Christmas letter 2000-----Alex is born!
Hello everyone!! Merry Christmas greetings from small-town Missouri!
Okay, so I’m having writer’s block. It’s time to write the Christmas letter and I’m drawing a blank as to our activities over the past year. Let’s see, what did we do that’s worth noting? .......... Well, we had a baby and .....I guess that’s it! Nothing else really matters because that’s where our lives stopped -- or began, depending on how you look at it!
We hosted our first Christmas gathering last year. No one came down with food poisoning and everyone had a bathroom to use when it really mattered so we called that a success. In fact, we figured things went so smoothly that we’re going to try it again this year. Wish us luck. Ho, Ho, Ho!
January and February came and went without incident. Our due date for baby boy Hendler was April 9th and we learned in our prenatal class that almost all first-time mothers deliver a little late. I was unhappily enjoying returned nausea but was ready to wait until mid-April if I had to so I settled into the couch during March for my “wait.”
On the morning of March 21st (a Tuesday) I awoke at 1:00 a.m. with some cramping that I had been having for several weeks prior. Nothing new here -- I went back to bed. James awoke at 3:00 a.m. after having a bad dream where a bear was chasing him -- (who knew this was an omen?) We laid there not knowing each other was awake until 4:00 a.m. when I heard him cough employing his “I’m awake” tone -- (he has one you know). I told him of my increased cramping and he decided to get up and make a snack -- “just in case.” Now keep in mind that one of the main things James learned from our prenatal classes was that the man might have to make and take a snack to the hospital in case labor goes long and he gets hungry -- a hungry coach is a grumpy coach and we didn’t want that.
I told him this was crazy and that he’d have to take that snack to school with him since that’s where he would need to eat today because I was NOT in labor -- I was just having cramps. Nevertheless, he was up making a snack and consulting me on his wardrobe choices because this was his other important pregnancy and labor issue. You see, as it turns out, James was greatly concerned about what he should wear to the birth. His rationale for this concern was that he would be in these photos (of the birth) for years and he did not want to have to listen to me complaining about how his clothes didn’t match in ALL THOSE PICTURES.
I was awake after the snack and clothing discussion so I took a shower. In child birth class they say that if you’re in labor for the first time you should stay home for awhile and maybe take a shower to relax - so I did. (not because I was in labor but because I was now fully awake and after all, the cramps were worsening a bit) I showered, approved James’s wardrobe and snack choices, fed the dog and planned to wait until 8:00 a.m, when the doctor’s office opened to report my increased cramps. I began to dry my hair (it was then approaching 5:00 a.m.) when I had a very large CRAMP. I leaned on the door jam and tried to breathe as James, (who had been scurrying around in a pre-labor panic packing the car, dealing with our very confused dog and trying to find the camera), came running into the bathroom with our labor stopwatch and announced “I will now time the contractions!” followed by my pain-filled-through-gritted-teeth reply “you are now timing CRAMPS.” I was still firmly convinced that I was not in labor. James and the labor stopwatch had determined that my cramps/contractions were now three minutes apart and we needed to leave for the hospital NOW!
I decided after the last cramp that perhaps it would be a good idea if someone of a more professional nature determined whether I was having cramps or contractions so I hurried to dry my hair -- three minutes apart or not, I was determined to finish the hair drying process! I called the hospital to notify them of my possible arrival in two minutes -- thank God we live in a small town. They told James to bring me in after I hurled the phone across the room in mid-sentence while talking with the OB nurse because I was having a REALLY BIG CRAMP!
James hoisted me into the already-packed truck and delivered me to the admit door where luckily we were already preregistered. I crawled to the elevator and was intercepted by someone wearing a hospital badge -- could have been a doctor, could have been a janitor, I still don’t know. This hospital-badge-wearing lady asked if she could help me and I told her that I thought I was having a baby. Yes, I was now in touch with reality and we had moved WAY past cramps! She got me to the elevator and helped me to the 5th floor. I have recently formed the opinion that most labor and delivery floors are at the top of the hospital so that the rest of the hospital residents cannot hear you screaming. When you are at or near the top floor, the only place for your screams to go is up -- to heaven-- where the real help is provided.
I was instantly met by a nurse who could hear me screaming down by the elevator. She recognized me as the screamer who just telephoned and helped me down the hall. I fell into a bed and announced “I’m now going to PUSH!” In no way were my friendly hospital helpers ready to deal with this at 7:30 in the morning and I was met with a flurry of “no, not yet!” I think perhaps they were more used to a prolonged and relatively relaxed labor and delivery.
One of the nursing faculty who I teach with was there completing rounds with her students. Ahh, a friendly face I thought to myself in between killer contractions. I grabbed her as she walked by my bed (which had been whisked out into the hall on its way to the delivery room) Her name is Brenda and I spent the next 2 hours calling her “Dee” -- I have no idea why. Brenda “Dee” was telling me that I was going to have this baby NOW and if the doctor didn’t get there it would be fine. (I remember this having no affect on me as I was simply ready to expel this little passenger from my body) James appeared and asked “Dee” if perhaps I could have some medication as I was waking up the slumbering new mothers and their infants with my screams. He was of course told “NO” as I was way too far along. No drugs for me! In the next 5 minutes I was the center of a whirl of activity -- cords were flying, people were running and my water broke as I flung myself from my transport bed to the delivery bed. There was no I.V. pole so “Dee’s” Asian student named Mai (pronounced “my” – try that on for confusing) stood behind my bed and held an I.V. bag up over her head for 20 minutes. Alarms were buzzing, people were being paged and finally my doctor came running in screaming “this better be the real thing because I haven't shaved yet and I’m illegally parked -- oh my God, you’re having this baby.” He shoved the intern (who they dug up from the basement and whose presence at the foot of my bed I had not noticed until then) aside and said “okay hun, push whenever you want.” I remember thinking, too late for permission pal, I’ve been pushing for 20 minutes.
We arrived at the hospital at 7:30 a.m. and James Alexander “Alex” Hendler was born 35 minutes later at 8:05 a.m. I was still wearing my Mickey Mouse tee shirt and the all important camera never even made it into the delivery room. Not long after Alex was born the nurses were getting me out of bed for my big field trip to the restroom when I passed out and broke my toe. Hours later, back in my room with our beautiful new born son, I finally got to have some medication (for my broken toe) and James? Well James got to eat his snack.
Alex is our little miracle and the happiest baby any one has ever seen. He is now eight months old and pulls to a stand. He says “mama” and “baba” and is always smiling. We can’t imagine our lives without him. His constant smile erases our trouble of everyday life. Having Alex in our lives at this time of year reminds us of the Christ child who was born so many years ago to save us in a more complete way. He too had a proud set of parents and we remember that happy little family at this time, along with all of you.
May your holiday season be truly blessed and may your new year be filled with smiling faces.
James, Melissa and baby Alex
Ok, I love this! I was cracking up reading it!!!
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