26 Years Ago Today

In the wee morning hours of August 23rd, 1984, I was having a bad dream. I dreamed I was back in my 9th grade Algebra class. There I was sitting in my regular seat behind Jackie. It was one of those very realsitic dreams. Mr. Wilson's classroom was perfectly recreated. There was no dream-like quality to it. I started having bad cramps and was horrified. I knew the cramps meant that my period was starting right then and there and I knew I did not have any tampons with me.
~
After a few agonizing minutes, I woke up and was so relieved that it had been only a dream. I let out a deep sigh of relief when I realized I was at home in my bed. Then as I started to happily drift back off, I realized that the cramps were not part of the dream. They were real. As I was half asleep, it took me a few minutes to realize what was going on. I was already 9 days past my due date. Yep, those weren't period cramps. I was getting ready to have a baby.
~
We got up, called the doctor and grabbed my bag and headed for the hospital. It turned into a long day. One of the funniest parts was when they were making me walk the corridors pushing my rolling I.V. I ran into one of my Lamaze classmates. Her husband was pushing her down the hallway. She was holding her new baby boy and they were heading home. After we chatted for just a few minutes, the went on their way. When she was maybe 15 feet down the hall, she said to her husband, "She looked terrible." Her husband was all "Ssssshhh. She might hear you." Which I did. It didn't upset me at all. I don't know why but it made me smile. There's nothing wrong with looking terrible when you feel terrible.
~
At noon I went back to my room to watch my soap and some nurse came in there and was all, "You need to be walking." I said, "Too bad. I'm taking this hour off of walking to watch my soap." People can argue with me all day, but they can't make me do something I don't want to do. She finally gave in and promptly at 1:00 she was right there. Fine with me.
~
Later that afternoon, they started talking "Ceasarean" and I would have none of it. When they sent someone in to shave me for surgery, I was all, "No. I'm going to have this baby naturally." Finally someone came in with dire predictions and warnings and guilt-tripped me into okaying the C-section. Which of course led to my classic stupid question that I asked in the operating room: If I'm having a C-section, why am I still having labor pains?
~
It took longer than usual for me to wake up in the recovery room, and they were starting to get a little concerned, but I've always believed I was just getting in some make-up sleep from having gotten up so early. I finally woke up and my husband gave me the news: It's a girl! My parents popped in and then left to go eat dinner. They tried to get my husband to go with them. We both thought that was weird. Anyway, they finally wheeled me to my room and we stopped by the nursery and they handed me my 9 pound, 14 ounce prize:

So that's what I was doing 26 years ago today. 26 years. Wow.