Happy Birthday Nikki!!!!!
 |
| Laura Nicole Darwin 7lbs, 11oz and 20 inches long |
Back in '80 we were living in Jacksonville, Florida and I was working at a store called Woolco, it was alot like Wal-mart is today, in case you're not as old as me. One day I was telling a co-worker about me staying hungry all the time. She then says maybe you're pregnant. We get to figurin' things up and she then tells me I need to have a pregnancy test done. Well, now, back in-the-day they didn't sell them sticks you pee on, so I had to go to the doctor's office. Sammy did the morning show, so he would leave around 4 in the morning so he could prepare for his on air show at 6 a m. I didn't tell him that morning what I was up to 'cause I wasn't sure I'd go. I really didn't think I was pregnant, but to ease my mind I went. I think I help them open up the office that morning 'cause I just wanted to get it over with and get on to work. They let me stay in the lab and wait for the results. I guess they had a timer on this pregnancy test 'cause the nurse looked at me and said you're almost pregnant. I'm thinking ALMOST??? Then she says "you're pregnant". I don't even remember leaving the doctor's office. I had to go home and regroup. I called Sammy to tell him the news. Back then, sometimes when you would call a radio station they would have you on speaker phone while they loaded a cart machine or whatever. So I call and, sure enough, I'm on speaker phone.
Me: Hey its me, I got something I gotta tell ya, get on the phone.
Sammy: Hold on let me get out of this commercial break.
Me: (I wait which seems like forever) finally said are you sitting down?
Sammy: Yeah.... WHY?!
Me: 'Cause we are gonna have a baby.
Sammy: WOOOOOOOOOOOOOO WHOOOOOOOOOOOOO!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! Are you sure?
Me: Yep, just came from the doctor and I gotta go to work now. See ya when I get home.
As I was driving to work I didn't hear him at all on the radio just song after song (I wanted to see if he sounded excited). I even sat in the car for a little while to listen but ...nothing. I got a little worried so I called him when I got inside. I thought maybe he had fainted and someone was segwaying records.
Me: You alright? I haven't heard you on the air.
Sammy: Heck yeah, I been running around telling everyone.
At my 1st doctor's appointment I learned I was 3 months pregnant. No wonder I ate like a horse.
After my co-workers found out I was pregnant one or more would take me out to lunch every day. And every day I would have spare ribs. Occasionally, for a snack, I'd have a Babe Ruth bar dip in ranch dressing. Hey I sorta craved that and it makes me sick to even think of it now. I was kinda big on carrot cake for breakfast. Toward the end I had gained around 38 lbs all over. I couldn't see to put my shoes on and I was up there with Dolly Pardon in the boob department. I remember writing home and telling Mama Helen that I was afraid to roll over at night 'cause I was afraid I'd smoother Sammy. He he!!
Nikki was due March 30th, but the doctors thought she might come around March 1st. So my last day at work was Valentines Day. The morning of my last day I was told to be there early 'cause we had a special meeting with the Big Boss. He was coming to town and needed to met with department heads (I was manager of music and cameras). Our meetings always took place in the restaurant of the store. When I walked in the door everyone in the whole store was there and they yelled "SURPRISE". Yep, it was a baby shower. They had decorated and had me a rocking chair to sit in. We had so much fun and I cried most of the morning. Just to think these people I hardly knew would do this for me. When Sammy got off the air he came on over to help get everything home.One of the reasons I took off work so early was I had heard people say, I hope your water dosen't break while you're working. I had read on some books about being pregnant and what to expect, but it didn't go into a lot of details about "water breaking". All I knew was that I was fat and there must be ALOT of water in there. I kept having this nightmare of me working and my water breaking and peoples' feet flying out from under them. I thought it was gonna be a flood, so I quit about six weeks early. From then on I grew and grew and grew.
On Friday, March 28th I had a scheduled appointment and the doctor told me I should have the baby within 24 hours (there was more to that but I'm gonna spare ya the details). We called home and told everyone the news then we sat down to watch Dallas on TV 'cause we wanted to see who shot JR... we had our priorities in order, didn't we? The next morning a little after 5:00 I woke Sammy up and was crying 'cause I had peed in the bed........then the PAINNNNN hit. I was doubled over by the time I got to the car. He opened the door for me and said get in.Me: I can't, I gonna have to walk.
Sammy: (Excited) you're gonna have to get in. You can't walk that far.
Me: (SCREAMING) I... CAN'T!!!!
Sammy gets behinds me and pushes me in. We didn't live far from the hospital, maybe 10 miles,(too far to walk) but it seemed longggggg in my shape. We get to the hospital and he runs around and opens the door and says "get out".
Me: I CAN'T!!!! But between contractions I manage to get out.
Thank goodness, I had pre-registered. Y'all get this, I get up to my room and get settled in and I tell them I'm gonna have a Natural child birth.What?!?! I don't know what I was thinking 'cause I was dying as I was telling them. A few more pains and I ask the nurse "What You Got" just give me something. They give me Demerol. Now I'm not proud of this but the pain eases up but..... I start cussing for no reason (and I'm not a cusser). I can hear myself. I'm telling myself to shut up but I was on a roll for few hours. The nurses wouldn't even stay in the room long with me 'cause I was cussing every breath. I remember I told one nurse, "get my husband in here".
Nurse: Hun, you didn't go through child birth classes so he can't come in.
Me: (Can't come in or wont come in) I looked right in her eyes and said, YOU KNOW..... HE DID THIS TO ME.
I slept for a couple of hours, then I heard them say we're going to delivery. They think they got me all settled and then... I wanted to fight 'em. It must have been the Demerol doing all this 'cause this is definitely not me. So they tied, buckled or something, my hands down. I'm really not sure if they had anything on my feet 'cause they, of course; were suspended from the ceiling. The doctor takes his place and tells me to push.
Me: Oh, No, I've decided to not have a baby.
(Oh my goodness, you know they must hear everything in the delivery room, but I never thought I'd be one of them). He told me again to push and again I said NO! So he calls this somewhat of a big lady over and she lays across my stomach and when he said push, she did (can that be possible?). She pushes and then walk away. He said push and I said No, and here comes that lady again. She starts to lean over and I said Hey, you better go easy on my stomach. She does her part and the next thing I know I hear the most wonderful sound only a parent would love. After I laid eyes on Nikki all that meanness passed. I could think clear and my apologies were heard. As for that poor lady, I know she felt cheated I had all the fun making her (Nikki) but she did all the work. HeHe!! Y'all I was crazy. This lady (in my eyes) looked like a hobo off the streets and I thought they had called her in just for this. I think if I could had a tattoo it would say, NO DEMEROL!
I finally get to see Sammy and I was so glad to see him. Okay, I might have had a little more Demerol left in me cause I wanted him to get in the bed with me (I promise I'm not making this stuff up). He held my hand.
Well I got there between 5:30 and 6 and I had Nikki at 4:02 that same day, so that meant no food all day. One of my food options was spare ribs, what are the chances of that. I couldn't wait. Now I'm only speaking for myself, but who would want spare ribs after going through what I just came out of. Reckon' I hollered that out in the delivery room. Anyway they brought them out but they weren't very appetizing.
While all this is going on, my Mama and Mama Helen (grandmother) have been trying to get there before Nikki was born, but they missed it by a couple of hours. It didn't really matter they couldn't come back and see me... who would have wanted to? Well come to think of it, Mama Helen and I would have had a ball 'cause she was Sh..,H... and D... cusser (got it!)
When they got me all settled in my room, Sammy come back to see me but lookin' kinda pale. I didn't think much of it cause he has a weak stomach. A few days later we were reminiscing and I ask about that look on his face. He got tickled and said when he was at the nursery window showing Mama and Mama Helen he noticed Nikki's head was shaped like a football. He had never seem anything quite like that. Only baby in there that looked like that. Of course when they brought her to me she had that little cap on and I didn't take it off, I thought she wasn't ours till we left the hospital so I was afraid to take anything off. I'm kinda glad. I might have given her to lady that pushed and said "See What You Did" !!! Sammy said you know by the next day she was all rounded out and PERTY! You know every time I would hold Nikki she would cry but when Sammy held her she would hush. I'm thinking Demerol got to her.My co-workers called the next day congratulating me (us) and said they couldn't wait to see Nikki. I told them it might be a while 'cause I couldn't walk but I'd let them know when I could put one foot in front of the other. You know the 2nd day is rough.
The night before we leave, the hospital gives all new parents a candlelit dinner. Whoopee!! I didn't even wanna look at him cause" he did this to me". Oh it was the romantic getaway.... white linen table cloths, real china, real silverware and me perched on one of those donut cushions and the nursery had the baby. That is what you call " taking a trip and never leaving the farm." Actually that's when he told me about football head and he told while I was laboring all day, he was phoning in on air reports of my progress. Oh My Gosh we should have had t-shirts, caps and bumper stickers for give-a-ways 'cause I sure he was thinking of ratings too.
The day comes to take her home and guess what? She can't go, Jaundice. Lord we left her naked, her eyes all covered up and under lights, and I cried for 24 hours straight. I didn't know what Jaundice was. All I knew was she was yellow and Sammy was the father. How could this be?
My Mama and Mama Helen had fixed a great dinner by the time we got home. I was doing pretty good till Mama Helen said you say Jaundice set in. I had a little crying spell and then she said I want you to look at your boobs.You couldn't miss 'em they were directly under my chin (I'm not lying...you ain't never). She makes me 2 cold ice packs and holds them on me while I try to swallow my food. God Love Her!!!
The next morning the hospital calls and tells us to come get her... she is done. WOOHOO! Guess what else, Mama Helen somehow comes down with the flu or pnumonia (can't remember which) over night so Mama puts her in the basement for the duration. They had planned on staying a couple of week but had to cut it short 'cause Mama Helen got so bad. I know my Mama was worn out waiting on my grandmother and me but she is a good 'un. I remember the morning they left the sun hadn't even come up and Sammy had gone to work and I was standing in the doorway crying and waving, thinking I hadn't got the hang of this yet, Mama.March 29th is the day the Lord picked out for Laura Nicole (Nikki) Darwin's birthday. Over the years we have had the best of times and we still are having them. I'm proud to say she has always been very compassionate toward others 'cause she has a lot of her Daddy in her. She is all grown up now (she thinks) but I still call her baby. Happy Birthday, Nikki!!!!
Dear Lord,
Comments
Post a Comment