Back to the beginning…..

We are about to start our season and we’ll be on the road most of the summer as usual. Mommy and Daddy are excited to see how you’ll do this year. Last year you were still small and you didn’t even realize what was going on yet. This year will be ALOT more interesting to find out what works and what doesn’t. Mommy’s just not sure how we’ll do our ticket booth now that you want to get into and play with everything  instead of sleeping most of the time like last year.   You were born in July while we were performing at the Napa County Fair. Daddy and Mommy had 2 days to set up before the opening day which was Thursday  July 3, 2008. So as we were finishing up the last minute stuff,  Mommy said to Daddy”I just don’t feel right” . He asked me how I was feeling and I told  him that  I was having some  cramping and maybe feeling some pressure but it wasn’t really painful just uncomfortable.

Mommys can just tell when somethings  not right  with their bodies exspecially when we have precious babies in our tummies. Well, Mommy just kept saying I don’t feel right but we still has 2 shows to do. So we did the first show and it was a very good show. The people at that fair have always been friendly. So after our first show, we don’t have much time to relax before the next one since our shows are typically 2 hour apart. While we were walking around after the first show was finished putting stuff up for the next one. Mommy and Daddy’s friends Julie and Cade who  own a lovely pony ride  company came over to say hello. Julie said you look like you could pop anytime and I said I feel like it.  She asked me how I was feeling and I told her that for the past two days, I just dont feel right but I couldn’t explain why. She said to me, guess what, your in labor. She said that that was exactly how she felt with Gracie. She said she just finally went to the hospital and she indeed was in labor. And her next sentence was Charlie you better take this girl to the hospital. We all had a laugh but it was show time so had to cut the conversation short and told her that If I don’t start feelingand better that we would go.

Shows over and Mommy is ready and needs to go to the hospital. So we had to let the fair manager now, she was thrilled and said not to worry about our shows the next day if they keep Mommy. Then Daddy had to go ask Cade & Julie if they can watch the pigs and chickens for us and of course they said we’ll take care of everything, you two go on and have a baby boy  and bring him back so we can meet him. So after Daddy & Mommy got our bags ready and off we go.

Track set up before we left to go have our baby at hospital

We get to the hospital which was difficult to begin with in our big R.V. that we had to drive. St.Helena Hospital is up a windy mountain. We finally made it and were lucky enough because it was so late tobe able to park close to the hospital, we normally take 8-10 spaces when parking. So we finally go into the hospital and are directed to the third floor. Mommy was terrified, mostly because I am a big wimp when it comes to pian and  Daddy was telling me it was going to be fine. Well that helped for a few minutes until we opend the door to go into the labor & delivery and heard a women screaming to the tops of her lungs. That was the last and worst thing that I needed to hear at this time.

So, the nurse gets me into my room and checks me and all that other stuff and then tells me that the Dr will be in shortly. Mommy was so scared at this point. This is what Mommy and Daddy worried about from the time we found out we were pregnant with you. We travel pretty much 360 days out of the year so we had no idea where we would be when you decided it was time to make an entrance. Your Daddy always joked, don’t worry honey, I’ve delivered lots of baby pigs I can handle it. Mommy never thought that was ever funny not even a little. Mommy wanted to be in a hospital with Drs just incase something didn’t go as planned. So I was very happy to be at the ST. Helena Hospital. Finally our Dr came in, Dr. Henry and he examined me and was as nice as can be. He said, well you’ve got 2 options and I’ll let you decide. Your already dialted to 3 and are contracting and if I don’t do anything tonight and just send you home  you’ll be back in by Sunday in strong labor and have the baby Sunday night or early Monday morning. Which this option could not work for us because when the fair ends on Sunday, we have to pack up everything and drive 500 miles by Monday night to start setting up for our next job. So we said whats option 2? I can break your bag of water and we’ll have us a baby tonight. Your Daddy and Mommy looked at each other immediately after the Dr said that. We were both thinking lets do it. I wouldn’t  have to worry anymore where I was going to go into labor at or what if there wasn’t a hospital around. All those worries were gone and replaced with an excitement of oh my gosh we are going to finally meet our son.

Mommy scared about labor but over the moon and anxious to meet our baby boyDaddy just waiting for our baby boy to arrive

It was a long and painful night for Mommy. No one can prepare you for giving birth. Mommy decided I needed some reliel and opted for an epidural, which wasn’t a very bright idea that night. I got my first around 1am. The Dr wanted to make sure I was comfortable before giving me the medicine thru the iv to make contractions stronger. Well the first epidural was a dud. Didn’t hrlp at all and by this time Mommy was so miserable they called her back again to redo the epidural. now this time it worked only going the wrong way. I was numb from my waist up. That’s a very strange feeling, my boobs were numb and my stomache, kneck it was awful and I wa still feeling every single contraction. Finally a nurse comes in and says I’ve called someone else to come redo your epidural. He just lives 5 min away and she wasn’t kidding he was there by the time she turned to walkout of my room.

It is now 7:15 am july 4th 2008 and my epidural is amazing. I feel nothing except some pressure which they say is normal. So I am going to rest, your Daddy has been sleeping and I figured I better try to get a few zzz’s. It’s been a long night and I haven’t slept a wink. I sleep for maybe 15 min and I am awaken to this over whelming urge to g0 #2. I think to myself you’ve got to be kidding me,I dont want to use a bedpan. I try just to ignore it and hope it just goes away until later. Well it doesn’t. The urge is getting stronger and stronger and all I can think about is how embarressed I’m gonna be when they come into check me and lift the covers to find I’ve pooped all over myself. So I did the only thing I could do push the call nurse button. I figured if I woke your Daddy up to this he would never stop laughing about it so I hoped the nurse and I could take care of it without waking him. She came in the room and says are you ok Mrs.Cook? I said, I don’t know I think you’ll have to be the judge of that when you look under the covers. I feel like I gotta go and bad. She says lets have a look cause when women dialate with an epi thats what it can feel like. She pulls the cover back and says oh no his heads right there. Mr.Cook she says wake up your son is going to make a surprise entrance. She tells me whatever I do, do not push. I thought to myself, I hadnt push any or had I. I couldn’t feel anything down there, theres no telling whats been happening.

At this point I am crying and looking at my husband for something but he’s no help. He just woke up and has the look of dear eyes in headlights and a side of shock. 3 different nurses start bringing in all kinds of stuff, bed for baby, lights and all kinds of surgical stuff. I said arent you going to move me into a delivery room and one says to me nope it’s all done here. Lift up your butt she says and I said with what I can’t feel anything. She says oh,ok she tells your Daddy while still in shock hold her right leg and she’ll another nurse gets my left and they pull me high up onto the bed while they are breaking it down. Now since all this action is going on I am starting to feel contractions again and the urge to push that they’ve warned me against. I amreally sobbing now, scared out of my mind. Dr Henry comes in very calm and says lets have us a firecracker 4th of July baby. He told your Daddy to go wash his hands and when he cam back he said get down here so you can catch your son and of course I was thinking you better not drop him. He didn’t and your Daddy delivered you perfectly to Mommy.                                                                                                                                                                                                       

Our Son meeting his Mommy for the first time

Our son meeting his Daddy for the first time

Thanks to Dr. Hennry for being so wonderful to us and bringing our healthy, happy and very loved baby boy into this world.

Dr.Henry with proud Dad & new son