My baby is 23 - Ack!

I couldn't help but compare our lives at 23. She definitely didn't follow my path.

I was 3 months into My 23rd year when I became a new mom. I was living in North Carolina and my marriage was very rocky by then, but when they laid her on my chest my whole world changed. My heart melted and I'd never seen anything as beautiful as that little monkey-looking thing lying in my arms.

I had worked the day before - I was managing a pet boarding house and Wednesday was my day off. I woke up feeling not quite right, so I called my Dr and they told me he was at the hospital, if I didn't feel better later than to call back. March 1st was my due date. So I took a shower, washed my hair and shaved my legs, thinking that would make me feel better. It didn't, so I drove to the emergency room where they checked me and said I was fine, I had another 5 weeks, go home and get some rest.

So I went to the little greek restaraunt I always went to and got some banana pudding. The owner made his usual fuss over me and I went home. A few hours later I was feeling worse, my head ached, my shoulders and legs hurt and my back was starting to kill me. So I called my ob again, he was there and said to come in. I got there, they took me back, he sent me behind the curtain to change into a gown and bam! my water broke.

He and the nurse drove me over to the hospital wrapped in a sheet :) it was buttass cold out! We got there, he checked me said everything was fine and he was going to go grab something to eat. The nurse had called my ex and he showed up, he had called his family and they showed up. (My parents were not planning to come out until March *sigh) Everyone was settling in for what they thought was going to be a long night.

I still hadn't had what I expected labor pains to feel like but all of a sudden I had this overwhelming urge to push. The nurse told D. that he was to make sure I was breathing because if I was breathing then I couldn't push. I was busy trying to figure out how to trick D. into thinking I was breathing and pushing when bam again, there was no stopping me pushing. The nurse was grabbing Bre as the Dr walked back into the room. 6:57 pm Wednesday January 15 1986 Charlotte North Carolina - my life changed forever.

Twenty-three years later and she still melts my heart! In 5th grade she said she wanted to be a sailor in the Navy....or....a dolphin trainer :). At 17 she signed up for the Delayed Entry Program and hasn't looked back. She knows what she wants and goes after it. She's the best thing I've ever had a part of.