My Birth Story

I was born May 2nd 1992 at 4:10 am in the West Hills Hospital. I asked my mom for the story of my birth, from her perspective, since I'd never heard the whole thing and wanted a chance to record it somewhere for the future.

In my mom's words, here's how it all began:

Everybody at my work (a very small company) was so excited about my pregnancy. There were 2 of us pregnant at the same time, and due 3-4 weeks apart. The other girl carried her pregnancy like she had a basketball in her belly, and I looked more like a football. My coworker knew she was having a boy, but your dad and I wanted it to be a surprise, so we had no idea what gender you were. So everyone at work was saying “well you must be having a girl cuz you’re carrying a different way” and that  heartbeat trick--they say if a baby’s heartbeat is 120-140 it's a boy and any higher means

it's  a girl. Maime kept saying “Well you know, I don't know, it’s pretty close to that border there.” 

My mom says that every year the last week of April, there's a heatwave in the area of Southern California where we live. The year I was born was no different! I was due on April 26th, but I decided to wait a little longer apparently. My mom says that she felt like she was dying that last week before I was born, since it was so hot and she was so pregnant!

The doctor did an ultrasound on May 1^st and the amniotic fluid was getting low, so he didn't want to wait much longer for you to be born since that’s dangerous. The doctor said “well let’s give it another week based on your due date” and I said “but my due date is April 26^th…” He said “What?! Wait a second...” after consulting the charts and talking to some nurses, it turns out someone wrote the wrong due date on the chart; they wrote a much later date. He was going to make me wait REALLY long to have you—probably until after Mother’s Day. And there's NO WAY I was letting that happen!

The doctor said “I will meet you in an hour over at hospital.” He gave me something that was supposed to help get things going, but not induce labor. He said to rest for four hours and if the baby doesn't happen on Saturday, to go over to the hospital again on Sunday and they'd induce labor. I was given the medication at 3 pm and by 5 pm I was in labor, which was NOT supposed to happen, so the nurses were very confused when they came to check on me and saw that. The doctor was even more confused!

West Hills Hospital was remodeling their maternity ward (of course). Most births happen in a room in the maternity ward but since the hospital was remodeling, they had me in a surgery room. Which let me tell you, was NOT very cozy. It was very scary because I had no control of anything. Dad and I are trying to relax while I'm in labor, and watching LA burn with the Rodney King verdict riots, so it was pretty much impossible. That’s all there was on TV; didn't have all the different channels like we do now. And then there was a curfew so one of the other doctors actually delivered you; no one was supposed to be out past a  certain time and my doctor had gone home before curfew and couldn't come back out.

Your poor dad, Nana and Papa, and Maime had to stand or sit in a folding chair for HOURS. Nana and Papa ended up going home before you were born. Daddy had very sore feet. 

After HOURS of labor, I was exhausted. I hadn't had anything to eat since breakfast, because we planned on going to lunch after the ultrasound that afternoon but hadn't had a chance. I wasn't even that hungry, but I was tired. 

My mom said: "This first photo looks like someone
beat you up. Being born is hard work!"

It says on your birth certificate you were born at 4:15, but Daddy says you were born at 4:10; he was checking the clock. They marked it at 4:15 because when you were first born, you didn't cry. You had swallowed so much amniotic fluid that your lungs were full, and they had to suction the fluid out before you started screaming!

"This one is from when they held you up for grandparents to
see. Maime said you looked just like Nana."

My mom and I. I wonder who was more tired from all that
work--me, or her!

Me with my Nana and my Papa

My mom says I was a good baby; the easiest baby of all (haha Sarah, William and Alex, I beat you!) I did everything the best; very easy baby. Which is funny because you’d think that it would get easier for a mom as more kids came along, but no. I attribute some of that to fact you slept on your tummy; there was no SIDS study yet. You were a tummy baby and slept beautifully. (To this day, the second I roll onto my stomach I’m out like a light…but if I try sleeping on my back or side, it takes me HOURS to fall asleep.)

My Uncle Eric and I

My dad and I when I was about 2 months old.
This was also apparently my first trip to In N Out!