10: A Story of Birth, Pizza, and Father's Day

Ten years.  That seems like such a long time but it went by in the blink of an eye.  June 18, 2017 is my son's 10th birthday.  It's been TEN years since I started this new chapter of my life.  Ten years that my heart has been walking around outside my body.

Today, I'm sharing with you a fun fact about my oldest son's birth and how life comes full circle.  Also a giveaway because what's a birthday with no presents.  (This will not be graphic but might be TMI/gross for some, namely people who aren't moms.)

I remember waking up on June 17, 2007 being so ginormously pregnant.  It was SO hot that summer in Sacramento and I was miserable and certain that this baby would never leave my body.  It was a Sunday and it actually happened to be Father's Day but I was in no mood to celebrate as there was a watermelon on my front side.  I was laying in bed watching Food Network shows (as I'm certain most pregnant with their first baby women do) when I felt like I was leaking something.  Not a lot but something was happening.

May 2007
Photo from Mystic Eye Photography

I called the hospital and they told me to go to Labor and Delivery to get checked out.  They told me on the phone that I could shower first and take my time since they were just being safe.  I get up, shower, and take all sorts of precautions about the leaking i.e. wearing pad, carrying a waterproof blanket to sit on in the car, etc...  We drive to the hospital and I waddle up to L&D.  After being scolded for showering (hello, I asked on the phone), I get settled into my hospital gown and they swab me and tell me I am not leaking anything.  In fact, I'm barely dilated and this baby isn't coming any time soon so just go home and relax.  Thanks nurses.

Of course as a first time mom, I feel sheepish.  I'm one of THOSE ladies who ran to the hospital for nothing and now I just have to go home.  Since it was Father's Day and we were already out and dressed, I told my hubby that we should go to a late lunch and treat ourselves to a little food as a pre-baby Father's Day celebration.  We went home to drop off all the hospital stuff since I had a laptop, a camera, and all sorts of stuff in there.

Father's Day Lunch

My husband LOVES pizza so we headed to Steve's Pizza which was right by our house at the time.  We had a delicious late lunch and I'm sure I had a bunch of soda or water so I had to go to the bathroom before we left.  After using the restroom, I went over to wash my hands and there's a young lady in there, teens or maybe early twenties.  A sensation came over me, I grabbed onto the sink and made some sort of face causing the girl to say "are you ok?"  I remember thinking "AM I OK?"  I told her that I think I might be going into labor but I just went to the hospital and they told me that the baby wasn't coming.

The bathroom where I went into labor

I leave the bathroom and go to find Dustin.  I see Dustin standing the middle of the restaurant with the receipts.  I think "Oh good, he paid!"  I'm walking across the restaurant and mid-stride that leaking I felt turned into more than just a drip.  I remember Dustin looking at me like what's going on.  I am horrified and I say "I think my water just broke."  He says "What do you want to do?"  And I say "I need to get outside so it doesn't get on the carpet" then I start running.  Pregnant lady running through the pizza place leaving my husband in my dust I just HAVE to make it to the door before I feel the fluid on my calves.  I made it!

This is a long way to pregnant waddle run

We hopped in the car, went home and grabbed the bag, and 27 hours of labor later I had the sweetest, most perfect baby boy.  (And yes, upon returning to the hospital they asked me if I was sure my water actually broke. :/ ) I ended up having a few complication after birth with retained placenta and when I wrote up my birth story, I totally forgot to include this part in it since I was so traumatized and tired from everything that happened.  But to this day, that story is one of my favorites.  We were these young kids and I just remembered thinking that it would be to horrific to have your water break in public the whole time I was pregnant.  I also remember my doctor telling me that it happened in less than 10% of labors.

June 18, 2007

Earlier this year, Steve's Pizza start following me on Instagram and one day I decided to leave them a comment and tell them my story.  Their social media manager Eric told me that I should tell the staff next time I went to Steve's.  I got a chance to talk to the owner when I went in a few months ago and he told me that he thought that the world would love to hear my story.  Now, ten years later with all this mothering under my belt, I took my son back to Steve's Pizza to tell him the story about the boy who wanted to be born at the pizza place.

Steve's Pizza was kind enough to give me 2 gift cards worth $25 each to give to my readers.  These are good at ANY Steve's Pizza locations.  I am giving one away on my Instagram and one of my Facebook, just look for the post with one of these pizza photos of us.  Here are the direct links:
Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/ashleynewell.me/photos/a.1396042983748504.1073741829.1230784223607715/1540170339335767/?type=3&theater
Instagram:
https://www.instagram.com/p/BVVLGg_BdmT/


 Connect with me on social media:

Instagram

Facebook

Twitter

SaveSaveSaveSaveSaveSaveSaveSaveSaveSaveSaveSaveSaveSaveSaveSaveSaveSaveSaveSaveSaveSave