Monday Memoirs: 1995 Part 2 The Birth of My Bruddah

Last week we visited 1995 and the trip to Dollywood.

This week we are still in 1995 but a month past the trip to Dollywood.

This time we're going to September 2nd, 1995 and we're going on a hell of an adventure.

9.2.1995 was the last day I would be an only child.  I was 13.10 years old.  That means I was nearly 14.

My mother was a stick with a huge baby belly.  The night started off with a trip to get seafood.  There is a rumor that oysters help induce labor.  My mother ate oysters.

When we got home we walked up and down our little road.  

Up and down.

Up and down.

Up and down.

I then retreated to my room and well I'm not sure what I did.  I probably watched tv or blasted CDs.  I seriously am not sure.

Fast forward to about 1AM on Sunday, September 3rd, 1995.  

I was asleep.

My dad came into my room, turned on the light and shook me.

"Wake up!  Your mom is having your brother!"

I remember groggily getting up and looking around.  I wore glasses then so I slipped them on and pulled on some pants.

I know I was wearing a Wake Forest University ACC Basketball shirt.  Why I remember that I have no freakin' clue.

So we drove to Forsyth Memorial Hospital that night.  I remember the ride taking forever even though we're only like 20 minutes from the place.

Once there we went up to the baby place.  Since I was a kid I had to sit out in a generic, very large, waiting area.

There were two of us there....

Me, a 13 year old...dork.

And another guy....I couldn't really see him because he was all wrapped in blankets.  Seriously, all wrapped in blankets stretched out amongst like fifteen chairs.

Whatever....I tried to watch TV but Sportscenter didn't interest me and there was no remote to be found and I was 5'4 and the television was obviously 8 feet in the air.

I tried to find a magazine to read.  I guess in my shuffling around I awoke the mummy.  This tall, lanky black dude said in the big brother way, "Hey girl.  You need a blanket?"  

"Nah, I'm ok.  I can't sleep in here."

He smiled and said ok and immediately fell back into slumber.

Jerk.

I wished I could do that.

I wandered around the hallway but the nurses weren't keen on that {obviously}.  They kept asking if I needed help.  Yeah...help to get a car and bust out of this piece.

Time went by like molasses.

Finally, my dad came out and said I could come back with them.  He said my mom needed to walk.

So we walked up the hall and down the hall.

Up the hall and down the hall.

Up the hall and down the hall.

Then she'd go get checked which meant I stood in the hall.

A few hours later I was sequestered back to the waiting room.  This time it was around 7:30 AM so more people had came in to hold down chairs.  My blanketed friend was gone.  I sat there...so out of place.

A nurse came and said I could come back again.  She said they had given my mom some medicine.

When I went through the automatic doors to the LDR unit I heard the room call box at the nurse's station and the nurses and CNA's were all standing around laughing.  Some woman was going ape shit screaming and cussing.

Then I realized...

That was my mom.

Oh joy and I get to go back?  Sportscenter sounds really damn good right now.

I walked in.  My mom was in the bed and looked like hell.  Check please.

Her labor became active and I was in the hall.

10:10AM I was outside the door when the nurse said, COME IN!

I walked in and there was a huge baby on my mom's stomach.  Like a freakin' amazon kid.

He was screaming bloody murder too.

The doctor had me standing close to him {at the WRONG end of the table} and thought it would be funny for me to see placenta.

It traumatized the hell out of me.

I held the screaming massive human.

A few hours later I left the hospital with my aunt, uncle and cousin (the ones I rode with to Dollywood...remember the smoker who "quit"?)  They took me to get a meal and then home.

I showered and slept.  That would be the last night I slept well until I moved away.