What Were You Doing 30 Years Ago?

Well, 30 years ago I wasn’t but a few months old so not much from me for that age, either. The earliest memory I have I was 5 years old and my sister and I were playing dress-up in my grandma’s closet full of clothes from the 50’s through the 70’s… but I do think my long term memory is holding on better than my short term… especially with four kiddos! Happy Birthday!!!

OK- The day you were born…..
and it really was Labor day weekend too! I was due to delivery 9/11/78. Your grandmother had been down to visit for the weekend and had gone home. I was soooo tired that I decided to go to bed without a shower. (this will be significant later in the story) I was alone because D was working a night shift on base. I woke up to go to the ladies room and realized my water had broken. Not the Hollywood style- no dramatic *GUSH* for me. Nope, I thought I was peeing on myself and couldn’t stop! No contractions. Made a call to the doc who said come in to be checked. Called for D to come home and off we went to the hospital. Contractions started softly at 2 minutes apart from the get-go. They just kept getting stronger and stronger. Sure enough, the hospital said my water was broken and I had won a stay until you were born. This is about 5am. They got me all squared away and D, having been up all night, said he was going to the waiting room to get some sleep since we were expecting to be there a while. So there lies this 18 yr old, expecting …. ??? I had no idea what I was expecting. Down the hall is a lady SCREAMING “kill me, somebody just kill me PLEASE!” and I’m thinking “oh no! will that be me soon????” About 730-ish the nurse comes in to check dilation, which she does. That nurse- that bad bad nurse- then says uh-oh, AND RUNS OUT OF THE ROOM YELLING FOR THE DOCTOR!
What?!?!? WHAT!!!!!!!!
You were breach position, Frank breach, in other words folded at the hips with your feet up by your ears. You didn’t want to face the world apparently. It was a veritable snow storm then, nurses, techs, doctors. Poking this, prodding that, asking question after question. Someone went and got D, and when he realized what they were saying about C Section, he turned green and started for the floor. I remember one nurse calmly saying “catch him” as she was starting my IV. Then I got rolled down the hall and into an OR. It was freezing cold and they put a mask on my face. Someone said “you’ll go to sleep now.” and by golly, I did!
In the recovery room I roused enough to be able to say my name, and I was asked what I had named you. I didn’t know! Did I have a boy or a girl?? (This was before it was allowed to have a sono to peek).
Once I was awake enough to leave the recovery room they wheeled me to my room, with a brief stop by the nursery to peek at you. Later that day when they felt I was awake enough to hold you the brought me THE WRONG BABY! I knew I had been groggy but I really didn’t remember a head full of black hair. I looked at that baby, felt nothing and thought ‘O no! I am such a terrible mother already that I don’t instantly feel love for this child.” About that time the nurse came back and said I had the wrong baby. I had Mrs Diaz’ baby. After that it was pretty much a “normal” hospital stay except for the fact that they wouldn’t let me take a shower because I’d had surgery. No shower, dirty hair for a WEEK! They kept ladies in the hospital for 5 days at least after a section in those days. There you go! My labor on Labor day.

Okay, so I just HAD to come back and read what comment I knew mom would leave but dad really cracked me up. Even though I’m sure he’s at least part serious.
And I really feel sorry for mom having to go through the whole c-section like that. I think it’s really weird that they didn’t let her have a shower but they had me up a day later insisting that I have one… So anyways…