Creative Writing

I have been known to craft a story or two when asked to put pen to paper.  In Elementary School my tales mostly involved Ricky Schroeder, Punk Rockers and my besties.  In High School, I didn't write as much but one tale stands out for me.  We were doing some kind of (lame) state writing test.  There was some lame prompt about disappointing your parents.  So I did what I usually did, I made up a story.  It was an elaborate tale about crashing my father's beloved sports car, "his fifth child."  ALL LIES. 

I received a perfect score on the essay and thought nothing of it.  That is until my teacher decided to use it as an example for all of her English classes thus exposing my penchant for lying and uncontrollable addiction to run-on sentences to 33% of the Freshman class.  And that brings us to present day....  Mini-me.

Patrick and Mama Lou- December 2010

Several weeks ago I was reading one of Patrick's writing assignments.  The prompt was: I like the cold weather because.....   He wrote about hot chocolate and blankets and then went on and on about watching TV in his room.  How great it is that he can cuddle under the blankets and watch his very own TV.  Um, liar?  yes.  I asked him about it and may or may not have encouraged the creativity (even at the expense of my own embarrassment).  He continues to make up bits and pieces and sometimes complete stories for his schoolwork.  The week before Thanksgiving he wrote that one of his chores was raking leaves.  Yeah right. 

Now he has expanded to his own freestanding tales, featuring those around him.  So I present to you the untitled, unpublished, unedited edited (I left the run-on sentences for dramatic effect), unfinished first draft by Patrick.

A long time ago there was a village in the middle of the village there was a castle in the castle there was sum doors.  In one door two knights were standing beside two chairs in the chairs sitting was a keen and queen the king's name was King Keith the queen's name was Queen Lauren the two knights name was Knight Jack the other knight's name was Knight Patrick the next door had a princess and prince the prince's name was Prince Kevin and princess's name was Princess Lindsay the hunt dog's name was....

More to come, I'm sure.

Paralysis

Last night.....

I can't move. I'm sitting on the couch with a sweet sleeping baby affixed to my chest. I've been here for awhile. Lost in the moment that has likely rolled into enough moments to make an hour or two.

There are dishes to wash. Laundry to fold. Dogs to feed.  Muffins to make.  Movie night leftovers to tidy. But here I sit.


Her breathing is captivating. Her desire to sleep above my heart is fascinating. Her sighs, oh her sighs.
So here I sit.

I'm desperately in need of a shirt without a baby spit-up badge. I'm dying of thirst. I need to wash the make-up off my face and wash the spit-up out of my hair.  I'm sore. My body is once again contorted to make her comfortable.  The familiar pain in my neck returns.   But I can't move. I'm paralyzed.  So here I sit. 

Motherhood is nothing more than a series of delightful, self-inflicted discomforts.  Some physical (childbirth), some emotional (first day of school) but all wonderfully painful.  And for this I thank God.

I could sit here forever.

This is the story of a girl.

Despite my last pregnant post (blah, blah, blah, I'm being patient, come whenever you feel like it), I got really impatient (and worried, and anxious, and all that).  I went to see my doctor on Monday the 18th and got the standard "any day now" answer.  "All you need are a few good contractions."  Then he saw a look in my eyes and offered up the induction alternative.  "You name the day."  We named Wednesday, 10/20/2010.  Lauren's due date.

This gave us a day to get all of our ducks in a row.  Pack the boys up, spend hundreds of dollars at Costco, catch up on laundry, close our eyes for a minute or two.   It was the strangest feeling going to bed knowing that we would have a baby tomorrow.  Kevin slept, I spent the night having monstrous contractions. 

We were told to arrive at the hospital at 6:30 am.  We did.  We checked in and we waited.    For four and a half hours we watched the waddlers come in and out.  Pregnant lady after pregnant lady paraded through the lobby and up to Labor and Delivery.  Labor checks, non-stress tests.... everyone who took precedent over my need for pitocin.

Finally, 11:00 am rolled around and it was finally our turn to ride the ride!  The entire front desk staff cheered for us as we made our way upstairs. 

We made our way upstairs to wait some more.  By 6:45 that evening I was hooked up to this, that and the other thing and Lauren was on her way.  We forgot to tell our nurse that I progress very quickly.  My doc was there (not like Keith's delivery when the doctor ran in from the parking lot to catch the baby) but there was still a wave of urgency when I announced that there was pressure. 

At 7:15 pm, Lauren Elizabeth Callahan made her way into the world.  Beautiful, perfect and assertive.  6 lbs 15 oz she was bigger than her brothers. She was undoubtedly our baby, a perfect cross between Patrick and Keith in her earliest hours.  We were instantly and hopelessly in love. 

At that moment our lives shifted.  Suddenly inconsequential things became monumental.  Her lips, her squeaks, a hiccup.....  Kevin stares at her the same way he stared at the boys.  And we were only ten feet outside the when the breathing checks started.  After less than 24 hours Lauren already had her Daddy-given nickname: Baby Lou.  I'm jolted awake to our new reality every time I hear him whisper her nickname.  For a split second I think he's talking to me (Mama Lou) and then I remember and smile to myself.

She's too little for so many things (as Keith points out on the half hour: Can Baby Lauren have gum? cereal? cinnamon rolls?  Can she crawl? swing? ride a bike?).  Still too little to really know who she is to the bottom of her being.  To know her the way I know my boys.  I sense her, I sense a beautiful spirit to match her beautiful features.  But I don't presume to know her beyond who she is today: a gorgeous snugly baby who screams like a girl.

And so her story begins.

An Open Letter To Our Baby

Dear Baby Lauren,
We're waiting for you.  We thought you wanted to come in September at barely 35 weeks.... we put a stop to that!  Then we thought you were waiting for Mama's half birthday, October 1. nope.  How about 10-4, you little Daddy's Girl? no, thanks.  10-6 Uncle Ben's Birthday? no chance.  And then we were to 10-10-10.  The date I coveted from the time I found out I was pregnant.  I never imagined (even early in the pregnancy) that 10-10-10 was even an option.  I figured you would come early like your brothers, surprising us all.  10-10-10 came and yes, there were contractions for hours but in the end? nothing. 

So, you pick the date.  This is your world, we just live in it. But in case you haven't heard, we are ready.  Ok, as Aunt Rachel pointed out yesterday your car seat isn't installed.  But other than the car seat, everything is ready for you.  Girl, you even have fancy headbands!  And Daddy fixed up your closet. You are set!

We can't wait to meet you.  Keep kicking and squirming.

Love,
Mama

**Photo by Amy Durham- Morgan James Photography**


To view our Maternity Photo Session
www.morganjamesphotography.net 
The password is lc100904

Something to look forward to

Kevin and Keith brought me a piece of Red Velvet Cake the other day.  Kevin wanted to buy me chocolate cake and Keith said, "no, I want that one!"  Smart boy. 

The second night of the Red Velvet Cake (good things are meant to be savored), Patrick returned to the kitchen wondering about dessert (i.e., the Red Velvet Cake).  I told him he good have one bite, albeit a big bite.  His big bite was the size of a cupcake, smart boy.  As he returned to cake to the refrigerator, this is what he told us, "When I'm a teenager I can get into my car and drive to the store to get my own Red Velvet Cake."

Other "when I am a teenager" proclamations have included planning and cooking meals, putting extra garlic on food and purchasing various food items. 

Yours for 5 EASY payments!

After a week of not doing being able to do much of anything (except incubate, as Kevin says), I figured that I would have accomplished something.  I'm not sure what I was expecting but my biggest accomplishment to date is falling in love with this sewing machine.  By the way, my mother never taught me to sew, and I have no idea what one does with a "serger".  Thanks to the Home Shopping Network (or as I like to call it HSN), I have to have this machine (and several other featured items).

Yesterday after the boys went to my sister's house, I resumed my post just in time for the great sewing event.  This amazing necessity won't last long at the Event Price of $699.95.  Free shipping and handling!

This whole experience is becoming incredibly surreal.  We're still hoping Baby Lauren will hold out for October.  Your guess is as good as mine though.

FIRE DRILL!

Last Thursday I started having mild contractions.  At 35 weeks and stress up to my eye balls, I wasn't surprised.  I took it easy on Saturday (thanks to my Angel of a Sister-in-Law taking the boys all day) but by Sunday things were "progressing".

The more time went by the more anxious I became because of all of the things I still needed to do.  The list was endless and the anxiety made the contractions even stronger.  Kevin got up and my parents came over.  And the contractions stopped.  heh.  We went to labor and delivery anyway.  I had a few contractions while we were there but the baby was fine and the progress from the evening had stalled.  Thankfully.

Now I am trying to delegate at home and at work.  I can stay on my feet for about 10 or 15 minutes at a time before the contractions start to get intense.  Kevin has been cooking, cleaning, driving and waiting on me all week.  I'm going a little lot crazy.  We made the baby a deal, wait until October (preferably the 10th) and we will buy you a yellow Corvette.  So far it is working so here I sit.

Thanks to Lauren, we are as prepared as we can possibly be for her arrival.  Possibly more prepared then when her brothers made surprisingly early entries into the world.  Next week may be a possibility but I am staying calm and quiet to encourage her to wait.  I think I'm the only pregnant woman on the block not trying to induce labor......