How About a Second Chance?

At the urging of my mentor I have decided to keep going with this little blog o' mine! Since the last post, our little angel - Joaquin Emilio Salazar arrived on July 9, 2009. I cannot even begin to write down my thoughts about his arrival but let's give a whirl...

It was the 1st day of July and I was told at my weekly ob visit that it was time. No, not time to start pushing but time to wait it out in Corpus. I hated hearing that. I was being selfish. I didn't want to use up my maternity leave, I didn't know what to do with pumpkin and hello - I wasn't even packed. But some fear kicked in and I thought, well heck...what if he is born in Brownsville and then he'll have to be airlifted to Corpus...so off we went.

It took two days before Paul and I sent for Alejandro. I missed him too much. So on the 4th of July Paul met my dad halfway and brought back pumpkin and my mom. What a relief. And what fun. I mean, that hotel room was already getting boring for Paul and myself. We busied ourselves with swimming in the pool and almost daily walks at the mall. And still no baby. I headed to the ER once and the doctor's office several times before but not for baby reasons. There's something about Corpus and my asthma...I thought I was going to die or at least deliver a lung alongside my baby.

The weeks and asthma came and went and before you know it, July 9th had arrived. In hindsight I am so glad the baby did not come before my induction date because the hospital was prepared to receieve our little man on the day of the induction.

We arrived at Corpus Christi Bay Area at 5 AM and within hours I was having contractions. I tried to be a martyr and suck up the pain but at 7cm dilated I began to BEG for an epidural. Soon after, I was a happy camper. I was able to see my pumpkin and all of our other visitors. Before I knew it I was dilated to a 9 and then the roller coaster began its uphill climb.

It was scary to say the least. Paul will claim he wasn't scared but his eyes said otherwise. Everything that we had been warned about was about to come true. I thought I was prepared, but I wasn't. Not by a long shot...