January 1998. (Isabella is turning 18)

December 31, 1997. Wednesday.

New Years Eve. I went to the mall to try to find something presentable to wear that night. I was at some trendy store and tried on the largest junior’s sweater I could find. I didn’t want any more maternity clothes. It still looked ridiculous. I gave up. We went to hang out with Brent’s friend from work and his girlfriend at her house in West Jordan. We made pizza and played games. We brought pie and we watched the first Austin Powers movie. I was so tired and uncomfortable in that giant bean bag chair while 35 weeks pregnant.

January 1, 1998. Thursday.

We went to the mall. It was crowded. I got a frufru pink dress (not too frufru) from Sears for the baby. I think we picked up Olive Garden with a gift card and brought it home to eat.  We put together the dresser we bought and filled it up with little clothes. Brent thought it was too soon because she wasn’t due until  February 2^nd.

January 2, 1998. Friday.

I went to work. I felt kind of sick and didn’t want to be there but I wondered if I was being a baby about it and kind of faking. I went home early anyway. The supervisor gave me that “frustrated, but what can you do to the pregnant woman” look. I think Brent was at home, I’m not sure. Little did I know I wouldn’t be coming back to work again for six weeks.

January 3, 1998. Saturday.

I started feeling like I was having contractions at some point so we went to the hospital to be safe. I was about 35 weeks and 6 days along. They thought it was too soon and wanted to give the baby more time for her lungs to develop so they put me in a hospital bed and gave me drugs to stop the contractions. I think they gave me terbutaline. It made me shake really bad and felt weird. It worked pretty good though and they let me leave, but they did say I might be back again soon, tonight or tomorrow or something.  We went back to our apartment and hung out. I think we got sandwiches from Hoagie Yogi and I tried to eat but didn’t have an appetite all that much. The contractions started again and kept up until we decided to go back to the hospital around 10 that night. They said you are at 36 weeks just about so it should be fine.

January 4, 1998. Sunday.

They gave me an epidural and I couldn’t move anymore so I fell asleep, it was probably between 12 and 1 am, I slept until around 7 am. I think they may have woke me up and told me it was time to push. I pushed unsuccessfully for hours, it’s hard to get a first baby out and I couldn’t push well because of the epidural. The doctor showed up around 11 in his church clothes. Isabella was born around noon, 12:07 to be exact (I had to look it up.)

* * * * *

You were about 6 lbs 13 ounces. You were the prettiest newborn I’d seen and I was grateful you didn’t look like a pasty chicken, froggish baby.  We were going to give you the middle name Ryan but I chickened out and we named you Isabella Sydney Hales. We went home the next day. It was snowing and you were in this huge, white baby bunting thing to keep you warm, and you had a little pink hat on. Our biggest thought was how could they let us take her home? We are stupid! But we figured it out with lots of screw ups along the way. You were my little companion, my little best friend who went with me everywhere. I was scared to death, I was messed up on post partum hormones. But I loved you fiercely. I still do.