happy 2nd birthday summer leonie xx

today my daughter turned 2. as we celebrated her birthday, i quietly looked upon her as she played with her new toys and i felt so proud of this beautiful little person i have created.

beware :: birth story following!

this time 2 years ago i gave birth. i remember it like it was only last week. i had planned on finishing work 3 weeks before my due date, i would finish on the last day of the working week at the end of april and i would have my baby around the 21st of may. i was happy with the plan, and i was ready and organised to be a mum! it was late april, the little nursery was finished, the hospital bag had been packed, equipped with everything i may possibly need during labour to help pass the time and pain. in my bag was an apple, a museli bar, massage oil, a back massage ball thingy, headband, coin purse, lip balm, relaxation cd, massive pads, new pj's, baby going home outfit, nappies, socks, singlets, white and lemon coloured onesies; all the necessities a first time mum in labour might need! i had high blood pressure and was seeing my doctor every few days to check on it, it wasn't getting lower but wasn't really drastically rising either. i was to finish work earlier than planned, to try and keep it as low as physically possible. it was so much harder than i thought it would be to sit on my lounge all day and literally do nothing. but that was the doctors orders! after about 3 weeks of keeping a check on the blood pressure, the doctor finally sent me to the hospital.

it was tuesday lunch time. i'd finished my appointment with my doctor, he had rang the hospital to let them know i was coming in. i drove home, heated up some home made soup for lunch, put my hospital bag in the car and done one last check over of the house and nursery. everything was ready. i had no idea of what was going to happen once i got to the hospital. i quickly went to the toilet before i left, except it wasn't so quick. i kept going and going. and going. ok, so i'm thinking my waters have broken. it wasn't the intense scenario i had been picturing, you know the one when you're at the supermarket and they announce a clean up to be done in isle 7...?! i was happy with how my waters broke, a little disappointed that there was no real drama about it maybe, but i dealt with it, padded up, toddled off to the car and headed for the hospital.

i had high blood pressure, my front waters (didn't know you had a front and back waters) had broken and i was asked if i was ok to be induced then and there. yep, bring it on, i'm here now anyway! in went the drip full of that lovely oxytocin. i rang my partner to let him know what was happening. the midwife told me we'd have at least 5 hours before the serious stuff would start, so my partner had enough time to get home and freshen up (he's a mechanic so needs to 'freshen up'). that was about 3pm. 3.30-ish i'm feeling pains, that's no so bad, i've had period pains worse than that. 4pm they're really warming up. no partner. i'm getting nervous now. 4.30 i have my partner and i have contractions. i can't get comfortable with these pains, earlier i could at least move my body around and it seemed to helped. now i want to cry and i tell my partner that i'm not sure i can have a baby. 5.30 and i'm in the midst of it all, all clothes are long gone, i really don't give a shit how i am looking and i haven't even had a chance to eat my apple. where's my mum? she was ment to be here already! i didn't expect labour to feel like this, i knew it was obviously going to hurt, but this hurt is a pain i cannot escape, it feels like i could possibly die. drugs. i want some gas, and i'm not sure if i want the gas because of the novelty of it or if i really do think i need some pain help. it doesn't matter because i am 10cm dilated and it's time to push. as in push out a baby. oh my god. i'm going to have a baby. no time for drugs. 6.30 and my mum flies though the door, looking a million dollars in her new yellow cue top and favourite heels. i have only one push left. the baby is posterior (left side) and when i push, the heartbeat drops. the midwife red lights for the doctor and in comes the most gorgeous doctor you have ever seen, i kid you not (afterwards my partner and i nickname him dr hollywood). the doctor asks if we can use the vacuum on my next push to help turn and pull our baby out. out into the real world. ok, yes, lets do that. one last push. puuuuuuuuuuush...

our baby was born. i'm a mum, my partner is a dad. my mum is a grandma. i cry, actually, i sob. our baby comes up onto my chest and i hug her like i have known her for a million years and it all feels so comfortable. i look at my partner and he has tears in his eyes and a big smile on his face. i look down at my baby and i cry and i smile too. the midwife asks if we want to know if it's a boy or a girl. oh, that's right, i remember i'm busting to know if it's going to be a pink or a blue baby. it's a girl. it's a GIRL. it's my little baby girl. summer leonie. summer was born at 6.54pm weighing 6 pound 6. and today she is 2!