Wednesday, October 8, 2008

Happy Birthday Sarah!

Sarah is seven today! Wow! Time really does go faster as I get older.
Many of you know her crazy birth story, but just in case... I'll write about it.
Todd was in his second year of medical school in DC & we were living in Virginia. Sarah was due October 23. Todd just kept saying any time after October 8 would be fine for me to have the baby. He had his first big test that day.
Well, the night of October 7 I started with some low back pain. It lasted off & on all night. The next morning I was sure I was starting labor. I called my doctor around 8am & she told me it would be all day probably & not to come in to the hospital yet. So, I sent Todd downtown (25 minute metro ride) to take his test, with his dial-a-dad pager from the hospital. Someone from work called to see if I was coming in to do some schedule work (I worked at GW Hospital in DC & was in charge of making the nursing schedules for my floor). I said I was starting labor & did not think I wanted to come in (I should have though!).
Anyway, Todd called around 10:30 & I was fine. Then around 11:00 I started thinking I was not so fine. I called my doctor around 11:30 & she told me maybe I should come in. I paged Todd. Then I paged again, & again, & again. I was really starting to hurt by this time.
Finally, Todd called at 12. He was done with his test & the pager had never gone off. I could hardly talk I was in so much pain. He hurried home. I knew I was not going to make it to a hospital in a car so I called 911. Todd pulled into our parking lot followed by a fire engine full of EMT's. The ambulance arrived a few minutes later.
I was loaded into the ambulance & Todd made it in & we were off, 7 minutes to Fairfax Hospital. I knew I would not make it. Sarah was born at 12:59 on Lee Highway in Fairfax, Virginia.
The afternoon, Todd's pager went off for the first time that day. Hmmm.
Sarah just wanted to make a grand entrance!
We had a family party on Sunday to celebrate. Here is Sarah with her birthday loot.
This is the cake (or shall I say frosting with a bit of cake?). Sarah is a chocolate fan.
Last night we went to the mall to pick out Sarah's Build-A-Bear. This was the thing she really wanted for her birthday, so we'd given her a gift certificate so she could pick the bear herself. We were there for a long time! She named her bear Mary Jane. It sings a funny happy birthday song. (Todd wonders why he went to med school, he wishes he'd been the one to come up with the build-a-bear idea & make his millions that way)
Last week at school Sarah got to celebrate her birthday (another kid in her class got this week). She had to make a poster of pictures. On here is a picture of her with her birthday poster for preschool when she turned three.

3 comments:

Rosemary and Rick said...

Dear Sarah, I am sorry I didn't call you on your birthday. Happy Birthday! I hope you like your present. I am happy you named your bear Mary Jane. I am going to name mine Sarah Bo Bearah! From Mary Jane.

Happy Birthday Sarah! We miss having you over to play. Rochester is not the same without the Call family!
Love,
Rosemary

Jenni said...

Happy Birthday!

Hendry Happenings said...

I can't believe that seven years have passed since your crazy delivery. I still remember thinking that there had to be a number to call to report the abuse our husbands were taking!