Some thoughts pre-delivery

But not from me...from my mom's journal. She wrote this entry (this is not the whole thing, just an excerpt) when I was almost three years old.

Then, one day, it became a reality -- am I or am I not pregnant? Then, will it be alright, followed by doctors, tests, hospitals, results!! A fine, healthy little girl -- Perfect -- of course she is perfect -- always was -- beautiful, everything in its right place.

The night she was born, 9.15 pm, I lost count of the time after 12 noon Saturday 29th October, false labor had begun on Friday about 4 am -- twinges, small irregular contractions -- too excited to sleep. I knew I was supposed to rest up for the main event, but I couldn't think of sleep, impossible -- my daughter was about to come out into the world -- I would actually touch her, kiss her, count her fingers and toes. Would she be fair like me or darker like Sal? Would she have blue eyes or brown? A lot of hair or bald? What weight would she be? More important than anything, would she be OK? Would the actual birth be natural or caeserian, and would I be able to go thru labor without sedation?

All day Friday -- waiting, timing, not eating in case things really got started in a hurry. Friday night, Sal home from work, I'm still here, pains still not 5 minutes apart 12 times in a row, the prerequisit for admission into hospital. Friday evening Rose & Joe came over but I couldn't entertain them properly, my world was suddenly limited to me, my baby and Sal, in that order. There was room for nobody else, only us three, about to be united, a family -- THE family.

According to the current plan, I will be going to the hospital on Tuesday to meet our little girl. A couple of factors have rendered it preferable to schedule it instead of waiting for nature to take its course, but even though I probably won't be having the labor experience my mother had, I can identify with her thoughts and feelings as she was on the threshold of meeting her long-awaited baby girl.

Here's hoping she's as perfect as I was. :)