Grandpa and Grandma's old blue pickup was all shined up, its camper was on and it sat ready in their driveway. Mark was over at Roy and Jeannie's getting the last minute milking instructions. It was late September. I felt a little alone in a way. Everyone was heading for a church convention. Mark, Bret and I were staying home to keep the home fires burning. We were staying home for a very special reason! Very special!
I patted my tummy. "You know little one, you're well worth staying home for! We don't know who you are but we all three love you to pieces already!" I told my baby. Yes, Bret was three years old and we were going to have our second little baby! It was a month yet before we would see this little one, but my mother made me promise that I would stay home!
There is something so comforting when a day's work it complete, and the family is all home. The lights go on, the curtains are pulled and darkness engulfs your little house. Inside I was sitting on the couch reading Bret his good night story while Mark sat at the kitchen table catching up on the paperwork.
All of a sudden, Bret sat up with a start, his little blue eyes huge. "What was that mommy?"
"What are you talking about honey?"
"Your tummy...it jumped!"
"Oh, honey," I chuckled, "that was your little sister or brother. Here, give me your hand," I said taking it and laying it on my tummy.
He sat there for a minute all quiet, his little eyes as big as saucers looking into nowhere. Then it happened. His little sister or brother gave his little hand a hard kick.
"Oh mommy that was funny!" he said with a little laugh.
"Yes you see....she or he wants to come play with you! Okay, little man, off to bed with you!" I got up slowly and took his hand. As I tucked him in, I said, "Someday soon you will have someone sleeping in here with you. Where do you think we should put their little crib?"
"Mommy, will they cry a lot and keep me awake?"
"We'll make sure that won't happen. Besides, if I remember right, nothing much wakes you up once you're asleep, right?"
"Well...I guess we could put it over there," he said so big-like pointing to the west wall.
"I'll tell you what, we will go to sleep now and talk about it later. After all, we have a month to wait yet." Giving him his good night kiss I tiptoed out into the hallway.
Friday dawned sunny and pleasant. At the breakfast table, Mark surprised us by asking, "I was wondering if you two would like to go with me today and look at cars?"
I just looked at him. What was he talking about? We had a perfectly good car.
"I know our car is in good shape but it is getting a lot of miles on it and I would feel a little safer with a newer one," Mark said. "Of course I'm not going to look at new ones. Just a nice used one."
"It's okay with me I guess. I'll get Bret ready. When would we leave? In an hour or so?" I asked wiping Bret's little face and hands and letting him down.
"I think I can be home in a couple hours. We'll just eat lunch at Burger King or somewhere. Something special to do, you know."
After a sandwich, we spent most of the afternoon going from Ford places, Chevy places, used car lots and you name it. There was one car Mark really liked. It was a medium blue color with a white top. It was a LTD Ford. "Would you feel like taking it for a test drive?" he asked me walking around it one more time. "I'd really like to see how it runs."
"Sure, why not," I said, trying not to show my uncomfortable state too much.
We headed down Ninth street and out of town for a mile or so. Mark pulled onto a side road, popped the hood, jumped out and lifted the hood. While he was checking the oil stick, fluid levels, checking to see if the engine was clean, any oil leaks, and whatever else men do under that hood, Bret and I were checking out the inside. He loved the electric windows!
We started playing a little game while Daddy was busy inspecting. Bret went over to Daddy's side, put his little finger on the control, looked up at me and pushed it. When it went down I would "boo" at him and he laughed. Then he got all serious again, looked at me and pushed it the other way.
"Well, do you like it?" Mark asked heading back to town. "The engine is clean, and I like the price for the amount of miles."
"All I know is that Bret likes the windows!"
"I'll tell him to hold it until Monday. We need to get home for the chores."
"I'm a little tired for sure, and it looks like we have a tired little boy," I answered holding Bret's head on my nonexistent lap.
At home Mark carried Bret to his bed, then changed into chore clothes. "I think I'll lay down for a bit myself," I told him kicking off my shoes and flopping on the bed.
"Okay, I'm sure your tired after our outing! I love you!" Mark said bending down and placing a kiss on my cheek.
It felt so good just laying there. My back was tired for sure! I tried to sleep but it just wouldn't happen so I laid there, my new baby and me, just thinking. "I'm so anxious to see you sweetheart," I whispered.
I felt that same restless feeling like I did before Bret was born. I got up and looked at the calendar. No way could it be. I had a whole month yet. I was probably just over tired, after all this was a huge day.
Supper that night just didn't look good to me, so after sitting there for a little bit, I told Mark and Bret that they were going to have to fend for themselves. I was going to bed. I could hear them out there chattering and stacking the dishes in the sink, and then I drifted into a deep sleep.
Something woke me up! Was it a dream or what? The house was quiet and dark. There it was again. A sharp pain! I laid there in the dark. What time was it? Four o'clock in the morning! There it was again! What was going on? I started to shake. I was getting nervous. What was happening to my baby? What did I do? I slowly got out of bed and headed to the half bath.
There was that sharp pain again. They were coming closer now. I had to wake Mark. Something was happening. Oh please God, don't let anything happen to my baby.
I walked slowly to the bed and started to shake Mark's shoulder. "Mark, honey, wake up!"
He rolled over and snorted out something that didn't make sense. "Mark," I tried again. "Mark, wake up, please. I think I did something to the baby! I'm having cramps!"
He sat up and rubbing his eyes looked at me and said "Are you okay? What time is it anyway?"
"It's 4:30 and no, I'm not okay! I think I over did cause I'm having cramps and look!" I said pointing to the bed.
"It looks to me like our baby is on the way. I'd better call the doctor," he said heading to the kitchen.
I gripped the bed post while another cramp hit me then waddled slowly to the kitchen bent over. "Honey, this isn't suppose to happen yet! Did I hurt our baby?" I was beside myself in worry.
"Really, honey, if you really want to know my opinion, I think you are right on time. Sometimes you and the doctors don't always count right you know. Look at you, you're huge. Besides, that little person is coming so...."
"You're right for sure!"
Off the phone, Mark turned to me and said we needed to get to the hospital. He called Von and Bob, our neighbors, to come be with Bret. They had told us to call day or night! Sweet people!
I thought we would never get left! As I sat there holding my tummy, taking deep breaths and letting out a groan when I couldn't help it, Mark proceeded to tell Bob "And the sows out here you feed them blah....blah....blah."
"You know Mark, you better get this young woman to the hospital now before we're delivering a baby right here," Von said coming over and rubbing my shoulder.
It was still partly dark as we drove south that morning. We hadn't even taken time to get an overnight bag ready for this little pumpkin. Mark would have to bring it later. I just wanted to get there. I hurt so badly and really didn't know when Mark pulled into the parking lot and stopped.
"Oh honey, it hurts so bad." I whispered under my breath as Mark practically carried me in the back door.
I was in a daze as nurses helped me into that huge white gown again. The doctor came from somewhere. It was a rat race around me "She's ready!" someone hollered...."Get her to the delivery room" another said. Here came that little bed on wheels again. "Can you roll on to this honey? That's it. Here we go." It was as if I was a puppet and being placed here and there, all the time trying not to moan in constant pain. No one knew that deep within myself I had this worry that I had done something to my precious little baby.
Mark was beside himself with excitement as he ran beside me. "Honey, we are going to have the baby, and we don't have to wait 20 hours for it. Isn't it great?! It's coming!"
The poor man. Did he actually say "Isn't this great!" If he wasn't so sweet I may have had something else to say to him at that moment. This wasn't great!! It hurt! And bad!
Through those doors they pushed me. "We are going to roll you onto the table." Gentle arms took me and placed me on a big table. All I could hear were a jumble of voices around me. "Breath honey....breath deep," Mark said in my ear.
Everything stopped! No more pain! It was over as fast as it started about five hours ago.
"I believe we have another little boy here....whoops.....it's a girl!! A perfect little girl," Dr Fuller said, handing her to the nurse.
"Is she okay?" I asked, looking up at Mark.
The nurse brought over our precious little bundle wrapped in a little blanket and placed her in Daddy's arms. "She's just perfect."
Tears of joy rolled down my cheeks. I was so relieved. It was as if a load had been lifted off my shoulders. I reached up and touched that little bundle in my husband's arms.
Back in our room, Daddy, Kate and mommy had breakfast together! That is, Daddy and Kate. I just sat there holding our little daughter close, shaping her little fingers around my big one, stroking her little cheek, just loving to look at her perfect little body, talking softly to Mark.
When Mark drove into the drive way, Von and Bret were playing outside in the yard and Bob was walking up from the shorty forty's, a five gallon bucket in one hand.
"Do we have a little someone already?" Von asked coming over to meet Mark.
"Yep...a little girl. She weighed in at seven pounds and something, so I'm sure she was suppose to come right when she did."
"Well, they usually know their own time!" Von said laughing.
"Bret did you hear that? You have a little sister!" Mark hollered to a little uninterested boy. "Has he went potty for you this morning?" he asked Von.
"Not until now! It appears he heard your question!" Von said looking over at the bushes.
Back at the hospital, I was still laying in my bed, snuggling with my little girl. But after 4 days in there, I was getting so terribly homesick! Mark came to see us every chance he got, but that wasn't like being home. My Mom and Dad came by on Sunday on their way home from the convention and took little Bret home with them for a week.
Finally, on Tuesday morning, Dr Fredrickson visited me and said those magic words. "I think you are ready to go home after you eat your lunch today." Yippee! The best words I had heard in a long time!
Not good news! Guess what they served me for lunch? Cooked carrots! I hate cooked carrots! Somehow I had to get rid of those disgusting things! Doctor had told me that I had to eat everything. So, I knew what I had to do. I waited until the nurse left the room, slipped quietly out of bed, took those carrots to the bathroom and flushed them down the pot!
Around 2:00 in the afternoon, Daddy, baby Kate, and I made our way to the parking lot. We were leaving the hospital with loads of things, but the most precious bundle was little Kate.
"Where is the car parked?" I asked looking around.
"Over there," Mark answered pointing to the blue LTD. "Bret and I went to town Saturday and bought it. We wanted Kate and you to ride home in a different car with electric windows!"
As Mark made his way out of town and down the highway, I just sat there looking into little Kate's tiny face in my arms. Our little family was complete. A sweet little boy now had a precious little sister, and we had a son and a daughter.
I patted my tummy. "You know little one, you're well worth staying home for! We don't know who you are but we all three love you to pieces already!" I told my baby. Yes, Bret was three years old and we were going to have our second little baby! It was a month yet before we would see this little one, but my mother made me promise that I would stay home!
There is something so comforting when a day's work it complete, and the family is all home. The lights go on, the curtains are pulled and darkness engulfs your little house. Inside I was sitting on the couch reading Bret his good night story while Mark sat at the kitchen table catching up on the paperwork.
All of a sudden, Bret sat up with a start, his little blue eyes huge. "What was that mommy?"
"What are you talking about honey?"
"Your tummy...it jumped!"
"Oh, honey," I chuckled, "that was your little sister or brother. Here, give me your hand," I said taking it and laying it on my tummy.
He sat there for a minute all quiet, his little eyes as big as saucers looking into nowhere. Then it happened. His little sister or brother gave his little hand a hard kick.
"Oh mommy that was funny!" he said with a little laugh.
"Yes you see....she or he wants to come play with you! Okay, little man, off to bed with you!" I got up slowly and took his hand. As I tucked him in, I said, "Someday soon you will have someone sleeping in here with you. Where do you think we should put their little crib?"
"Mommy, will they cry a lot and keep me awake?"
"We'll make sure that won't happen. Besides, if I remember right, nothing much wakes you up once you're asleep, right?"
"Well...I guess we could put it over there," he said so big-like pointing to the west wall.
"I'll tell you what, we will go to sleep now and talk about it later. After all, we have a month to wait yet." Giving him his good night kiss I tiptoed out into the hallway.
Friday dawned sunny and pleasant. At the breakfast table, Mark surprised us by asking, "I was wondering if you two would like to go with me today and look at cars?"
I just looked at him. What was he talking about? We had a perfectly good car.
"I know our car is in good shape but it is getting a lot of miles on it and I would feel a little safer with a newer one," Mark said. "Of course I'm not going to look at new ones. Just a nice used one."
"It's okay with me I guess. I'll get Bret ready. When would we leave? In an hour or so?" I asked wiping Bret's little face and hands and letting him down.
"I think I can be home in a couple hours. We'll just eat lunch at Burger King or somewhere. Something special to do, you know."
After a sandwich, we spent most of the afternoon going from Ford places, Chevy places, used car lots and you name it. There was one car Mark really liked. It was a medium blue color with a white top. It was a LTD Ford. "Would you feel like taking it for a test drive?" he asked me walking around it one more time. "I'd really like to see how it runs."
"Sure, why not," I said, trying not to show my uncomfortable state too much.
We headed down Ninth street and out of town for a mile or so. Mark pulled onto a side road, popped the hood, jumped out and lifted the hood. While he was checking the oil stick, fluid levels, checking to see if the engine was clean, any oil leaks, and whatever else men do under that hood, Bret and I were checking out the inside. He loved the electric windows!
We started playing a little game while Daddy was busy inspecting. Bret went over to Daddy's side, put his little finger on the control, looked up at me and pushed it. When it went down I would "boo" at him and he laughed. Then he got all serious again, looked at me and pushed it the other way.
"Well, do you like it?" Mark asked heading back to town. "The engine is clean, and I like the price for the amount of miles."
"All I know is that Bret likes the windows!"
"I'll tell him to hold it until Monday. We need to get home for the chores."
"I'm a little tired for sure, and it looks like we have a tired little boy," I answered holding Bret's head on my nonexistent lap.
At home Mark carried Bret to his bed, then changed into chore clothes. "I think I'll lay down for a bit myself," I told him kicking off my shoes and flopping on the bed.
"Okay, I'm sure your tired after our outing! I love you!" Mark said bending down and placing a kiss on my cheek.
It felt so good just laying there. My back was tired for sure! I tried to sleep but it just wouldn't happen so I laid there, my new baby and me, just thinking. "I'm so anxious to see you sweetheart," I whispered.
I felt that same restless feeling like I did before Bret was born. I got up and looked at the calendar. No way could it be. I had a whole month yet. I was probably just over tired, after all this was a huge day.
Supper that night just didn't look good to me, so after sitting there for a little bit, I told Mark and Bret that they were going to have to fend for themselves. I was going to bed. I could hear them out there chattering and stacking the dishes in the sink, and then I drifted into a deep sleep.
Something woke me up! Was it a dream or what? The house was quiet and dark. There it was again. A sharp pain! I laid there in the dark. What time was it? Four o'clock in the morning! There it was again! What was going on? I started to shake. I was getting nervous. What was happening to my baby? What did I do? I slowly got out of bed and headed to the half bath.
There was that sharp pain again. They were coming closer now. I had to wake Mark. Something was happening. Oh please God, don't let anything happen to my baby.
I walked slowly to the bed and started to shake Mark's shoulder. "Mark, honey, wake up!"
He rolled over and snorted out something that didn't make sense. "Mark," I tried again. "Mark, wake up, please. I think I did something to the baby! I'm having cramps!"
He sat up and rubbing his eyes looked at me and said "Are you okay? What time is it anyway?"
"It's 4:30 and no, I'm not okay! I think I over did cause I'm having cramps and look!" I said pointing to the bed.
"It looks to me like our baby is on the way. I'd better call the doctor," he said heading to the kitchen.
I gripped the bed post while another cramp hit me then waddled slowly to the kitchen bent over. "Honey, this isn't suppose to happen yet! Did I hurt our baby?" I was beside myself in worry.
"Really, honey, if you really want to know my opinion, I think you are right on time. Sometimes you and the doctors don't always count right you know. Look at you, you're huge. Besides, that little person is coming so...."
"You're right for sure!"
Off the phone, Mark turned to me and said we needed to get to the hospital. He called Von and Bob, our neighbors, to come be with Bret. They had told us to call day or night! Sweet people!
I thought we would never get left! As I sat there holding my tummy, taking deep breaths and letting out a groan when I couldn't help it, Mark proceeded to tell Bob "And the sows out here you feed them blah....blah....blah."
"You know Mark, you better get this young woman to the hospital now before we're delivering a baby right here," Von said coming over and rubbing my shoulder.
It was still partly dark as we drove south that morning. We hadn't even taken time to get an overnight bag ready for this little pumpkin. Mark would have to bring it later. I just wanted to get there. I hurt so badly and really didn't know when Mark pulled into the parking lot and stopped.
"Oh honey, it hurts so bad." I whispered under my breath as Mark practically carried me in the back door.
I was in a daze as nurses helped me into that huge white gown again. The doctor came from somewhere. It was a rat race around me "She's ready!" someone hollered...."Get her to the delivery room" another said. Here came that little bed on wheels again. "Can you roll on to this honey? That's it. Here we go." It was as if I was a puppet and being placed here and there, all the time trying not to moan in constant pain. No one knew that deep within myself I had this worry that I had done something to my precious little baby.
Mark was beside himself with excitement as he ran beside me. "Honey, we are going to have the baby, and we don't have to wait 20 hours for it. Isn't it great?! It's coming!"
The poor man. Did he actually say "Isn't this great!" If he wasn't so sweet I may have had something else to say to him at that moment. This wasn't great!! It hurt! And bad!
Through those doors they pushed me. "We are going to roll you onto the table." Gentle arms took me and placed me on a big table. All I could hear were a jumble of voices around me. "Breath honey....breath deep," Mark said in my ear.
Everything stopped! No more pain! It was over as fast as it started about five hours ago.
"I believe we have another little boy here....whoops.....it's a girl!! A perfect little girl," Dr Fuller said, handing her to the nurse.
"Is she okay?" I asked, looking up at Mark.
The nurse brought over our precious little bundle wrapped in a little blanket and placed her in Daddy's arms. "She's just perfect."
Tears of joy rolled down my cheeks. I was so relieved. It was as if a load had been lifted off my shoulders. I reached up and touched that little bundle in my husband's arms.
Back in our room, Daddy, Kate and mommy had breakfast together! That is, Daddy and Kate. I just sat there holding our little daughter close, shaping her little fingers around my big one, stroking her little cheek, just loving to look at her perfect little body, talking softly to Mark.
When Mark drove into the drive way, Von and Bret were playing outside in the yard and Bob was walking up from the shorty forty's, a five gallon bucket in one hand.
"Do we have a little someone already?" Von asked coming over to meet Mark.
"Yep...a little girl. She weighed in at seven pounds and something, so I'm sure she was suppose to come right when she did."
"Well, they usually know their own time!" Von said laughing.
"Bret did you hear that? You have a little sister!" Mark hollered to a little uninterested boy. "Has he went potty for you this morning?" he asked Von.
"Not until now! It appears he heard your question!" Von said looking over at the bushes.
Back at the hospital, I was still laying in my bed, snuggling with my little girl. But after 4 days in there, I was getting so terribly homesick! Mark came to see us every chance he got, but that wasn't like being home. My Mom and Dad came by on Sunday on their way home from the convention and took little Bret home with them for a week.
Finally, on Tuesday morning, Dr Fredrickson visited me and said those magic words. "I think you are ready to go home after you eat your lunch today." Yippee! The best words I had heard in a long time!
Not good news! Guess what they served me for lunch? Cooked carrots! I hate cooked carrots! Somehow I had to get rid of those disgusting things! Doctor had told me that I had to eat everything. So, I knew what I had to do. I waited until the nurse left the room, slipped quietly out of bed, took those carrots to the bathroom and flushed them down the pot!
Around 2:00 in the afternoon, Daddy, baby Kate, and I made our way to the parking lot. We were leaving the hospital with loads of things, but the most precious bundle was little Kate.
"Where is the car parked?" I asked looking around.
"Over there," Mark answered pointing to the blue LTD. "Bret and I went to town Saturday and bought it. We wanted Kate and you to ride home in a different car with electric windows!"
As Mark made his way out of town and down the highway, I just sat there looking into little Kate's tiny face in my arms. Our little family was complete. A sweet little boy now had a precious little sister, and we had a son and a daughter.
Wonderful...I love your story! I remember the pain the Arlene went through when our son Doyle was born; she told me, "If we have another child, it's your turn next!"
ReplyDeleteSweet sweet story!
ReplyDelete