The Night Kathryn was (Almost) Born

On July 3rd 2004, Steven, Emma, our friend Jared and I went to watch the Frisco Roughriders. I was thinking that we were about to be housebound for quite a bit and we wanted to do something fun with Emma before her baby sister arrived and totally messed up her life. Alli and Abby were visiting their dad and were scheduled to come home on the 10th. Because I knew that Kathryn wasn't coming until the 11th. I knew when all of my babies were coming, why would this one be any different?

We had a great time at the ballgame, ate lots of things that were not good for us, and stayed after for the Patriotic Fireworks Bonanza, along with everyone else in the sold out crowd. When it came time to leave it was a little bit of a walk to the parking garage, well at least for a miserable nine-months pregnant gal. Emma of course was clinging to me and against my better judgement at some times, I would carry her. Until Steven would say What the hell are you doing, I'll carry that kid!

As luck would have it, we were parked on the top level. Which meant we had to wait for all the cars on all the lower levels to clear out first. Which meant we would be there at least an hour and a half. While we were walking I was experiencing some contractions, nothing new, I had been having them for about 5 weeks already.

But when we got to the car, they started to change. Well, maybe it's just heartburn I thought. I did eat a lot of junk and hadn't taken any papaya. But I knew, I mean I've experienced contractions 3 times prior. And let's face it, it's not really a pain that feels like anything else.

We're waiting in the car along with thousands of other fans, and I start doing the math. See I don't waste time when it comes to spitting out babies. I am a very quick and efficient birthing machine. And each baby had come a bit quicker. Emma was born within 3 hours of my first contraction, which meant Kathryn would probably come any time faster than that. And since I didn't really know when my contractions had started, they were about five minutes apart, I could be halfway through labor!! So I definitely started to freak out a little.

Um, honey, I really don't want to have this baby in the parking garage!

I might have startled him with that statement.

So my ever aggressive driving husband does what he does best. He cuts people off, doesn't let anyone in, all the while I am trying to calm myself down. I think by this time we have moved 50 feet. Emma is upset because Jared has lost her pink baseball and he is doing his best to calm her down.

I am a big believer of mind over matter. I think it is one of the reasons that I have been able to cope with the pains of labor and have successful births at home. So I just started thinking of all the reasons I was not ready for this baby to come:

1. I was in a parking garage.
2. My mom and my girls weren't there and it was important to me that they all be there at the birth.
3. I was not going to have my baby in front of Jared!! Because although he is a sweet, dear friend, he has that mountain man in Teva sandals look to him. And I just like to surround myself with happy, pretty things while in labor.
4. Nor did I want hundreds of strangers crowding along the back of our SUV, screaming words of encouragement, or push, or I see the head!
5. It was late, I was tired and didn't get a nap that day. I couldn't be bothered with something as exhausting as childbirth.
6. I didn't have any diapers with me.

So I focused on these thoughts and while the contractions did not go away, remember I had been having them for weeks, they lessened in intensity. Right about the time the traffic starting moving. About 1 hour and 15 minutes in the parking garage.

I think I was just scared that it could possibly happen. I do like to imagine the worst case scenario and you can't get much worse than that. Of course it never once occurred to me that we could actually go down the elevator to the front of the garage and call an ambulance. I hear 911 is sometimes a wonderful thing. But really who thinks clearly when a baby is coming?

Obviously she didn't come that night and her birth was a bit less dramatic. But still dramatic enough, a story for another day...