Years Past: Part V

While living in Hawaii I met some really good friends. With the military you make fast and often lifelong friends, in fact meeting and befriending those who you may otherwise not (in your typical civilian setting), is a normal occurrence.

One of Joe's friends had gotten married about a year after we did so when he brought his lovely bride to live in Hawaii we naturally became quick friends, especially when we found out we were expecting within two weeks of each other. Though there may have been some hardships (like the four of us living together for a month and the two women fairly newly pregnant...and it's not a good combination if you're wondering) we pushed passed it since with both of our husbands deployed for last bits of pregnancy and the births of our children we ended up spending alot of time together.

We did, both of us, have family coming out for the births of our children so we wouldn't be all alone, of course babies don't really care about waiting for people.

So when she called me in the middle of the night a little over three weeks before her due date saying she thought her water may have broken, I told her I'd be over in a minute to take her to the hospital (which is where she was planning her birth). Ah, the days before kids, I literally could be over in a minute, I just rolled out of bed and pulled on some clothes.

Once at the hospital we found that her water had indeed broken and that since she was nearly 37 weeks but not really going into labor they wanted to induce. So that's what happened, there was a fairly awkward moment when the nurse asked if I was going to stay with her. Since neither of us had planned for me to be there she didn't know if I wanted to be there and I didn't know if she wanted me to be there. We got over it quickly though when we looked at each other and knew that I would be staying. And so began her 12 hour or so labor ( I can't remember how long it was, but it seemed to take forever, poor thing).

Part of my duties was to talk to her mom and husband (who was able to call through out) each in turn, and keep them updated. Encourage her to rest while she was able and to get ice chips. We got a good laugh when one of the nurses thought it was me in labor getting my own ice chips.

I had never experience a hospital birth, but I got a front row seat with that one. And while I couldn't recommend a hospital birth based on that experience (so impersonal) I was very honored to be there, I even got to cut the cord for this little bundle.
One year later...We'd stayed in touch, though we both moved when our husband's were killed in the same helicopter crash. I was even able to fly out to visit them for the 1st birthday.Hard to believe it's now been over four years!