From the other side of the bed...

Friday of last week we had quite a scare. Michelle had decided to goto work one last time and say goodbye to all the customers who had been so kind to her. I dropped in to check on her and she was very flushed. I asked her if she wanted to go home and she said no, so I went back to running errands and waited for her to get off work. I recieved a text saying that she was on her way to the doctor. I was on my home to pack the truck for the trip to the hospital and had to turn around. The ob-gyn sent her to the hospital and I met her there. We had to register, and then go to the 2nd floor. I thought, this is it, here comes Chloe. So they make Michelle change into a hospital gown and hook up a fetal monitor and blood pressure cuff. Her blood pressure went back to mormal, but we waited forever for her labs to be read so we could go home. the doctor wanted to induce but we were insistent on Chloe coming out on her own time, not theirs. So Michelle and I went to Golden Corral and then home. Sunday night Michelle looked flushed again so I asked her to go the Doctor first thing in the morning because it was best for her and Chloe. We had done such a good job of making sure that Chloe and the pregnancy were well takne care of and there was no reason to stop now. I know she was scared, I honestly began to think that she was trying to have Chloe at the house instead of the hospital.
The next morning she went to the doctor. I met her in the parking lot and she told me we were going to have to let them indue labor and needed to be at the hospital at 8:00pm that night. My heart was pounding. So we spent what I thought was going to be our last day alone, and went to Ruby Tuesday's on a date as our "last meal".
We were ten minutes late getting to the hospital. I had no idea how insignificant that amount of time would become after the next several days.
Once we were in the room it was the normal routine. Lose the clothes, get into bed. The nurse came in the room and inserted the Cervadil, it was the closest I ever came to decking a woman. I have seen at least eight different sets of hands on ichelle's vagina in the last ten months and this lady was really rough and hurtful. I wantd to cry as michelle contracted through the night, there was nothing I could do to help her.
The next morning bright and early the Pitocin started. And so did the contractions. Michelle held onto the bed rail and whimpered. I had to be strong and not cry, but inside my heart was breaking. Ten minutes before they were supposed to stop the Pitocin for the day Michelle's contractions began to look like mountains on the monintor. I went to her side and held her hand, and stroked her beautiful hair. when the Pitocin stopped so did the contactions, but when Michelle went to the bathroom there was blood. Progress,and now I knew what had to be done. I had been so stupid, we had to work together like we always had to make this work.
So the next morning at 6 sharp the pitocin started again. Michelle went to pee and guess what. Her mucus plug came out. My heart started to race. Chloe was getting closer. Peg, the most excellent mid-wife in the entire world came in and checked Michelle. She said "why don't we break your water, do an epidural and get things moving along'. Even though I knew it wasn't going to be fun for Michelle, The thought of holding Chloe just kept racing inside my head. So Peg used an instrument to break her water and then the anesthesiologhist came in. Michelle was rolled towards me and I know the look on my face had to bely the feelings of angst and compassion. After ten minutes Michelle was a whole new woman. And now more forward progress was to come, because without Michelle tensing up the contractions were making much more progress. Peg came in to check and told us she was 90% effaced and dilated to 9mm. She had Michelle sit up for 20 minutes to see of Chloe would rotate because her head was facing up not down. Those twenty minutes stretched on forever. Twenty five minutes later peg and another hurse entered the room. One lady was on her right side and I was on her left. Every time she pushed I held her leg by her foot and put my hand behind the nape of her neck and told her what a great job she was doing. An hour and fifteen minutes into it Chloe was as far as she could go on her on and Michelle had to be cut. I looked after it was done, and watched fifteen minutes later when chloe popped out of her like a jack in the box. After all the heart-ache that we had endured over the last couple of days, all was erased when I saw Chloe for the first time. Her head was bent from the pushing, but she was the most beautiful little girl in the whole world. I rememeber kissing Michelle and telling her, I even slipped her a little tongue. There was my beautiful companion, and lying on her stomach was the product of a love that was meant to be from the beginning of time.
Chloe's head has already went to a normal shape, and now we spend our days changing diapers, talking about the good ole' days and how much we have been blessed. Michelle and Chloe are all I ever could have dreamed of, I have tears in my eyes thinking of the joyuous journey that lies ahead for the three of us!