Birth Stories - The Teenager

I love to read birth stories. Each one is so unique. Even my own children were each so different with how they chose to come into this world.

I would love to share them with you.

We will start with The Teenager. I am just going to copy this out of my journal.

The Teenager was born October 5, 1993.
I was 20 years old.

My water broke that morning at 3:00 a.m. I had gotten up to go to the bathroom and when I got back into bed, I started to wet my pants (or so I thought). So I got back up and it leaked all the way to the bathroom. It was just a slow leak. So I woke The Doctor up and we went to the hospital.

The nurses confirmed that my water had broken. I went into the birthing room at PV Hospital and they hooked me up to the monitors and we waited. I called my mom (it was 4:00 a.m.) and told her she was going to become a grandma that day.

When I first got to the hospital, my contractions had barely started, and I was only at 1 cm. At 5:30, I was at 3 cm. At 7:30, I was at 3+ cm.

So they put me on Pitocin.

That was awful. I didn't like the Pit at all because it caused my contractions to come real hard, so I really couldn't get on top of them. But they never lasted for more than 45 seconds.

About 10:30 I got a 1/2 dose of painkiller, and again at 12:30. But that's all I had. I did it completely natural!

I forgot to mention that when I got there, I received my first enema. It was awful!

My mom had always said how when it came time to push, it felt so good. Well, maybe the first one!

About 12:50, I go the most urgent need to push! I was standing up and automatically started to push. I could not control it! It was almost scary!

The nurse came in to check my dilation and told me to push a little bit, and she stretched my cervix and popped it over his head and told me to go ahead and push. It hurt to push. It was so hard!

I pushed for 20 minutes, and the last few, they put an oxygen mask on me because my heart beat was going down. It was so frustrating to see his head come and then when I would stop pushing, it would slide a little bit back in. 2 steps forward, 1 step back.

Finally at 1:12 p.m., little The Teenager made his entrance into the world.

One thing, while I was pushing, I could see his head and still feel him kick me. It was weird! But he was so strong. He started to cry even before he was all the way out.

When his head came out, he was so ugly (Sorry, but it’s true!). His face was gray and wrinkled and squished.

The first thing he did when he was all the way out was go the bathroom, just missing Dr. Dinger (yes, that’s his real name).

While the nurse was cleaning him off, Tom turned to me and asked if I was ready to have another one. I just about asked for a divorce right then and there! I told him no, I was only having one child. Ever.

The nurse finally brought The Teenager over for me to see him. He was so cute and tiny! He weighed 7 lb. 8 ½ oz. and was 19 inches long.

The Teenager's first picture. My goodness, I was young!

Getting ready to come home from the hospital.

I had NO CLUE what I was in for! But did any of us?

Food Storage

Last week I decided that I was tired of trying to figure out what I was going to make for supper every night. So I sat down and made a menu for the whole month. As I put each meal on the calendar, I pulled out the recipe and made my shopping list. And remember, we don't eat fancy. We are meat and potatoes type of folks.

I then went shopping. For the whole month.

It took me 2 hours. With my 4 year old "helping."

I was a little scared at the checkout, but it only came to $250. I was so excited.

As I was walking out to my car, I was quite smug. I didn't understand why people are spending $600 a month on food.

And then I started thinking.

I didn't have to buy any meat, because I already had chicken and hamburger in my deep freezer.

I didn't have to buy any vegetables because I had them in my deep freezer, and cans on the shelf.

I didn't have to buy any cheese because I had that in my freezer.

I didn't have to buy bread because I make it myself.

I didn't have to buy any beans, or rice, or potatoes, or flour, or sugar, or salt, or...well, you get the idea.

When we get our tax refund each year, I take $1,000-1,500 and build up my food storage. I have buckets in the garage with flour and sugar and beans and such. I have a deep freezer to keep turkeys and chicken and hamburger. And those I don't buy unless there is a really good sale.

My hamburger I buy at Sam's Club in 80 pound boxes. I divide it up and use my FoodSaver to seal it good. But my mom always used old bread bags. And they worked just as good.

I am a proud member of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints. We have been commanded to have food storage. I always have, but now I think I really "get it." It's not just there for when we have disasters. It's not just there for when we are out of work (although it has been a blessing when we were!). It's there to help us live frugally.

My food storage room, which is in my furnace room. Not ideal, but you put it where you can!

My deep freezer, which is completely full. I seriously can't fit anything else in there!

These are the #10 cans of food from the Church's cannery. We have potato pearls, apple slices, hot chocolate, minced onions, etc.

My buckets in the garage. Again, not the best place, but it works!

Looking at these shelves make me feel so secure.

The Independent Princess

Just a little something to make you laugh!

Once upon a time, in a land far away, a beautiful, independent, self assured princess happened upon a frog as she sat, contemplating ecological issues on the shores of an unpolluted pond in a verdant meadow near her castle.

The frog hopped into the princess' lap and said,

"Elegant Lady, I was once a handsome prince, until an evil witch cast a spell upon me.

"One kiss from you, however, and I will turn back into the dapper, young prince that I am and then, my sweet, we can marry and setup housekeeping in yon castle with my mother, where you can prepare my meals, clean my clothes, bear my children, and forever feel grateful and happy doing so."

That night, as the princess dined sumptuously on a repast of lightly sauteed frog legs seasoned in a white wine and onion cream sauce she chuckled to herself and thought:

"I don't think so."

My Labor Days

How long were your labors? (I am counting from when the pains started, not when my water broke)

The Teenager: 7 hours
The Artist: 3 1/2 hours
The Chocoholic: 8 hours
The Princess: 5 hours

How did you know you were in labor?

The Teenager: My water broke
The Artist: The intense pain!
The Chocoholic: Because I was in a hospital bed with an i.v. of Pitocin hooked up to my arm
The Princess: My water broke

Where did you deliver?

The Teenager: P.V. Hospital
The Artist: J.R. Hospital (BEST WOMEN'S CENTER EVER!)
The Chocoholic: J.R. Hospital (DITTO)
The Princess: A.V. Hospital

C-Section?

None

Who delivered?

The Teenager: Dr. Dinger (I am not kidding...and I hated him! But he was better than the dr. I had for the first 90% of the pregnancy...Dr. Slezack. I'm not kidding!)
The Artist: Dr. Hansen (BEST DOCTOR EVER!)
The Chocoholic: Dr. Hansen (DITTO)
The Princess: Dr. Smith
Drugs?
The Teenager: Two half shots of pain killer, which did nothing except put me to sleep in between contractions so I couldn't get on top of them.
The rest: Nothing. Just wonderful pain and the best feeling in the world is pushing that little baby out. I loved it!

Lightbulb update

I found them at Walmart! 6500K! But at $7 for a package of 2 bulbs, they will have to wait. But they are out there! Whoo Hoo!