A Very Long Day

Me pregnant, February 1992

Me even more pregnant, May 1992

Baby Reid, 12 hours old

Twenty years ago today I was blessed with my second child. After having birthed his older brother via C-Section, I was foolish enough to demand that my doctor hold my hand through a V-back. Which, for the uninitiated, is a vaginal birth after a caesarian birth. I figured these hips were capable. I come from a long line of women who experienced uncomplicated vaginal births! Why should I be any different? Turns out my uterus had other plans. It was something called irritable. Which may not be a true medical term, just how Ob's refer to a uterus that never gets into a rhythm of productive contractions. Maybe my uterus was created that way, maybe made irritable by scar tissue from the first C-section. At any rate, I went into surgery after 16 hours of water breaking, monitoring, and pitocin had not convinced my uterus to expel its occupant. Just a few minutes before midnight, Reid made his appearance. All 9 pounds 2 ounces of him. One entire pound of his weight was comprised of his quadruple chins. I was delighted.