For me it was three and a half hours. That’s it. That’s all the time I had to really prepare for my life to be forever changed. On January 17, 2010 I was at the hospital for three and a half hours before Sweet Baby Lillian was born. Sure, I had a good 10 months knowing that I was pregnant and would eventually have a baby, but it’s not until those contractions hit that it it slaps you in the face (more aptly, the gut)…there is a bundle of joy on it’s way to meet you. Oh yeah, and it hurts like hell.
I joked earlier in the evening at my friend Harjo’s birthday party that Baby G could be coming that night. I stress the word “joked” as I was still a good six days away from my due date. But as we drove home at about 10:30, I started feeling off. I wasn’t in any pain, mind you. I just felt, well, weird. Fast forward about a half hour and I was doubled over (as doubled over as you can possibly be at 39 weeks 1 day). Following what we learned in baby class, I got out my pain management chart and started to write down my contractions. The problem with this, my friends, is that the damn things never stopped! Quickly I determined it was time to go (much to the chagrin of my husband who, after a few celebratory drinks at the party was waiting on his frozen pizza to finish baking. Though, when picking between meeting his child and pizza, he wisely chose the baby).
So at 11:45ish, we were off – headed to Via Christi St. Joseph to meet Baby Grover. For those who have picked up my blog since Sweet Baby Lillian was born, you should know that we didn’t find out what we were having. Funny thing is, we thought for sure we were having a boy. Go figure. I digress. So we’re off to the hospital. Being prepared first time parents we’d had the suitcase in the car for a good two weeks already, so there was no last minute packing, we were just out the door. I don’t remember much about the 20 minute drive to the hospital. By that point, I was just ready for that fabulous epidural that magically takes the pain away, because as you all should know (if you’ve ever met me), I don’t do pain. Hell, I just about pass out a paper cuts. When we got to the hospital, Travis dropped me off at the ER (again, following what we learned in baby class) as it was after midnight. I’ll never forget the gentleman at the front desk as I walked in and announced, “My name is Katie Grover and I’d like my epidural now.” He just laughed and asked,” Is it time?” Which now seems like a silly question to ask. I’m bigger than a house and I just asked for an epidural. What do you think? Geesh.
We got upstairs to the holding pen (for lack of a better term) where they keep all the soon to be moms just to be sure they’re actually in labor. So help me God, if what I was in wasn’t labor I don’t know why any woman would choose to go through such an experience. But, as I suspected (based on the mind numbing pain I was in), it was real labor. My time in the holding pen was also a big blur. All I know is that I couldn’t wait for my epidural, I threw up, and Travis is lucky to still have one hand after the death grip I had on it. The most poignant memory from my time in that room is when they informed me that I was too far along for an epidural. What the what?! Poor Travis. He thought I would flat out refuse to have the baby (which, for the record, is physically impossible – that Mother Nature is hard core).
But instead of freaking out (which I still can’t believe I didn’t), they wheeled me into the actual delivery room and about 3 1/2 hours after arriving at the hospital, I was a mommy. Lillian Ro Grover was born at 3:47 am weighing 6 lbs 5 oz and was 19 inches long. It was the hardest, most amazing experience of my life. And worth every pain-filled second.
It’s hard for me to believe that it’s been one year since that momentous night. The last year has been filled with smiles, tears (of joy), laughter and love (to the point my heart hurts). One year gave me one million (I tend to round up) memories.
What would a birthday post be without taking a look back at the last 12 months?
January: Lillian came home with us on January 18th, wearing the fabulous hat that Steph Barnard made for Baby G. For the record, had Baby G been a boy, I think he would’ve looked just as cute.
February: Lillian was baptized on February 28. She wore the same baptismal gown that her Grandma Bishop, Great Uncle John, mom, aunt and uncles wore.
March: It wouldn’t be March Madness in the Grover house without some ‘Cuse gear.
April: The Easter Bunny didn’t forget that Lillian was born. He stopped in Wichita and Lindsborg to bring her a basket.
May: Lillian went to her first ever WSU baseball game in May. I do believe she inherited her mother’s love of the game.
June: Just five months old and she’s changed so much.
July: Lillian’s first 4th of July was a rain out. But she sure looked festive thanks to the dress Aunt Carin gave her.
August: Tell me this face doesn’t make you giggle. I know she’s wishing her mother would just stop taking photos already. My response? NEVER!
September: Chubby cheeks and blue eyes, two of my favorite things about Lillian. That double recessive eye color is a doozy. We thought for sure our child would have brown eyes.
October: Some bunny loves me.
November: Lillian’s first trip to Prairie Pines to get the Grover Family Christmas Tree.
December: It’s not really Christmas until you have the hat.
And that brings us to right now, just a little over six hours before Lillian is officially one year old. That’s 365 days of pure joy.
Katie Grover's Blog 