In the Spotlight: Ab-alicious

Abby, 2004

Abby's turn. I'm going to educate you all on the wonder of Ab. I think the easiest way to describe Abby is to tell about the day she was born.

I finally got to the hospital (a story all on its own) and progressed pretty quickly through labor until the final cm. Because I stalled, the doctor put me on pitocin (wretched, horrible stuff) and he went to assist in a c-section. No one thought much of that until about an hour later. I didn't have an epidural, we've already discussed my fear of needles before, so I could feel everything that was happening. Now, up until this point in my life I thought women who had babies in the car on the way to the hospital were just weak and couldn't control themselves. I had it half right.

Abby's birthday, May 21, 2002

Out of pretty much nowhere I told everyone that it was time to push. The nurse went to go get the doctor but he was still assisting the c-section. When the nurse came back in to tell us the doctor would be delayed, I told her that that was too bad because Abby was coming. Everyone began telling me not to push. Here's a little secret about natural childbirth--your body is under the complete control of the little person trying to push herself out of it. Abby has always been a very independent and determined girl. ALWAYS. Here's a dramatization of how the next several minutes happened (I can't remember it verbatim):

Nurse: Hold on. Don't push. The doctor is on his way.

Me: I can feel her. She's coming!!

Nurse: Don't push!

Me: I can't help it!!

Nurse: Just don't push!

Me: I can't help it!! She's coming!!!

Finally the nurse pulled some lone man out of the hallway and dressed him in a gown and shoved some gloves on his hands. I think he was a doctor. His left hand's fingers only made it into the palm of the glove and he was actually holding his fingertips against Abby's head as if that would keep her from popping the rest of the way out. The nurse was trying to get the glove on his right hand a little better than the left in case he needed it to catch Abby. Of course the whole time everyone is shouting at me not to push and I'm shouting right back, "I can't help it!!!" At the very last second my doctor walked through the door and delivered Abby safe and sound.

Abby, 2002

And this explains just about every facet of Abby. She's a great worker and has an excellent sense of humor. She loves horses and anything cowgirl. She's got some awesome pink boots and pink cowgirl hat. She has a smile that can melt your heart.

Abby wanted her own video, so I humored her and this is what she wanted to showcase. Sometimes I just have to smile and say okay.