Tiny Bear

The day was much like yesterday...Spring was in the air but a little cool and windy.

I tiredly woke up to cloudy skies after a fitful night with little sleep. It was Rodeo Weekend here in Pleasantville. JR was working the night shift and I had been up for much of it as the neighbours were yelling, drunk, and not jolly. Ironically my lack of sleep was partially John Rambo's fault as he and his partner had broken up a party earlier that night which had scattered the irresponsible partying teens around town and a new party was forming next door. The other part was that I felt like I couldn't breathe all night and attributed it to the growing babe kicking into my ribs.

Even after JR got home from shift I remember that the phone rang a few more times. I can't remember if he actually had to leave the house to deal with anything but we were both exhausted in the morning.

JJ was just a little over 15 months old and we decided earlier in the week that we were going to take her swimming at an indoor pool in a neighbouring city with another police family. Though it was Sunday morning we decided to skip church and just have some family time before we headed out the door for the afternoon.

There is nothing like feeling self-conscious trying to fit into a swimsuit when you are 38 weeks and 6 days pregnant. However I survived and we had a fun time swimming. In fact I felt really great while we were swimming. JJ loved it too. The afternoon finished with a trip to Dairy Queen. I remember I wasn't very hungry and ordered a hot dog of all things. We then came home to relax for the rest of the evening. Nothing could have tipped us off that relaxing was the last word that would describe the next hours.

John Rambo had tucked me into bed and I fell asleep and woke off and on to the realisation that I must be having contractions. I wasn't sure though. All week I had thought something was up and I kept telling JR that I was in labour. He would just laugh when a little while later I'd say, "guess not".

Somewhere after 11pm JR came to crawl into bed. He lay down next to me and heard my breathing change. That's when he said "Are you in labour??" As soon as he said that I knew it must be true. We were more then a week early but since Tiny Bear was a delightful suprise pregnancy we weren't actually completely sure of my due date.

I went from nothing to having contractions 7 minutes apart. I remember not being able to think as I tried to pack some things for JJ. We were leaving her with the same family we'd gone swimming with earlier in the day which was actually only the second time I had ever met my new friend. I'm so thankful she is such a nice lady! JR packed up our sleepy toddler, drove the handful of blocks to drop her off and we headed on our way.

We stopped for "road snacks" as JR calls them and I went to the washroom at the 7-11 part way to the hospital.

Road snacks.

The hospital was typically over an hour and twenty minutes away. I was having back labour again, the same as I did with JJ which was probably a saving grace. Heaven help us if we actually have a baby that turns properly.

We made it just in time, shortly after 1am I think it was. The nurses didn't take me seriously when I was trying to explain to them how intense things were. I guess since I wasn't screaming at them they thought they had time. I was even told by one nurse while in assessment that I might just have to "suck it up" for a bit while they were monitoring the baby. Dear Lord help me if I have another nurse ever say something to me like that again. Finally someone with a brain checked me, since they hadn't thought this was necessary and I was already 8-9cms dilated and basically ready to go.

What followed after that was a flurry of activity. My doc was on vacation so they called someone else in. He walked in the door as I was already on the table pushing. I remember every detail, but I'll spare you the rest.

All I know is this...it was amazing. Not easy, not everything pleasant, but incredible.

I remember looking at JR pleading with my eyes that I couldn't do it anymore. I'm sure I yelled, "Jesus help me now" at some point in time and I wanted to give up. I just needed a break. That was when JR turned to me and said with a chuckle, "You are almost there! I can see the baby already"

After Tiny Bear came screaming into the world my body was in full on shock. Within 5 hours we'd gone from a family of 3 to a family of 4. I couldn't believe I'd actually had a baby. Not only that but Tiny Bear had been completely OP or "Sunnyside Up". From what I understand women can labour for hours trying to have a baby like this and I did it in about 30 minutes with no drugs. JJ was OP as well and that birth was relatively drug free as well. I got a shot of something or another but not enough to really do anything at all except that the Doc helped turn her after she got stuck. Tiny Bear suprised us and popped out looking right at me.

I'll never forget how John Rambo lovely took care of me after that. When I had JJ it was a huge healing experience for me personally. Her birth was out of this world and I remember feeling the same. No one could take that away from me. The Lord and I had done that together. It was like I'd birthed a whole bunch of negative beliefs I'd had about myself and rid them from my mind through the process of birthing JJ. With Tiny Bear though it was a different experience. I didn't feel that same relief afterward but what I did feel was being absolutely cherished by my husband. It was something I don't think I'd ever felt from him before. He ran my bath, helped my quivering body into it and sat beside me while I shivered. When I was moved from Delivery to a shared room he was the one who went and sanatized the bath for me the next time I needed to take one.

I couldn't have done it without JR.

This week we celebrated Tiny Bear's 1st Birthday. She went to bed a baby and woke up a little lady. Happy Birthday Tiny Bear.