Labor Day

In honor of Labor day, enjoy my funny Labor story. I was very pregnant with my 2nd child and Michael decided that he was going to go on an extended camping trip with some of his buddies. One of the wives came to stay with me just in case something happened. We also had a baby shower to attend. After a great weekend of baby stuff and visiting with friends, I was looking forward to hearing about my husband's trip. They usually have such a fabulous trip. On Sunday morning, Cheryl and I got a phone call from her husband. We thought that they were calling to tell us that they were on their way home. Seeing that they were in the Joyce Kilmer wilderness, the connection was sketchy at best. All she heard was Michael....hurt....bear....broken. She debated on whether to tell me considering my delicate condition. She did and we panicked. What we didn't know was that they were kidding about the bear part but not the other. He had actually slipped and fallen off a waterfall. They called back after an excruciating 8 mile walk out to the car, then they stopped to eat(hurt badly, didn't it?), and got back to us. Michael said that he wasn't sure whether he had broken his hand and he waited. Near midnight, he went to the local hospital and found out he had broken the bone that connects his ring and pinky fingers on his left hand, kind of like a wish bone. They scheduled surgery. He had it the next Friday. The hospital set up a nice chair in the recovery room because I was having contractions and hurting badly. I waited in there until they brought him in. I was only 35 weeks along and scared. My 1st child was a scheduled C-section so we didn't go through labor and such but, I was in labor. I brought him home and he took his pain meds and went to sleep while I toughed it out by myself. The Lamaze class didn't prepare me for this! On Saturday, he was in pain but recovering nicely. I, however, was still in major pain and having close contractions. The doctor told me to come to Mission so here we went. There is about a 30 minute drive to Asheville. I was breathing, hee, hee, hoo, hoo, haa, haa. Guess who drove? The one in labor!!! My supportive husband was in the passenger seat, ASLEEP!! Just snoring his little heart out! Meanwhile, I am gripping the steering wheel like it is a pair of jeans at an Old Navy sale. I park and we begin the walk to the Labor & Delivery section of the hospital. We get up there and they put me on one of those uncomfortable tables and hook these belts up around my belly and blood pressure cuffs on my arm. My dear, sweet husband is faring much better. They brought him in a comfy chair and were saying things like, can we get you something to drink, Mr. Edgerton? Something to eat, Mr. Edgerton? After about an hour, he goes to sleep and is snoring, again!!!!!! I am definitely in labor so they proceed to give me terbuteline. If you aren't familiar with this drug, it is asthma medicine and it makes you have the shakes but it definitely stops the labor. So for a few more hours, I sat there, fat and uncomfortable with the shakes while Michael slept to his heart's content. We were released to go back home and I drove us once again. The labor started up again that night and continued until she was born the next Thursday. I was in labor for 2 weeks total before Ella Raye was born. I never dilated but I did break my waters. At that time, I sat in the L&D room on an actual bed waiting for my turn in the OR. Where was my husband? Asleep in the chair beside the bed! May your Labor Day be less eventful than the labor that my kid put me through(and my husband).