm and she said that I had 24 hours to deliver since my water had broken. So no matter what, I would have my baby boy on Mothers Day. 20 hours later(Thank goodness because Jaime had ample time to eat, sleep and get sober!) , Josiah arrived;
And thus began our journey into parenthood.
6 months later I would find out that we were expecting yet another baby. Nothing can prepare a new mother for that kind of shock and I must admit I didnt handle it well. But then something occurred to me.... maybe this one would be a girl!
Stay tuned...
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