BIRTHDAY, BIRTHDAY, BIRTHDAY!!!

It's official!

Dayna turned 14 years old today.

Wow. I remember yesterday and today (14 years ago), like it was....well.....YESTERDAY!


My two previous labor and deliveries (Briana and Alyssa) had gone MUCH different than Dayna's. With Briana, I had gone from 97-182 pounds, as I was deathly ill with toxemia. Both labors were induced. I was induced at 6:30am with Briana, and about 7am with Alyssa. Both took me STRIAGHT into the "transition" (final) stage of labor. Transition is made to be the most difficut, yet hardest stage of labor. With Briana, it lasted 12 hours. With Alyssa.....10 1/2. I pushed for over 2 hours with Briana (6lbs 7oz), with Alyssa, 1.5 hours (8lbs 7oz). So, TECHNICALLY, I had yet to experience a "true" labor.

July 23, 1994. I feel what "seems" to be labor contractions. I continued working around the house, kinda keeping an eye on them. They would last for a bit....then go away. Wasn't sure if it was "real" labor. Had a glass of wine (one of the things they recommend). If the contractions STOP after a glass, then it's false labor. If they continue....then......GAME ON!!! Well.....they continued. I called Dean at work, and tell him that it appears that I am in labor. He has his niece Dennise come to the house to watch Briana (almost 6) and Alyssa (17 months), while we decide to walk around the mall. They say walking aids in the labor and delivery....and...well.....it's JULY in Fresno.....so, it was air conditioned. We walked and walked and walked (I think that's why I HATE walking now). And slowly, but surely......the contractions stopped. By 6pm, I was crying, as I no longer was having any labor.

Dean decides to ask Dennise to spend the night, "JUST in case....".

July 24, 1994.....3am.

I wake up like a BOLT out of bed. Not sure what woke me up...but I lay there for a few minutes, trying to get back to sleep. Several minutes pass, and my stomach starts contracting......TIGHTLY. I grab a watch, and start a lukewarm bath. Theory of the doctor's (at that time) was to take a bath to see if contractions continue....but, to watch how closely they are. I hop in the tub.

By 4:30am, I was hollering into Dean (SAWING logs) that they were under 7 minutes apart. He told me to wake him when they were 5 minutes apart, and he would take a shower. 5:15 rolls around, and they are 5 mintues apart. I get out of the tub, wake him up, and tell him it's time to take a shower. I begin to curl my hair. (A girl's goota look GOOD while/after she's given birth.....right?!?!?!)

Dean takes QUICK showers.

Before he could even get OUT of the shower, they are now 3 minutes apart. I take breaks inbetween curls to get on my hands and knees on the floor, and work through the contractions. Dean now tells me that it's time to go, forget about the hair. I infom him that it really doesn't matter, because "I'M HAVING THIS BABY RIGHT HERE!!!". He looks at me and says, "OH NO YOU'RE NOT!!". He goes out to the living room, and gets Dennise. Each one of them take an elbow, and force me down both flights of our stairs, to get me into the car. I remember telling Dean that it's early enough in the morning, don't even BOTHER stopping at stop signs or red signals, or I was going to have the baby IN THE CAR!!! He didn't pay much attention to my ranting.

I could see the hospital. I kept breathing through my contractions.

We got to the hospital, they popped me into a room, PRONTO, and checked me out. I had dialated to a "7" (out of 10). I was THRILLED!! I had NEVER dialated that far before without being induced!! I was VERY happy.

.......Until Mary Poppins the nurse burst my bubble and told me I was TOO far along to be given any drugs. Suddenly, I was not so happy. I had signed up for those drugs almost as SOON as I had found out that I was pregnant!! I had ALWAYS had drugs during delivery, for God's sake!

This was NOT good.

Well....much to my surprise, they rushed me into delivery, got everything prepped, and by the time it came to push.......I pushed for less than 10 minutes, and there she was. I had ALWAYS had a LARGE group of people there for my deliveries, and a couple barely made it....and a few missed it. Luckily, Dean's mom was there. She was there for Alyssa's birth, also. As far as I know, those were the only two births (besides her OWN deliveries) that she was there for. I was honored.

My little Dayna Lynn was brought into this world at a little after 7:30am, July 24th, 1994 at 7lbs 8oz. She was the easiest one to deliver....and I quit when it finally got easy.


So...today she had a fabulous day. She said it was the best birthday she's had yet. She and her sisters went shopping today with her "loot". She got a BUNCH of new clothes. I brought her home a beautiful bouquet. She chose to eat dinner at Flemming's, and one of my best friends was our server. The dinner was nothing short of perfect.


She's downstairs now, in her jammies, playing Mario on the old Nintendo. That's her and her sister's new addiction.


I love my baby girl. Her personality is SO much like mine. WATCH OUT BOYS!! lol


I love all of my girls. Why God decided to bless me as much as He has.....I will NEVER comprehend.


Happy Birthday, my little Nina. May your 14th year be full of fun, surprises, friends, and memories. May you have as much joy as what you have brought to my life.