Speaking of kids....that seems to be the theme for this week's questions!
When you were younger – how many kids did you think you wanted? Did that change? How many do you have and would you want more?
I think from about sixth grade on, I wanted to have 4 kids: two boys and two girls. My best friend from childhood had 1 sister and 2 brothers, and that is what I wanted. I don't think that changed much as I grew older, but I think after a few years of my first marriage, I knew I wanted either 2 or 4. I really didn't want an odd number! ;-)
As it has turned out, I have two from my first marriage, two from my second marriage, and a step daughter from my third marriage! If I weren't so "old" I honestly wouldn't mind one more with this marriage....Frankly, he has 3 stepsons from his first marriage. So he is step dad to 7 and biological dad to 1. He claims "eight is enough"! ;-)
I guess I'll just look forward to having the grandbabies now. But I am in no real rush for that either!
What were your pregnancies like with each of your children?
Firstborn: I didn't "do" the first trimester well, from any of my pregnancies! But my first one was the worst!! From months two through four, I was so sick! I couldn't stand many odors. Couldn't stand the sight of food. In fact, I lost at least 10 pounds from weeks 4-8 or so....and back then I did not need to lose any weight!
When I was around 5 months pregnant, we traveled from Montana to Tennessee for our 10th high school class reunion. That year, 1991, out of a class of 20, nine of us became first time parents! My best friend from high school and I both showed up very pregnant!
On the way to the reunion, we visited my older brother and his family in Chattanooga. After our reunion, we drove up to Pennsylvania, to see my folks. Then on our way home, we saw my younger brother in Michigan. All together, we covered around 4,900 miles on that trip!
One thing about that pregnancy, the doctor and I argued over the due date practically the whole way through. The first due date he gave was something like June 28. Then he changed it to maybe July 21. All along, I said the baby would be born the weekend of July 26-28! Guess who was correct! ;-) (He arrived July 27).
Second born: First trimester nausea was pretty bad with this one, too, but not quite as bad as the first one. I really don't recall anything all that outstanding with this pregnancy....except that 6 months into it, my doctor announced he was no longer delivering babies!
First we were going to try a midwife, and delivering at home. But then we chose to travel to the bigger city, 60 miles away.
My mom flew in (from Texas) to be there for the delivery, and to help out for awhile afterward. She flew in to Helena, the middle of July.....and it was snowing!!! She about got back on that plane, to fly back home!!
On my due date, we had a doctor's appointment, and I had also planned to do some shopping, for material to make cloth diapers. The doctor said I was dilated (don't remember now how much) and told me to go on over to the hospital. I told him I had some shopping I needed to do, so he said, fine; just be over to the hospital by such and such a time.....
So, here we are, walking through the fabric store, I'm having irregular contractions. People are looking at me, making comments about how huge I am, and when is that baby coming, etc., and my mom replies (almost frantically! ;-) ), she is supposed to be at the hospital right now!! LOL I also made sure we stopped some place to grab something to eat. I learned from my first delivery, I did NOT want to do this on an empty stomach!
If my little princess had arrived just 12 minutes earlier, she would have been born on her due date. Officially, she was born July 21, 1993....Just six days before her brother's 2nd birthday.
I did suffer from the first trimester nausea, naturally. Started having early labor toward the end, big time. He was due December 16, but didn't want to wait that long! He arrived, after 3-4 hours of labor, early in the morning on December 8....exactly 4 weeks before my 38th birthday....My only winter baby!
Fourth born: Remember I said I wanted four children; I really did not want an odd number! So we had tried for awhile to get pregnant again....then September 11, 2001, happened. I didn't want to try anymore. Surprise!
I had also told my (2nd) husband that once I hit 40, I wasn't having any more babies! Well, just 2 1/2 months before my 40th birthday, I discovered there was actually going to be another little one arriving!!
Yes, I had the nausea problems with this one, too. I was a lot more tired this time around, since I had a two year old, as well as the two older ones (who, frankly, helped quite a bit!)...plus my age had caught up with me! ;-)
This little one, though, wanted to come early....like 3 months early! So we had to stop labor once. The doctor didn't put me on bed rest, but my mom pretty much did! She told me to really take it easy!
My due date for this one was around July 9, I think. I awoke June 28 having contractions harder than they had been to that point, and growing closer together. Soon I knew that this was really going to be the day, and we needed to get to the hospital. The kids went to Vacation Bible School, and my friend agreed to take them home with her from there.
Labor and delivery were not has short and fast as the third one. But this little guy was my earliest, my smallest, and my "fuzziest"! All my other babies were bald; this one had a head of hair! And, literally, he is fuzzy all over...even now. ;-)
If you want birth weights, they were: 7 lbs. 8 oz.; 8 lbs. 3 oz.; 8 lbs. 3 oz.; and 7 lbs. 3 oz. Firstborn had the biggest head, broadest shoulders, biggest hands and feet of them all!!! And, believe me, he has "grown into them"! ;-)
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Please stay tuned for more episodes of Memoir Mondays!
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