Waiting on Baby Gokey

My best friend Cassie was the last great Mommy Hold-Out.

Cassie, pre-baby

She had dogs, a handsome husband, and lots of passport stamps...not to mention me as a shopping partner.

Hitting the stores in Cape Cod

Isn't that Living the Dream? Not for those with an anxious womb, apparently....


Cassie waited 5 years after saying I Do before getting pregnant, and for yours truly who keeps pushing the snooze button on The Clock, that is inspiring. The tide has turned, though. One week ago today Cassie reset her alarm and became a mother.

She gave birth to this handsome man. His name is Ellis.

7 pounds and 3 ounces of adorable

Like his favorite aunt before him (read: ME!) he entered the world a week and a half early and bum first. The logistics of his entrance caused a bit of drama, and a breech, if you will, in the plans set forth to alert the world (again, read: ME!) to his arrival. 


It all started late last Monday morning when I got this text message from Cas:


Um, hi I think either I just pee'ed on myself or my water broke (10:23am)


Never the alarmist, unlike me, Cassie played it cool. Are you at the hospital yet? Are you pushing?  Is the baby here yet? I'd text her every 45 seconds. 


Yes, except the opposite of that. Haven't even left for the hospital yet.(11:37am)


Cassie ate lunch, did some work and like a good Georgia girl would, swung by the Chick-Fil-A for a large sweet tea before checking in a few hours later.

I predicted her baby would be born during One Tree Hill because well, on Mondays everything in my day revolves around One Tree Hill.   Just before 9pm Cas sent a text messsage:


What time does One Tree Hill end? (8:47pm)


The drama from Tree Hill came and went, and still no baby. By 11pm, I sent Cas a message saying I was turning in, but wanted to know the very minute the cord was cut, not matter what time. She promised to deliver the breaking news.


I fell asleep, and awoke at 2:20am to this:


Having C section, Baby G is breech - will have him within the hour.  (11:56am)


Cue my crazies.


If Cas sent me a message before midnight saying the baby would be here within the hour, then why - nearly three hours later - had I heard nothing? I woke up Mr. W who assured me it was fine and reminded me that, despite my heart's desire to know each and every detail in real time, I was not at the center of this birth.  EXCUSE?


Perhaps, suggested Mr. W, Cas and her Baby Daddy were bonding with their new son?  Maybe they were tired? Maybe their phone batteries had died?   Fortunately, what Mr. W lacks in common sense he makes up for in charm, because I'm sure any rational - albeit excited - auntie would agree with me: those theories are just plain dumb.



I tossed and turned, rolling over to check my phone every half hour 'til the sun rose. I got out of bed to go check Facebook on the off chance that Cassie, a pretty avid status updater, would risk ending our friendship by posting delivery details there before telling me.  If it meant good news I would consider forgiveness; but alas, her update told only of the pending C-Section.


I woke Mr. W again and shared my worries - all very grim, dark and Lifetime movie-ish, infused with every Delivery Done Wrong story I've ever seen on Dateline. I watch alot of Dateline. Unphased by my hysterics (which sadly, aren't rare) Mr. W assured me everything was fine. 


How could I have married a man with no pulse?


I took matters into my own hands around 6:00am, and sent Cassie's husband, Mike,  a text message. Any news??


Crickets.


Crickets.


Hours passed that felt like days. My mind went full blown into Worst Case Scenerio mode.


I called my cousin, Kim. She has three children so I assume she knows everything one can know about labor and delivery and all things spawn. Plus, she is the only person who will take my calls before 7am. 


She laced her efforts to pacify me with mommy vernacular, and joked that when you have kids you do lose touch with your friends.  Not funny.


At LONG, LONG last I finally got some news from Mike:


Ellis Michael was born at 12:56am. Everyone is ok but tired. (8:29am)


Turns out, there's a bit of recovery time when one has a C-Section and it doesn't involve a cell phone.  Who knew?  You can't even take your phone into the operating room with you. Hello, healthcare reformers - Having Skype stations in all delivery ORs is a right...not a privledge.  Also, birthing is (allegedly) quite tiring so the new mom and dad did steal some sleep before alerting the masses.  I suppose I understand...and I suppose Mr. Dubs was right.


Despite my vivid imagination that entertained every possible unliklihood, Baby E is healthy and perfect.....

I told them to call you Aunt, P....I told them!

just like his mom,  who despite hours of labor and a last-minute surgery, was still stylish as ever in the Baby Be Mine  gownie I gave her.  I can't have Cassie losing her edge now that she's a parent....no hospital-issue gowns for Ellis' mommy!

I'll be heading to meet Ellis in one month, and I can't wait!