Two years ago today I was in hospital having the boy!
He didn't come until 7.12 am the next morning but at this precise moment I was in labour.
For some reason I'm feeling the nostalgia more this year than last. I think I was so consumed with organising the variety of 1st birthday parties that he had I didn't have time to sit back and think.
But this year is much more chilled. As the song goes "We're all going to the zoo tomorrow.." and by all I mean, myself, Hubby, Nanny P and Granddad Atu. Then Lemon Cake Lady and Lemon Cake Boy are coming over for a low key birthday tea with cake, ice cream and balloons.
But today, all day long, I have been doing that annoying thing you do when you reminisce about an event. You look at your watch and say to anyone who'll listen:
"Oh, this time two years ago..."
I was 14 days overdue and had gone in to hospital be induced. A process I wouldn't recommend to even my worst enemy. I was nervous and edgy about the whole thing and kept praying to go into natural labour but it wasn't to be. It probably wasn't helped by events leading up to my induction.
Oscar had recently got into a fight with another cat and as a result he'd had a trip to the vet, was on antibiotics and house arrest for 14 days. He was more "miaowy" than usual and desperate to go out. He wouldn't use his litter box and was quite clearly in some need to go to the loo.
Neither Hubby nor I could sleep the night before the dreaded appointment with the pessary. Oscar's noise and the fraught situation had kept us awake all night.. Finally we could take it no longer and at 5 am I remember sobbing as Hubby was on his hands and knees, scrabbling in the litter box trying to demonstrate to Oscar how to use it.
I have never been so happy to see a cat poo in my life!
However the damage was done and although Oscar was now quiet and content we never got back to sleep. The hospital wanted us there at 8 am so that was that.
The first pessary didn't work it's magic, even after extensive strolls around the scenic route that is our local hospital car park. At 5.30 pm the midwife had another go. So invasive was this internal examination my body went into shock and I shook from head to toe like some mad woman. By 7.30 pm I was having contractions but the whole of my left side was in terrible pain and I asked for gas and air to help me through it. The canister was duly bought but no midwife had time to examine me. Hubby was timing the contractions at every 12 minutes but the left side of my back and hips was now almost totally immobile.
I was offered pethadine but still no examination. I declined. The gas and air was making me trip to the point that I apparently told Hubby I could see bunnies hopping over bright green grass in front of me.
A different midwife came to see me. The third I'd had since I arrived. It was 8.30 pm. 12 hours since the first pessary went in and Hubby and I hadn't slept a wink now for 36 hours
"You shouldn't really have gas and air" she said "You're not in active labour yet"
"Well my contractions are every 10 minutes now and to be fair how do you know I'm not in active labour. No one has looked at my fanny for 3 hours!"
Good point well made!
"Oh, you're six centre meters dilated. You'd better come into a delivery room!"
And the rest, as they say is history.
Actually the rest was a bloody nightmare but I'll leave that for another day.
So as I sit here with a glass of very pleasant red, I have to pinch myself that we have a two year old boy who has totally changed our world and made it brighter and more challenging. He's the funniest, most intriguing, cheekiest little man I've ever met and we love him more than anything in the whole world.
I also have to pinch my left buttock on occasions as I've now got sciatica in it but who cares.
He's worth it...
Happy second Birthday to the boy!