Charlotte’s story is unique in that she was the only child that we tried to “stack the odds” concerning her gender. At this point we really just wanted four kids and it would be ideal to have two girls and two boys. So we read and tried … and failed.
Really, what is failure though? God choosing what we needed instead of what we wanted. Regardless, it was hard on Rick. Yet, what a sense of humor God has. Charlotte IS Rick, but in girl form.
My fondest memories of being pregnant with Charlotte was that it was during the summer. I would go outside after lunch with Kiera (4) and Lily (2) and have the little kiddie pool out. They liked to see my Budda belly and would lather it up with sunscreen. I know this is gross to you and me, but they LOVED it. So, as long as I could stand the heat I would sit out there with my feet in the pool and my gigantic belly getting toasted. It was a fun thing we looked forward to each afternoon.
I wish I could remember more about her pregnancy, but what sticks out the most was the she was ten days over and weighed ten pounds. In retrospect, I know that my stomach muscles separating, my hips and most of my ligament problems stem from that pregnancy. She was just huge and comfortable inside of me. I was huge and uncomfortable with her inside me.
I remember thinking, I bet you she’s just a laid back little kid just chillin’ in there with no hurry to go anywhere. Well, that is Charlotte.
Her labor was also similar to her disposition. Easy going.
I remember Gma Schworer stopping by the Baby Place to see how I was doing early in labor and I told her that she could stay until labor got really hard. She brought me some snacks. She read me some articles from a magazine. Labor never got really hard. It was like really intense Braxton-Hicks contractions that were … manageable.
After about 8 hours of that I remember telling the ladies, “I think I need to push.” They seemed a little bit doubtful because … well, it seemed too easy. I insisted, “No. I really think I need to push.”
Who were they to conflict with a woman in labor? HA! So they humored me. We got to the stool and out she came. Maybe it wasn’t THAT easy, but in comparison with all my other labors it SEEMED that easy. (I pray often that God would let this labor be similar. Oh, what a blessing that would be.)
Charlotte cried when she was born and I reached out and touched her and immediately she stopped and didn’t cry again. It was as if she knew her momma. My heart just melted.
I don’t know if you’ve ever seen a ten pound baby born naturally, but they look just like it sounds: rolls and rolls like a bulldog.
Still, she was so sweet. She was the nicest baby ever.
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