March 2, 2001

Today is Friday, March 2nd.  Tomorrow is my son's 11th birthday and ironically, the same day he was born.  I remember 11 years ago today like it was yesterday.  Eleven years ago today, I had a doctor appointment to see how close I was to delivering my baby.  I wanted my baby to be born on March 3rd because that was the birthday of one of my favorite aunts who had recently passed away.  I went to my appointment and the doctor stated that my labor had not begun.  No dilation, no contractions, NADA!  The doctor also said that nothing would happen over the week-end the way things looked and that on Monday morning, I should report to the hospital to have labor induced.

This was not acceptable to me and I left the office in a not-so-good mood.  I came home and my aunt Inez came to visit.  Normally I am not rude or disrespectful to any of my aunts or uncles but this day was different.  I was moody and snappy.  That evening our daughter's school had a M.O.M's Kitchen (Meal of the Month) and we took my aunt to eat.  While there, I was restless and impatient.  I announced I was going shopping.  My aunt didn't think it was a good idea for me to be so close to my due date and out shopping at night.  I told her if she wanted to come along that was fine but if not I would go alone.  I drove to the nearby shopping center and we went into Mervyn's to look at baby clothes.  She showed me some boy's clothes to which I shrugged my shoulders and mumbled, I'm not having a boy.  We actually didn't know the sex of the baby but after 3 girls and only wanting girls, I was certain it would be a girl. 

After some shopping, we walked over to Baskin Robbins 31 Flavors for a delicious ice cream.  It's now about 9:00pm and we were sitting down eating our ice cream when all of a sudden I felt a very hard thud in my pelvic area.  Having 3 babies and never having this experience, the tough girl attitude disappeared.  I must have had a look of panic on my face because my aunt looked at me and her eyes widened as she asked what was wrong.  I remember telling her I don't know what's wrong but I want to go home.  I told her about the feeling I had and told her I was scared.  As we started to walk to the car, the unthinkable happened....My Water Broke!!  I remember saying to my aunt, "Oh My God!!!  My Water Just Broke!"  I must have said it pretty loud because people began to turn around to look at us. 

Our nerves kicked in and we were like two school girls giggling and laughing and fumbling around for the keys to the car and the cell phone to call my husband.  I finally found the keys to the car, dropped them a couple of times before unlocking the door and getting in.  My aunt called my husband to tell him what had happened and we were on our way home.  Once home, I changed my clothes, and we left for the hospital.  By the time we got in the room, it was about 10:30pm and things seemed to be moving pretty quickly. 

With labor started and the doctors and nurses prepping, I remember I kept looking at the clock and thinking, I can't have this baby until midnight. I want this baby born on March 3rd.  The nurses didn't think I could last until midnight.  The doctor was surprised that I was even there after my afternoon doctor appointment.  Finally, it was time to start pushing.  I remember working hard but looking at that clock and wanting this baby out but also wanting the time to hurry so it would be the 3rd.  Things must have gotten pretty intense because I remember being in so much pain and so exhausted, that I lost track of time.  The baby finally came and the doctor announced we had a healthy baby boy!!  Tired, I looked at the clock and low and behold, it was 1:15am - March 3rd.  My son was born on my aunt Juanita's birthday and I couldn't have been happier. 

HAPPY BIRTHDAY PATRICK!!