My Green Family. ramblings of one family's journey to green living

Today is a bittersweet day. My baby turns three. I’m so happy that he’s grown into this wonderful, intense, fun, active, loving boy but I miss that little baby I used to cuddle at 3 am feedings.

Tristan was an unexpected gift. I was just waiting to find out if I had gotten into teacher’s college when we found out I was pregnant. Little did I know I would be a frosh at the University of Mom. It was the shock of my life. But once we got over our fears Odum and I where so incredibly happy.

My pregnancy with Tristan was so perfect. I enjoyed every minute, well maybe not so much the 50 lb weight gain, but it was such an easy pregnancy. The labour and delivery, not so much. Odum and I were playing Lego Star Wars when contractions started the evening of the 6th of September. They continued into the night, getting more painful and then by noon the next day we went into labour and delivery (L&D). I was only 1 cm dilated so they sent me home. By this time I was really uncomfortable. We ordered pizza and put in a movie and tried to get through each contraction. By around midnight we decided to go back to L&D. This time we left all my bags in the car, you look like such a noob carrying it back out when they send you home. Again I was only at 1 cm and the nurse said Tristan was posterior so I was having back labour and that’s why the pain was so intense even though I wasn’t very dilated. She said to take some Tylenol, drink some chamomile tea, and take a bath. I don’t think she’s ever been in labour, none of that helps. At all.

I really don’t remember much of the next day I was just living through the time between each contraction at that point. But we finally went back to L&D and the nurse from the first time I was there was with us. She took pity on me and did a stretch and sweep and got me to 3 cm and they finally admitted me. I had so badly wanted the Demerol they offered me and had an intense argument with Odum about getting something for the pain. Oooo I was so mad at him as one of my good friends says “no uteurus, no opinion”. I am really glad he pushed me though; he was the best labour coach. When they admitted me I got a second wind and started labouring in the whirlpool tub in the birthing room. The tub rocked, if I could I would have had a water birth, it’s so relaxing and really helps with the pain.

So time went on and on and on and it was about 9 pm the night of the 8th and I was spent. All I could think about was I wasn’t going to have anything left when it was time to push. I hadn’t slept in two days, I hadn’t ate and had just thrown up bile, mmmmm. So I begged for the epidural. Ahhh I could have married that anesthesiologist, I’m sure that guy gets proposed to multiple times a day. So I was still at 3 cm so they broke my water gave me oxytocin to help get things going and nothing. Nothing was happening. The obstetrician on call came in, said she was going to give me another hour and if nothing was going on it was c-section time. So the hour came and went and into the operating room we went.

They strapped my arms down and prepped me and I started shaking like a leaf. That was the worst part of the whole experience, that uncontrollable shaking. And then after lots of tugging and pulling, Tristan was born. He was perfect, crazy cone head and all. All that labour had been worth it. I would do it again in a heartbeat. As soon as I saw him I knew him, I saw his heart and knew he would do wonderful things. Three years later he’s already done fantastic things.

Just going through that labour made Odum and I much more solidified in our marriage than I could have ever thought possible. He went through every contraction with me and never gave up, which gave me strength to continue. He sat beside me and held onto me while I was in surgery, something I was so terrified of going through.

In the last three years I’ve become a better person because of Tristan and a better mom. I have discovered things about myself I never would have known without him. The bond that Tristan and I have is indescribable and I see a lot of my personality in him (poor kid). We’ve fought a lot of battles together and I know we’ll all fight many more. When I look to the future I see nothing but success for Tristan.

Happy birthday my little Nemo.