Weekend Happenings

Good Friday morning!

The Gallery Pics are from last night's volleyball game. We won! (You've probably noticed I don't post pictures when we lose. It's not quite as much fun... although I am assured it is character-building.)

RANDOMNESS #1 - I still have not received my fall magazines. I still have not bought them at Wal-Mart. I don't know how much longer I can go without. (I am NOT kidding.)

RANDOMNESS #2 - My picture-of-the-day blog is current if you want to hop over there sometime this weekend. Just click on Fifty Is Nifty under My Blog List.

RANDOMNESS #3 - I no longer understand Facebook. From what I can tell, no one else understands it either. I am a simple chick with an equally simple brain. The fact I figured out how to register on Facebook is HUGE... but to try to keep up with their non-stop CHANGES FOR THE BETTER... Well, that is bigger than HUGE, and we all know I am not that person. I am beyond saddened by these developments.

I would put that status on Facebook, but I have no idea how to do so. Heavy, heavy sigh.

RANDOMNESS #4 - A Roxie Story - I cannot help myself. I have to post part of Roxie's Birth Story in honor of her 15th birthday. I just have to!

I was now going to the doctor weekly. A sure sign you are going to have the baby sooner than later. I was huge. And I don't mean huge from eating powdered doughnuts and Sneaky Pete's hotdogs thrice daily (see Austin's Birth Day Story). I mean huge as in Kate Gosselin! However, we knew because of multiple ultrasounds, there was only one little baby in there. Hmmm.

"You're measuring over 44 weeks," the doctor told me.

"I thought when you measured 40 weeks, it was pretty much time for the baby," I said.

"That is correct. Let's do another ultrasound and try to figure out what's going on," he said.

Now, I'm okay with ultrasounds. Except for a little cold jelly on the belly, it isn't painful, and because it is basically taking pictures of the baby, it's right up my alley.

"The baby is a normal size for 37 weeks. However, there is a very large amount of fluid," he told me. Fluid. That didn't sound bad. I could set a two-piece place setting of china and a pot roast on top of my belly and still have room for the dessert tray, but as long as it was just fluid causing my enormity, I could deal with that.

"What causes extra fluid? Am I drinking too much?" I asked.

"No. There is a 50-50 chance that the baby's esophagus is not attached to the stomach. That means instead of the fluid going completely through the baby, it is backing up." He let that sink in a little.

"That doesn't sound good," I finally said. "How do we get the esophagus to attach to the stomach?"

He then went on to explain that after Roxie was born, she would be whisked away to NICU for testing. They would have to give her a dye and X-ray her to make sure it went through her entire digestive tract. It would show if the esophagus wasn't attached.

I thought about that information for a little while. "What if it isn't attached?"

"We transport her to Children's and she'll have surgery that day to correct the problem. It's a pretty basic surgery," he reassured me.

"Can I go with her?" I asked.

"No. We won't transport you, because unless you go into labor before we schedule this birth, you'll have to stay put and recover from your C-Section."

Okay. This man was getting on my last nerve. He was nothing but a big fat Bad News Bearer from beginning to end.

"That's not acceptable. If one of my kids is having surgery, I will need to be there," I said stubbornly.

"You're not understanding," he said just as stubbornly. "This will have to be taken care of quickly. As soon as we see a blockage, she'll be transported immediately."

After asking a few more questions, I waddled out to the waiting room where Mike was waiting to drive me home. Everything had happened so fast in the doctor's office, I hadn't even had time to call him back. We talked about this latest development on the drive home.

"Okay. Here's the deal. I want you to stay with Roxie from the minute she's born until we know what's going on. I want you to ride in the ambulance with her, and be outside the operating room waiting for her, and I don't want you to leave her side until you know she's okay. Mom will go with you, too. And Daddy will stay with me until we hear something."

"I'm not going to like leaving you after you have surgery, but that's what we'll have to do," he agreed.

With a plan in place, we prepared ourselves for the birth of our third (and final) child. We were to wait two weeks for the scheduled C-Section. (The ultrasound indicated she was a little small, and if she was to have surgery, they wanted her to be a little heavier.) Needless to say, it was going to be a long two weeks.

The time finally arrived to schedule a C-Section. The table we called my stomach was now measuring around 50 weeks... and growing daily. Uncomfortable doesn't seem to be an adequate word to describe the way I felt. And trying not to be fearful was very, very difficult.

The day of the scheduled C-Section, September 25, 1996, we arrived at the hospital. Everything was in place. The plan had not changed. Mike and Mom were to stay with Roxie NO MATTER WHAT, and Daddy would stay with me.

At noon, we went to the operating room to get Roxie. In a matter of a few minutes, Mike and I heard crying. Crying with gusto, actually. And then we met Roxie. Fat, angry, red cheeks, a little auburn hair... she didn't look like her esophagus wasn't attached to her stomach.

The nurse cleaned her and right before they took her away for her tests, she gave her to me one more time to kiss. The nurse leaned down and whispered in my ear, "What did you name this baby?"

"Roxie," I replied.

"Perfect," the nurse said... and then after a quick kiss and an "I love you" from Mikie, they were gone.

I was later taken to a semi-dark room. No one was there. I looked at the clock on the wall. It had been an hour since I had went into the operating room. I picked up the phone, but it wasn't connected. Very, very strange.

Of all things, a workman came in to work on the thermostat. I asked him to turn on a light and to keep the door open. I then asked him if he could find a nurse. He kindly did so.

When the nurse arrived, she asked if I needed pain meds which I refused. Although I knew the epidural was wearing off, when I take pain meds I am out for the count. I didn't want to be unconscious if they had to take Roxie to Children's. I asked her if she had seen my Dad. She said no, but she would watch for him. Again, very, very strange.

The clock kept ticking. I had now been in the room over 30 minutes by myself. Where was Daddy? Something was wrong. The only reason for him to not be with me would be because something was not right with Roxie. About that time, I saw him walking past the door. I yelled for him, and he came and sat down beside me... his assigned post for the day. He said he had been looking for me for over 30 minutes, but no one knew where I was. He had been going into rooms (containing new mothers) for the last half hour just looking. It was a wonder he hadn't been arrested!

We sat in a very comfortable silence, holding hands and waiting. He didn't know to ask about pain medication, and I didn't tell him what I was doing, but my epidural was wearing off pretty fast.

We received a couple of phone calls during the long day from my Mom and Mike giving us updates on the testing and we continued to wait.

My Aunt Connie and my mom's best friend, Mrs. Davis, came in to check on me. They knew pretty soon into the conversation I was not taking meds. If I remember correctly (and I probably don't), they really jumped Daddy about not taking care of that little issue. But again, being a man who had never given birth, he was totally oblivious.

Needless to say, the nurse and I had to come to an agreement on what I could take that would take the edge off the pain, but would allow me to stay awake enough to know what was going on with Miss Roxie. That taken care of, we waited some more.

When Mom came in several hours later, she gave us the news everything in Roxie was "connected." No surgery needed. They were going to move me into a room and then Mikie and Roxie were coming to see me. I held her again at 7:00 p.m. that night. Seven hours after she was born. And then I had the nurse bring me some really, really strong pain meds!

And that's Roxie's Birth Day Story. Again, not to compare or complain to other women who have been through so much more. It is simply her story... her beginning... our beginning as the Faulkner Five.

I wrote this in her baby book while I was in the hospital 15 years ago (on heavy, heavy pain meds), but it's still true today...

"September 25, 1996 - When Austin was born, I was amazed at how much I loved him. He was my total obsession. When Joshua was born, I was amazed I could love another child as much as my first. He was my heart. When Roxie was born, I was amazed God had blessed me yet again with a beautiful little girl. She was (and is) my heart's desire."

Roxie has been everything I could ever want in a daughter. She is feisty, hot-headed, independent and vocal. She is loving, compassionate and she stands up for the underdog. She knows which buttons to push and when to push them. She doesn't have time for chit-chat, but she LOVES long, meaningful conversations.

She is complex at best, but I have so enjoyed getting to know her these past 15 years... and look forward to the next 15 years.

It has been (and is going to continue to be) an interesting ride!

Weekend Happenings - I'm going to do the "Weekend List" thing again. For some reason, that works for me!

1. We are having a bonfire tonight after the ball game. This is one of three or four bonfires planned over the next few weekends. We aren't leaving anyone out... we're just having them at different times!

2. Josh and Brad are going to the Josh Turner concert tonight. They are pumped! (I wish I had a ticket!)

3. Saturday is a very complicated day. It starts out with Josh working at the Chick. Mikie, Roxie and I will be attending her volleyball tournament. I will be leaving her volleyball tournament early afternoon to head to Jacksonville with the lovely Melia, Grandmother, Aunt Bev, Katie and Zac. I want to see The Boy MARCH! (Dinner at Top of the River is somewhere in this mix, too.) It's gonna to be busy, but it's gonna be good!

4. SUNDAY IS ROXIE'S 15TH FAMILY BIRTHDAY PARTY! Oh... my... goodness! The fun we are going to have. As has become our custom, we are having a family party with cake (Strawberry Cake from Lucia's Italian), ice cream (Blue Bell Vanilla) and gifts and cards galore!

I guess it goes without saying Roxie will be getting her driving permit within the next few days. I don't think I want to talk about that today. Nope. I'm almost positive I do not!

Have a fantastic official first weekend of FALL! It is here! Pumpkins are everywhere... except my front porch. I intend to remedy that Monday morning!

Take care, and I'll talk to you first thing Monday morning.

Sincerely,

The Enchanting Belinda