Chapter 12
One day in late April, Hope called me out of the blue and suggested we go out to lunch. I had nothing planned, so she picked me up and we headed for the pub. I opened the door, and all of my friends and family yelled, "Surprise!" Hope and Mimi had planned a surprise baby shower for me. I had just finished making my way around the room greeting everyone when there was a tap on my shoulder. I turned to see Chloe standing there with a baby gift in hand. "Oh my God Chloe! What are you doing here? Aren't you supposed to be in New York?" I exclaimed as I gave her a hug. She looked me up and down and said, "You don't think I'd miss your baby shower now do you? The timing actually worked out perfectly because I'm in Salem for about 3 weeks helping your brother with some plans for the Opera House. They're starting construction in June and should be finished by the end of the year. Then I'll be moving back to Salem some time next year." Chloe explained. "Wonderful, maybe you'll be around when the baby is born. Let's go check out the buffet, I'm starving."
Saturday, May 1, 2006 is a day I will remember for the rest of my life. It started out like any other day. Shawn and I got up, had breakfast and then sat out on the porch to read the paper. As I was getting up to head upstairs to get dressed, my water broke. I told Shawn and I thought he was going to jump out of his skin. We managed to call Dr. Bader, our parents and throw the suitcase and car seat in the car. Shawn even stayed close to the speed limit on the way to the hospital. The next 15 hours were a blur of people, pain and then the most wonderful invention ever created, the epidural. At around 9:15 it was time to push. Unfortunately it didn't go so well. I pushed for 2 hours and nothing happened. At 11:15, an alarm went off in the delivery room. I heard something about the heartbeat dropping. When I stopped pushing, the alarm stopped, but every push after that, the alarm started again. Shortly thereafter, Dr. Bader told us that the baby wasn't tolerating the delivery and the heart rate was getting dangerously low with every push. It was time to get the baby out and fast. I was prepped for an emergency C- Section. I was petrified. I had made it this far and I was so afraid that I would lose the baby now. Shawn was able to come into the operating room with me. He held my hand and wiped my tears while I was in surgery. Finally, at 11:52pm, a piercing cry rang out in the OR. "Shawn and Belle, say hello to your daughter." Said Dr. Bader and she held up the baby so we could see her over the sheet. "We're going to get her cleaned up and then we'll bring her over to you Belle. Shawn, do you want to cut the cord?" Shawn left my side to go get a closer look at our little girl. She was cleaned up, suctioned a little and then wrapped in a blanket. Shawn brought her over for me to see. I pulled my arms out from under the sheet to hold my daughter for the first time. My husband placed her in my arms. He bent down kissed the baby, then me. "So how's it feel to finally be a mother?" He whispered in my ear. "Better than I could have ever imagined."
One day in late April, Hope called me out of the blue and suggested we go out to lunch. I had nothing planned, so she picked me up and we headed for the pub. I opened the door, and all of my friends and family yelled, "Surprise!" Hope and Mimi had planned a surprise baby shower for me. I had just finished making my way around the room greeting everyone when there was a tap on my shoulder. I turned to see Chloe standing there with a baby gift in hand. "Oh my God Chloe! What are you doing here? Aren't you supposed to be in New York?" I exclaimed as I gave her a hug. She looked me up and down and said, "You don't think I'd miss your baby shower now do you? The timing actually worked out perfectly because I'm in Salem for about 3 weeks helping your brother with some plans for the Opera House. They're starting construction in June and should be finished by the end of the year. Then I'll be moving back to Salem some time next year." Chloe explained. "Wonderful, maybe you'll be around when the baby is born. Let's go check out the buffet, I'm starving."
Saturday, May 1, 2006 is a day I will remember for the rest of my life. It started out like any other day. Shawn and I got up, had breakfast and then sat out on the porch to read the paper. As I was getting up to head upstairs to get dressed, my water broke. I told Shawn and I thought he was going to jump out of his skin. We managed to call Dr. Bader, our parents and throw the suitcase and car seat in the car. Shawn even stayed close to the speed limit on the way to the hospital. The next 15 hours were a blur of people, pain and then the most wonderful invention ever created, the epidural. At around 9:15 it was time to push. Unfortunately it didn't go so well. I pushed for 2 hours and nothing happened. At 11:15, an alarm went off in the delivery room. I heard something about the heartbeat dropping. When I stopped pushing, the alarm stopped, but every push after that, the alarm started again. Shortly thereafter, Dr. Bader told us that the baby wasn't tolerating the delivery and the heart rate was getting dangerously low with every push. It was time to get the baby out and fast. I was prepped for an emergency C- Section. I was petrified. I had made it this far and I was so afraid that I would lose the baby now. Shawn was able to come into the operating room with me. He held my hand and wiped my tears while I was in surgery. Finally, at 11:52pm, a piercing cry rang out in the OR. "Shawn and Belle, say hello to your daughter." Said Dr. Bader and she held up the baby so we could see her over the sheet. "We're going to get her cleaned up and then we'll bring her over to you Belle. Shawn, do you want to cut the cord?" Shawn left my side to go get a closer look at our little girl. She was cleaned up, suctioned a little and then wrapped in a blanket. Shawn brought her over for me to see. I pulled my arms out from under the sheet to hold my daughter for the first time. My husband placed her in my arms. He bent down kissed the baby, then me. "So how's it feel to finally be a mother?" He whispered in my ear. "Better than I could have ever imagined."