Interpret Sass: Seven

Seven can be a favorite number. Some say in marriage you get the seven year itch. I think Brad Pitt did a movie about seven sins, but I don't like gory movies so I never saw it.

Today I'm talking about seven because my "baby" turns seven TODAY!

I refer to my son as our sweet surprise. After I had my daughter I was comfortable with not having anymore. Then in May of 2004 I got a surprise. I wasn't too happy about it, I was afraid, pregnancy was a scary thing for me. At my first ultrasound, around 11 or so weeks I saw the little peanut on the screen my very first thought was "Hello little boy."

Then I tucked that little "knowing" aside and asked about a gillion questions.

As time went on and things were different this time around, I began to embrace the surprise.

At our 20 week ultrasound, with our parents looking on, the nurse began pointing things out to us, arms, legs, the heart beating. She asked me if we wanted to know what it was, I "knew", I said to her "It's a boy." She nodded to me, I heard Rob's mom say "What?!? So I said it louder, so the room could hear. "It's A BOY!"

After it was confirmed to me, I thought I know nothing about boys, except they are boys.

Thoughts of casing down a kid that ran away, or telling him to "stop that!"

I wasn't sure I wanted to experience boy.

Rob, of course, was delighted!

We had a birthday party for Nina, her second. At the party a friend of mine came over to me and asked how I was doing, as she gently rubbed ~~my belly~~ my huge belly. I told her "Ready to be done."

She looked at me and said: "You are going soon."

I laughed and said "Yep, date's set for January 4th."

She said: "No, you're going sooner."

I didn't know what to think about that.

We had a low key New Years eve...I don't even remember staying up late, but I was dog tired new years day. It was a good day to sleep, there was an ice storm outside.

I felt "funny", I couldn't get comfortable, I didn't feel "right".

I had braxton hicks with Nina, so bad that I was on bed rest,so I knew what that felt like. This was just a feeling not a physical feeling. Rob encouraged me to call the doctor, which I didn't because I wasn't going to be one of those women that went in and got sent home for false labor, we already did that in early December because I had been doing too much and needed to rest...

I wasn't in pain, I didn't even feel cramping.

By 4pm Rob had had enough of my complaining and he called the doctor, to which he said come in we will check you out.

Yeah, did I mention the ice storm?

Nana and Papa came to stay with Nina.

It took us just over an hour to get there. I was hooked up to the monitor and yep this was labor. My doctor had just gotten off a 24-hr shift, he didn't want to come back in so he ordered a around of shots to try and stop the contractions. The nurse checked me, I was at a 3. an hour later the contractions started up again, stronger. Another shot came, she went to check me and I closed my legs, informing her she would not be poking around again. She said something about needing to check...I am not aware of what I said, but Rob will tell you I was not nice and would not cooperate. 45 minutes later contractions came back stronger yet, she didn't even try to touch me other then give me the shot. 30 minutes later contractions were back and I was not a happy camper. I remember saying "Your crazy!" when asked if I'd like to try a v-back and saying "I am DONE! Get Dr. Campbell in here, I am having a c-section!"

I'm sure it was not that polite, but I wasn't really in my right mind, labor hurts, I didn't like it and I have an extremely low pain threshold. Paper cuts leave me crying!

I never had an issue with c-sections, I think God knew that I would not be a good "birther" so he helped me along by giving me the perfect doctor to ease my mind and help me through the pregnancy and take care of me on the table. I loved my doctor.

He came in and made sure to tell me that I ruined his evening. (We often joked because of where my due dates landed)

I said "Oh and mine is going so well?"

"You will have a beautiful little boy, I get a cold steak."

"So lets hurry up here, your steak could still be warm if we get this show on the road!"

I was a quick transition into surgery, this time around I didn't have bells palsy, I got to recover with my baby and husband. It was amazing!

I remember seeing Nicholas for the first time and thinking: Is that all!

He felt so huge in my belly, and yet he was just under 7lbs, smaller then Nina was who was near 9lbs.

I was in awe of him, here was this little guy that I was not excited about, this little guy who wanted out now! How would he fit into our family?

Eating out of the dog dish...

Taking after his Daddy with his favorite place to read...

Eating show off the deck...

His ~~obsession~~ love of red...

His goofy looks and faces...

His wanting to be like Daddy...

His passion for Hockey...

His first soccer goal!

His first save as goalie!

Learning to ride his bike!

Last night we took the kids out to dinner, Red Lobster to celebrate. (well, us and about 1,000 blue hairs!) This morning he opened his gifts with a lot of "AWESOME!"(s) "WOO HOO!"(s) and a couple "OH YEAH! UH HUH!"(s)