Happy Birthday Audrey!

AUDREY JEAN ALBERT, March 13, 2001

Audrey's 1st birthday
Audrey's 8th birthday

How in the world is it possible that she is 8 years old already? But what a wonderful 8 year old she is. Here are a few pictures from her party. Audrey is my total first born, type A. She is my go-getter with such a wonderful spirit. Today she went to school wearing her new retainer. She is so excited to show it to her friends. And the "mommy" in me is so terrified someone will say something about it that will hurt her feelings. By the end of the week she needs to be wearing it all day and all night, only taking it out for eating and when she is exercising or playing rough. But the more she wears this now, the less she will wear it and any other appliances or braces in the future ......

On Amy's birthday I was able to share the post I had written to my online group about Amy's birth. I wasn't part of an online group when Audrey was born and I while I am sure I sent out an email with her "birth story" I no longer have that email account and didn't think to go in and search for and save the email before that account closed. BUT Audrey is the first born after all, so her baby book is the most "filled in". Putting together what was recorded there with my memories, here is Audrey's birth story:

Birth date: Tuesday, March 13, 2001

Time: 5:48am

Weight:9lbs 5oz

Length: 20.75 inches

We were never very sure of the due date but our best guess was March 8. That day came and went and I was still pregnant and showing no signs of going in to labor any time soon. I had a doctor appointment the morning of March 12 and we scheduled an induction for March 16. At the appt the doctor stripped my membranes in hopes of maybe starting something as I was still barely dilating. I started feeling contractions around 1:00 that afternoon and by 4:00 I had paged David and told him to come home. We checked in to the hospital at 6:30 and I remember telling the nurse to go ahead and order that epidural. I let her know I had been watching plenty episodes of "A Baby Story" and I knew it took a while for those anesthesiologists to get there and I assured her I would be at 4 cm when he/she showed up. My doc laughed and checked me anyway, I was at 3 1/2 and she said they could go ahead and order it. I got my epidural, they broke my water and we waited and waited and waited. David ordered some Chinese food for himself for dinner and he and Dr. Grogono ate it together in the delivery room. I wasn't really feeling all that much like eating and I don't really like Chinese food so I didn't really care. I had suffered from pervasive nausea throughout the pregnancy and while I was in labor it was awful. I asked for some phenegren. It was NASTY - tasted like a tequila shot! Soon after taking it I was on the phone with "Aunt" Audrey when all of a sudden I told her I had to go, I was going to be sick. I then threw up what little lunch I had eaten earlier and the nurses were all amazed at the "projectile-ness". In fact, the same nurse was there when Amy was born and she remembered me!!! so embarrassing! I started pushing at 2:12am. I pushed for what felt like forever. I kept wanting to sleep and they kept making me sit up and push. At one point I asked them to turn down my epidural. I told the nurse I could not tell any difference between what she called a good push and the others. The baby's heart rate was dropping and I was exhausted and on oxygen. After pushing for more than 3 hours the decision was made to use forceps. They cranked the epidural WAY up and got busy. She was born at 5:48am. We were between Audrey and Avery for a name but leaning heavily towards Audrey. When they held her up she was so big and had such broad shoulders I knew she was not an "Avery" which can mean elf advisor. She was definitely an "Audrey" which means strong and noble. There had been meconium in my amniotic fluid and that combined with the long labor meant Audrey went straight to a neo natologist. After that she was with David while the doctors cared for me. I still think that is why he was the one who was always able to calm her down and get her to sleep as an infant.

And that is how my Audrey came in to this world!