Puking My Guts Out

Two years ago tonight I lay in a Little Rock hospital bed, holding my son. The day had not gone as we had planned. I was in Little Rock trying to avoid a repeat c-section. Abby's heart didn't like labor and I had an emergency cut with her. My water broke on November 29 around 2 a.m. and Jimmy and I left Searcy for U.A.M.S. We started out fine, but Cooper's heart rate began dropping and around 11:30 we decided a c-section then was better than an emergency c-section later. So in a surgery much calmer than the first, Cooper was pulled from my uterus. And we were glad we didn't wait. He had his cord around his neck twice. The kid still likes to wrap belts, strings, cords -- whatever -- around his neck. Maybe it reminds him of somewhere warm and safe??

I was at a teaching hospital and - not to bash teaching hospitals - I kind of wish I wasn't. Twice people learning how to practice medicine demonstrated their lack of knowledge. The first would've resulted in extra scarring on my belly, had we now told her she was about to do something wrong. The second person made two mistakes, one of which DID result in extra scarring on my belly. Oh well, no bikini for me.

Cooper's birth also provided my first opportunity to literally puke my guts out. As they cleaned him up and weighed him, I got nauseas. They handed me a very small basin, but during a section, a mom is flat on her back with her arms strapped out to her sides, forming a T. All I could do was turn my head a little and vomit. At which point Jimmy watched my guts pop out of the incision in my abdomen and then watched as doctors used several hands to get them back in.


It was a little disappointing to have a second c-section. We thought we wanted four kids, but I didn't want to go through anymore c-sections. But as we stand here, it didn't matter. Our family feels so complete. We have the two most awesome children. The four of us were made to be each other's family. There is no hole to fill or another boy or girl we think or dream of. It's us. And it's awesome. But we may get a dog someday.