He’s Here!

Our baby boy is here!

Oliver “Ollie” Keith Claridge.

Born July 6, 2024 at 1:31 in the afternoon of the hottest week on record this year in Arizona!

Now here goes! My feeble attempt at a birth story, ahem:

(I literally don’t recognize my face, it’s so swollen here! Like good GOLLY.)

I’m Pretty sure I went into labor on the 4th of July but was blissfully unaware as I was busy baking a Coca Cola chocolate cake, taking long naps, complaining about being pregnant, eating contraband Coca Cola chocolate cake, and finally watching the fireworks in the back of David’s truck in a random dirt lot.

The next day I had my standard 37th week OB appointment. I was swollen, moody as hell, and beyond fatigued. Before the appointment I took one of those mid-day summer naps where you wake up not sure what century it is and terrified that you missed the school bus. I was tempted to cancel my appointment, reschedule it for the next week, because I just madly wanted sleeeeeeep (shoot, maybe even a coma) and definitely more Coca Cola chocolate caaaaaake!

I was a responsible pregnant adult *she said with a sigh* and headed out into the July sun, whimpering as I climbed into David’s truck. Honestly, at the time, I was mostly motivated by David promising me a good lunch afterwards. Even in the waiting room at my OB’s office David and I were debating where to eat afterwards (In n’ Out or Chick Fil A?).

We were finally called back for my weekly ultrasound. I remember thinking, let’s get this over with so I could get some Chick Fil A, damn it.

But this time something was amiss. My amniotic fluid had practically disappeared completely since last week’s ultrasound. The ultrasound tech asked if I had been leaking. Umm, no?!? Not that I was aware of, I answered. To this day I have no idea where it all went or even how it went.

They took us back into a room. Waiting for our midwife to discuss the ultrasound results was pure panic for me. I’m a catastrophic thinker and David had to harshly scold me to get off Google LOL.

I immediately pounced on our midwife once she entered the room. “I lost my amniotic fluid! What does that mean?”

“Well, It’s time for baby.” She said, ever so simply. Maybe it was her casual nonchalance that made it not sink in for me at first.

Okay, wait, what? As in giving birth? As in…NOW?

David and I were both stunned. Not sure why we acted like giving birth was a complete shocker at 37 weeks but —

“Like…TODAY?” I’m pretty sure I asked for the second, third, maybe fourth or fifth time.

I had not even completed nesting! Or packed my hospital bag! But mostly I was not mentally prepared! I was putting off mentally preparing myself for at least two more weeks when the baby was due.

(Okay, first time parent here, lay off me!)

It finally sunk in when the midwife said they will be calling the hospital to let them know we were on the way. And just like that, we were going to the hospital and I was utterly terrified.

The office told us we could drive the 30 minute drive back to Wickenburg to pack and grab our hospital bags and drive back to Surprise, AZ to the hospital. Driving back into Surprise was like waiting in line to blast off into space, it just felt that enormous to me. When the hospital came into view I almost cried I was so scared.

Yes, I know for a 38 year old that sounds dramatic but the unknown is medieval torture for me, and pushing a human body out of my vagina just seemed a tad intense at the time. But suddenly there I was in a hospital gown with goofy fuzzy socks on, getting attached to an IV and monitor.

So much for Chick Fil A LOL.

The labor and delivery nurse got me situated and gave me the disclaimer that since I was being induced early, and this was my first child, labor could take two full days before I would even start to give birth. Then she checked my cervix. She seemed pleasantly surprised—I was already dilated to a three.

A freaking three? When did that happen?

Then my labor nurse seemed shocked as she checked the monitor. I was calmly sitting there, all calm and clueless in my goofy, fuzzy socks when she asked if I was feeling anything. Physically, not a thing. Mentally, though… She directed me to look at the monitor and showed how I was having fast and regular contractions. To my astonishment, I literally did not feel a thing!

Things started to move swiftly. I was able to get an epidural before they broke my water so I literally had a painless labor. It also went a lot quicker than anyone expected. It seemed like I kept pleasantly surprising the staff. By 11 a.m. the next morning, I was dilated to a ten and the labor and delivery nurse asked me “Are you ready to meet your baby?” which made me beyond emotional.

Labor for me was easy, but birthing was next level. I pushed for two hours. I literally felt more sore in my shoulders and hands from holding onto my legs during pushing more than my actual you-know-what. And although not particularly painful (you’re a true American hero, epidural!), it was beyond uncomfortable. For some reason that surprised me. Just having this human body slowly inching out of your own is next level insane. Not to be crass, but it felt like taking a huge poo but with four people’s faces down there, including your husbands’. So damn uncomfortable! kept instinctively aching for privacy and a toilet but it in fact was a baby.

Women who birth babies without an epidural, I salute you. I truly do.

Besides the delirium and discomfort, I do sweetly remember David starting to get emotional. David is not one for showing his emotions so that is when I knew we were getting closer to meeting out baby.

And then suddenly there he was, my little boy. David cut the cord, and then he was nestling on my chest. He had the cutest little cry, a head full of hair, ten fingers, ten toes.

My very own baby, our little Ollie boy.