Sydney’s Story, Part One

So, in order to understand our month of December and Syd’s arrival, I need to fill you in on the days leading up to her grand entrance:

December 7th: we packed up the family in the CRV and headed down to Chicago for Nikki & Ken’s wedding.  It was a really great time.  We stayed there until around noon on the 9th and then headed toward Michigan.

December 9th-10th: we were in Michigan picking up our new mini-van and then driving it the seven hours back home.  We arrived home around 7pm the evening of the 10th.

December 11th: the hubs left around 5:30am for the airport to fly to Arizona to visit his dad.  I packed up Colbie, drop her off at daycare and then headed to work for a 3p-3a shift.  Colbie had her first slumber party at her friend Evie’s house.

December 12th: I got a ton of stuff done, picked up Colbie from daycare and then after she was back in bed started (and finished!) a complete re-organizaiton of my office.  This took upward of 4 hours.  I text the husband (who is still in Arizona) a picture of my office after midnight, he text back that I should go to bed.

December 13th 12:30am:  I just finished getting ready for bed, and my phone rings...it’s our social worker.  Birthmom’s water broke, she in active labor and being sent by ambulance to Green Bay because that is where the nearest NICU (neonatal intensive care) is.

12:35am: I stood there in my bedroom shaking because that seemed like the only option at the time.  Next, I called the husband, called my mom, and then called my friend (Evie’s mom) to see if I could drop Colbie off for another slumber party, and ask her if she wanted to drive to Green Bay in the middle of the night.  Her husband, who is a saint in my book, got both of the girls ready and dropped off to daycare the next morning.

By 1:30am I had myself and Colbie all packed and in the car.  We were heading across town and into what felt like a huge unknown.  It took all I had not to burst out crying out of fear, excitement and knowing that it was maybe the last Colbie got to be with me as “an only child”.  I held the tears in though as I was determined to not make Colbie any more confused or scared about our 1am roadtrip.   Meanwhile, over in Arizona the hubs was booking tickets for the first flight out of there and back to Wisconsin.  And in Michigan, my mom was starting to pack up everything so she could be in Madison in time to pick up Colbie from daycare.

2am: Gave Colbie the biggest hug I’ve ever given her, as I continued to blink away the tears, and layed her down at Jen’s (my friend) house.  Jen and I hoped back in the minivan and were off to Green Bay!  

5:00am and we had made it to Green Bay only to find out that the paramedics transporting birthmom got nervous that she might deliver in the ambulance so they gave her some Mag to slow down her contractions.  It stopped her labor all together.  So we sat.