Merry Christmas Pregnancy

I was 19, my boyfriend was 23. We lived together in a small one-bedroom apartment, and we were doing all right.

Well I skipped a period, which wasn't unusual for me to skip periods for up to five months. When I skipped my period the sixth month, I took a pregnancy test and I was pregnant. I didn't know what the weird sensation was coming from inside of me. I didn't know much of anything.

My belly started to round out a little, and by the middle of the 7th month it was popping out pretty far. I went to the doctor, and Joel was ecstatic.

I was due on Christmas, so we didn't tell any of our family. We wanted it to be a surprise for all of them. We had Thanksgiving at my parents' house, and Joel stood up to make a toast (everyone had wine except me – that upset me). Apparently he had been planning this for a while. He looked at me and got down on one knee, and said, Jodie, you are what I have to be thankful for this Thanksgiving. Will you make me a thankful man every year from now until we die and be my wife? I started crying, got up and gave him a hug and kiss and said yes.

My grandma knew there was something going on because I was wearing baggy clothes and odd stuff like that, but she didn't say anything. Joel and I moved into a bigger place, had done some secret baby shopping ourselves and had the nursery all done.

One day my mom dropped by (three days before Christmas). I quickly threw a sweater on and shut the nursery door, and she came in. We talked for a while and she left. Two hours after she left is when the pain started. I had been having Braxton-Hicks contractions for two weeks now, but this was intense. I remember at my last appointment I was 2 centimeters dilated, but still not very soft.

I timed my contractions, and called Joel's cell phone and told him to come home right away. My contractions were 15 minutes apart, and I still had plenty of time. My doctor told me not to come in until they were about five minutes apart.

My contractions were getting more and more intense, but still were very far apart. About five hours later they stopped altogether, so we went to bed. At about 3:15 a.m. I started getting really intense contractions, about 10 minutes apart, so I quietly got up, went to the bathroom and started to deal with the contractions.

I went to the kitchen to get some water and halfway there, I had to go to the bathroom. I turned around and something warm started running down my leg. I thought my bladder was leaking, so I ran (waddled) to the bathroom. I sat down, and released my bladder, but I felt something else dripping. I took toilet paper and wiped. I had finally lost my mucous plug, so I figured it was my waters leaking.

I stood up, and felt a big pop and a gush, followed by an intense round of three contractions that lasted one minute and were right on top of each other. I yelled for Joel, but of course he sleeps like a rock. So in between contractions, I was trying to wake him up.

I finally got him awake enough for him to hear me tell him, Hospital now! We got in the car. Luckily the hospital was only 10 minutes away.

We got to the registration desk, and I was taken into my room. I got into my gown in between contractions, which were coming every two minutes or so now. I climbed up on the bed on my hands and knees, and began to push. The nurse told me not to push and I told her it was easy for her to say. Finally they got me to stop pushing so they could check me. I was 8 centimeters already. By now it is 6:30 a.m.

At 10:30 a.m. I was at 9 centimeters, and had to use the bathroom, but they wouldn't let me. I know now why. Five minutes after they said no I got the urge to push. I was at 10, but the only way I was comfortable was on all fours. So they adjusted all the IVs and I started pushing on all fours.

The doctor came in and told me to push, push, push so I did. I wasn't screaming at this point, but I was moaning pretty loudly, until I got a contraction and I felt the baby's head start to come out. Then I let out a scream.

Joel was sitting at the head of the bed with me, telling me I was doing well. I was screaming because it was burning. The doctor said, OK, stop pushing, so I did. And the doctor said, Dad, would you like to see your baby be born? Joel ran for the opportunity.

I gave out a loud moan and pushed. The shoulders came out, the abdomen and finally the legs. It's a girl! (that was Joel). I started to cry and readjusted back to my back. I held my baby and I just cried. Joel cut the cord.

Ashlynn Joelle was born December 24, 2002, at 10:52 a.m. (20 minutes of pushing). She weighed 7 pounds, 12 ounces and was 21 inches long.

At 12:30 p.m. after I had rested up some, Joel called my mom and told her that she needed to come down to the hospital right away. He didn't tell her why, just told her the room number. Fifteen minutes later my mom burst through the door, yelling, Is everything OK, is everything alright? And then she realized what floor she was on, and looked at me, looked at Ashlynn and she began to cry. All I said was, Merry Christmas, Grandma.

My mom called everyone between 1 p.m. and 7 p.m. I had over 40 visitors in and out of my room. My mom and dad loved the surprise, and came back with clothes and toys and everything. We took her home two days later.

She will be 2 this year, her brother is 10 months and I am 8 months pregnant right now. Joel and I are happily married, and just moved into a new two-story, four-bedroom home that we bought and paid for in full. (How we did that with two kids I don't really know.)

I'll be writing about the birth of my second and third child later. Right now, I am tired and need to go to bed.

God bless you all, and Happy Thanksgiving and Merry Christmas.