Ada: Then and Now

Four years ago today I was blessed with a little bundle called Ada. I realize I have never properly recorded her birth story, so why not do it now, on the interwebs, for all to see?

I was so over being pregnant by 37 weeks. I was ready for a baby! Or, at least, I thought I was ready. David and I started going on our "Last Dates" before the baby at this point. Because Ada was born 8 days past her due date, we went on about 20 of these last dates. But they were great--fried chicken at Watershed, countless bad movies, Starbucks whenever we wanted... we had a blast.

Three days past her due date, on a Monday, I went to the doctor. Wonderful midwife Wendy confirmed what I feared... that this baby was not coming any time soon. I was crushed and couldn't bear to go to work that day. I called in, dropped David off, and immediately got on the phone with my sister. She had her suitcase all packed for when this stinker finally decided to show, so she called her work, told them she was leaving to be with me, and headed for Atlanta. That, too, was such a blessing. She stayed with me for three days, and we shopped, slept, played and hung out. We had new windows put in the house (want to scare a workman? tell him your baby was due 5 days ago. they were very, very quiet putting those windows in).

She left on Thursday, and of course about 12 hours later, about 1:30 in the morning, I woke up and thought "Huh. That's a different feeling." I rested as much as I could but of course I was excited. About 3:30, I nudged David and I said, "No need to get up, but just lettin' you know we might be sitting on go." By 8 I was more certain, and called the midwives to tell them I was not coming in that morning to discuss induction (which I had no intention of letting happen anyway). They said to come in that afternoon, as it was Friday and they wanted to know what was going on. I agreed and we went about our day. Called in to work and started building some of our furniture we'd recently gotten from IKEA (we had moved into our house just two months earlier). This would be nesting.

I wanted to walk to make sure this baby would come out. So we headed to the mall. I walked and contracted, walked and contracted. David got some new jeans. I know, how random. We got lunch from Chick Fil A and went home to eat and watch a movie. It was during that movie that I started to really feel like this was going to happen. Read as: It. Hurt. I hated that movie. It was some movie about a dog, and Dave Matthews did the music for it. It was awful and even more awful in my uncomfortable state.

Around 3:30 we headed to the midwives. We live in Decatur and the midwives practice at Piedmont Hospital. Kids, North Druid Hills Road is an old thoroughfare with lots of bumps. LOTS of bumps. I pray no one in labor ever has to drive it. When we got there they said yes it's labor but you're not far along. You can go into the hospital now or go home. I'm sure we'd have made our Bradley instructor proud and said "We'll head home."

Picture this: Friday. Atlanta. Rush hour. RAIN. I've never had a worse ride, anywhere. Again with the bumpy road. And oh, the traffic. The miserable, miserable traffic. I laid the seat back and I had a pillow. I REALLY pray no one in labor ever has to drive North Druid Hills road in Friday afternoon traffic in the rain.

Home again. At this point it was tough to get from the car to the house. We went in and I got in the bathtub. Water=laboring woman's best friend. Really. They don't call it nature's epidural for nothing. We lit candles and stuff cause I thought that's what you're supposed to do, but it didn't do much for it. I'm actually a terrible candidate for natural childbirth as I don't so much like to give up control, but I was determined.

Things moved along, but I really did not want to be back on that road again when I was in transition or, worse, wanting to push, so we went to the hospital around 11. And I made David take the interstate. That was a MUCH smoother ride, thankyouverymuch. We got there, got into the room, and headed again for the bathtub. Then we walked. Then I laid around (precisely what you're not supposed to do, but they put me on a non-mobile fetal monitor, against my wishes. I was too in the throes of things to say anything. Stupid medical model for childbirth).

The midwife (my least favorite in appointments, her attitude was very much like "Natural childbirth, yeah good luck with that." Turned out to be just the person to motivate me in the end.) came in now and then but mostly left us to our own devices. At one point, I think directly after I growled at David (Me: You can't make me do thiiiiiiiiis. David: (Chuckle) I'm not making you do anything.) I did ask her what my options were for pain medication. She looked me square in the eye and said "You're doing really good." That was all I needed. Soon after I was in transition and soon after that I was ready to push this baby out. 20 minutes later I was holding this tiny, tender chunk of love. 5 AM. A Saturday. October 8th. A girl.

We named her Ada.

I didn't take these first pictures, just for the record. Don't remember who did. But I love them. So tiny and sweet.

That was then...

Sleeping. This baby needed more sleep than any other baby I've ever heard of. Fine by me!

She still looks serious like that a lot of the time. Trying to figure it all out.

Meeting the dog. Yawn.

This is now...

Pink cake for birthday breakfast. What more could a 4 year old girl want?

I love you, my Ada bug.

--Lindsay. Also known as Mommy.