My second pregnancy was not much different from the first. Except for the fact that there weren't nearly as many naps as the first time around. I had given up my full time job and was working part time a couple of nights a week just to keep up my medical insurance. I had started doing day care out of my home with the hopes of giving up the night time job all together. I felt good but seemed to have a lot more morning sickeness and it was hardly ever in the morning. It struck me at the oddest times. I had a real problem at dinner time. thats when it seemed to really hit me. Poor Mark...I couldn't cook because it made me feel nauseated. In fact, I couldn't stand the smell of anything cooking. If I remember correctly, he ate a lot of sandwiches over the course of that pregnancy. But other than that I was healthy, the baby was healthy and things seemed to be right on track.

I was due on Christmas day...my concern was that somehow the birth was going to screw up Christmas for Thomas. I made everyone promise that if I was in labor or still in the hospital that they would postpone Christmas until I could be there. I just didn't want to miss seeing Thomas on Christmas morning. Surely, I thought, I would have this baby early and be home and back to my old self way before Christmas day. Thomas was early so this one probably would be too, right? Wrong!!!

My due date came and went and still no baby...I was becoming anxious and a bit nervous since I could no longer see any of the joints in my toes and the bones in my feet had long since disappeared. On December 29th at my regular doctor's appointment he decided that because of my, at the time, very high blood pressure I should probably have one of those lovely non-stress tests. It was scheduled for early the next day. We packed Thomas' backpack with his favorite newly aquired Mr. Potatohead, lots of his favorite books, and some un-sugary snacks in hopes that it would keep him busy for a couple of hours. Well...that couple of hours turned out to be an all day thing! First the baby wasn't moving enough. Then they sensed some distress. Then they did this and did that...and by 2:30 or so the doctor decided that it looked like the baby may be in trouble and that he would break my water and induce labor. Mark packed up Thomas and took him home (Mark's sister Dawn came to stay with Thomas). The doctor had reassured him that there was no rush, that he had plenty of time. When he broke my water I saw a look of relief on his face. The water was clear, which means the baby was not in distress...he was safe and sound. "Hmmm...must be that damned monitor." Those were his words exactly. I was happy that my baby was not in danger, but a faulty monitor? And now my water is broke..."what now?", I asked.

Since he had broke my water and I was over due he decided to induce me...Again! Ugh! I had so hoped to go into labor on my own but by this time I just wanted to have it start. One way or another. By 3:00 that afternoon I was again hooked up to the pitocin drip and was begging the nurse to up the dosage faster so we could get on with things. I was in the drug free mode again and I just wanted it to be over quickly. Then my sister Rose came to visit...

Here she comes...toting her scrabble game thinking that we would sit, talk, and play some scrabble. By this time it was 6:00 pm or so and I did not want to play scrabble. She's the mother of four boys and after a half an hour of being there she had me talked right in to getting something for the pain. I didn't think it was that bad yet, but the way she explained it was that why should you go through any pain be it little or lots if you don't have to go through any at all. With each contraction she made more and more sense. (After delivery she confessed to me that I was calmer at the very end of labor than she was with any of hers when she ENTERED the hospital :) !!) Even though the medication idea appealed to me, I wanted to wait until it was absolutely necessary. I don't know what time it became necessary...I know it was sometime after Wheel of Fortune, but before Jeopardy ended. And of course, it was while the doctor was performing what he referred to as "a really quick D&C on someone right down the hall". But the nurse said he would be in with the "relief" shortly and to "just hang in there...you're doing great". When the doctor finally did return, he quickly checked me and ordered an x-ray of some kind he feared that the baby was breech because he thought he was feeling a shin when he checked me. So they came in with some huge, scary machine and did their tests and left.

By now we're up to about 5 minutes to 9:00. I told Rose that she should probably go...I had the feeling it was about to get ugly in there. Still no pain reliever and after one last trip to the potty and back I felt the oddest and scariest thing ever. I was sure this baby was in danger...with the distress scare and the breech news just minutes earlier and then this "feeling" I had. The nurse checked me and assured me that nothing was wrong. It was just that when he decided to be born, he decided to be born NOW. In a matter of only minutes I dialated fully and was ready to push. I had just been up walking around and now it was time to push. Boy were the nurses hustling around! The doctor came in and while still by the door told me to go ahead and start pushing. He got his gown on, sat on his little stool with the wheels, and started wheeling his way over to me. (Making jokes the whole time about 'catching it from here' or 'here' as he got closer.) Our little Gabriel was born at 9:14pm on December 30,1997 and he weighed 6lbs 12oz.

I never did get my drugs...or the results of that x-ray. Everything happened so fast that they didn't even get to look at them. But he was not born breech he came out just like most do...head first and totally unprepared for the life that they are about to begin. There was something unique about his delivery though. He was a "star gazer". He was born facing straight up. To this day Gabe still has a uniqueness about him. It's one that I can't quite put my finger on but it's there. When he came to us, he brought with him so many special qualities and that familiar feeling of loving someone unconditionally. He taught Thomas the meaning of "big brother" and seemed to round out our family. He is truly a star in his own right and he makes me laugh...alot!