Birth Day

 She's HERE!  Oh wait, you want the story from the beginning? You asked for it.


Friday Sept. 23rd:

An anxious mom looked around her room.  It was the last big thing on her list before this baby came.  Why did she leave it until last?  Is this not where the new baby will sleep?  She is a huge procrastinator, but she was very proud that she still had 5 days before her due date (8 before this baby would come, "This baby will come October 1st."  she told herself over and over)  And so she organized the whole closet and started moving furniture.  A few contractions started coming.  Her husband came home and got mad.  It was just one dresser and the mattress.  Calm down.  He finished moving furniture with the father-in-law and she took a nice hot bath.  Contractions stopped.  All was well.

Saturday Sept. 24th:

Mom;  What should we do today?
Dad:  I don't care.
Mom:  You know that I really want to hit up Ikea to buy Quinn a dresser.
Dad: (his sentence starts right about when he hears Ikea)  Deakon, would you like to go to Calaway?
Mom:  CALAWAY... really?  Did you just say that out loud and so now we have to do both?
Dad:  Oops...


Get kids in car.  Drive to Ikea.  Eat lunch.  Buy dresser.  Happy Mom.  Random contractions.

Move car seats.  Get kids in car.  Fit dresser in car.  Get reminded for the 15th time that we are going to Calaway.  Turn on A/C before getting too sweaty.  Look at +30 C flashing from the display.  Really wonder what Dad was thinking.  Drive to Calaway... the super busy and hot amusement park.  A few random contractions.

Walk 5 miles to Calaway entrance. (it felt like 5 miles)  Watch happy 4 year old on rides.  Sit.  Talk to random lady about baby while she tries to stuff weird rice crackers down the throat of 18 month old.  Play games.  Leave... finally at 4:30. And again, a few random contractions.

Decide on the way home that we might as well hit the grocery store for food.  See R.S. presidency member at store.  Make many jokes about how I am ditching the meeting tonight because I am having a baby.  Make way to freezer aisle.  Realize that contractions are coming every 2 minutes.  Not too worried, its the last week.  This stuff happened for 7 days straight before baby #2 came out.

Get home at 6.  STARVING!  Pour cereal.  After 2nd bite realize that things are starting to hurt.  Put bowl down.  Head to tub for a nice hot bath.  It worked last night, right?  3 contractions in, I knew this was not working.  Head out of bathroom.  Dad is sitting down eating hot dogs with the boys.

Me: Call your mom and make sure she isn't in Calgary?
Dials phone.
Dad:  Hey mom, are you in calgary?  She isn't in Calgary.  Does she need to come home?
Me:  No.
Hangs up phone.
Dad:  Why did I just call her then... (annoyed voice.  it has been a long day)
Me: Because I might be in labor.
Dad: Are you or not?
Me:  I DON'T KNOW!
Dad:  What the heck?  Make up your mind!
Me:  I am probably having a baby and this is not the environment I want to have it in.  *Burst into tears.  Run to room*  CALL YOUR MOM AND TELL HER TO COME HOME.

As I sat on the floor crying I could not stop thinking about the 45 minute drive we had to get to the hospital.  What was I thinking having this baby in Canmore?  Why did we go to the grocery store?  Why is my bag not packed?

Get dressed.  Pack bag.  Cry.  Blubber.  Tell Dad I don't want him to take me to the hospital.  Tell Dad to hurry and grab the truck keys and take me to the hospital now.

Jump in the truck at 6:45.  Time contractions.  90 seconds.  How in the........ world am I going to make it?

25 minutes into drive.  Gas light comes on.  I am already in tons of pain and now I know we will probably get pulled over or run out of gas.  Either way, no epidural and I am having the baby on Highway 1.  I am freaking out to say the least.  There is no gas station for at least another 40 kms. (20 minutes).  JUST GET ME THERE.

Finally get to the next gas station.  Contractions just about every minute.  Dad decides to get gas.  I am ticked off sitting in the truck.  Why am I so ticked off?  See for yourself:

 

Do I look like I have time for you to get $15.00 worth of gas???  Seriously.  The hospital is less than 5 minutes away.  Don't you think $5.00 would have cut it?  Holy cow, HURRY UP!

Get to hospital entrance.  Get out of car and sit on the first bench I see.  

Dad "What are you doing???"

"JUST GET IN THERE AND TELL THEM I AM HERE!"

Dad "Wow... ok..."

Smart guy came back with a wheel chair.  Quickly get wheeled to delivery room and start freaking out about epidural.  

Dark headed nurse:  "Yep, lets just check you and then I can get one ordered."

 Me "There is no time.  I am not going to be able to have one."

Light headed nurse:  "There is time, we will order one."

Me "I can't do it without one.  I really can't"

Dark headed nurse checks.  Says nothing.  Walks across room and pages Dr. DuPlessis.  "She is at an 8"  Comes back with laughing gas.

HOLY CRAP.  WHAT AM I GOING TO DO?

I want to say the next 45 minutes flew by.  They did not.  I cried and yelled and moaned and said some very not nice things.  Kyle thought it would be a good time to crack a few jokes.  I screamed at him like a 5 year old having an uncontrollable tantrum.  

Me:  "I can't do this.  Can we do something else?"

Kyle:  "Sure, you wanna go home"  Everyone laughs.

I SCREAM.

Shut up.  I can't do this.  I am going to throw up.  Don't touch me.  Shut up.  No, I will not lay on my back so you can hear my baby's heartbeat.  Don't touch me.  Everyone SHUT UP.  I am going to die.  I can't do this.  DON'T touch me.  Bloody murder screaming.  Seriously, don't touch me.  "Not nice" words.

Time to push. 

Dr.:  "You are going to feel a burning sensation" said in such a very calm voice

ARE YOU KIDDING ME?

Dr, nurses, Kyle "ANGI, you need to stop screaming and focus on pushing."  said in not such nice voices.

3 contractions later...

QUINN AVERY DUPAIX GERRIE

8:50 PM

7 lbs. 3 oz.  19.5 inches long

And it was over.  The pain was gone.  I had an overwhelming sense of EMBARRASSMENT.  I couldn't believe it was over.  Just like that.  And that I had screamed what I had screamed for 45 minutes.  I fed my little dark haired beauty for a few minutes, stood up, and had a nice shower.

I was so happy to be done, so mad that she came in September, so embarrassed by how acted, so excited to have a perfect baby, and so hungry.  It was such a perfectly awful evening.  We headed to our room, talked to the parents, facebooked, took some pictures, and Kyle headed out around midnight to find me snacks.  Nothing beats snacking on Peanut Butter M&Ms and Salt and Vinegar chips while holding a new baby until the wee hours of the night.  I was checked out by Dr. DuPlessis in the morning and we left around 4.  This is what greeted us when we left. 

Welcome Quinn.  We sure do love you.  You were worth it!