HAPPY BIRTHDAY ALEXIS!

Jason and I got married and I then moved to Virginia because he was in the military. I absolutely loved it over there. Now, because I was as big as a house, I really wasn't looking for a job because I was at that point 7 months pregnant. Jason got a job with a friend up in DC packing up businesses and moving them. So on the morning of March 14th, 1998, Jason got up around 7 am, said he would be back around 4 or so, and he kissed me goodbye. I woke up around 9:00 am with really bad stomach pains and I thought wow, I need to go potty, if you catch what I mean. I then hopped into the shower and took a nice, warm shower and washed my hair. I then walked downstairs and had another contraction. I was like "I'm in labor and Jason is not home." Cell phones weren't popular at that time, so we didn't have those to talk to each other. I called my friend Lisa, who I was supposed to go shopping with and all I got was her answering machine. Yikes! I called the doctor up at Fort Belvoir (30 mins away) and was like I am in labor and have no way of getting there because my husband is at work and I can't get ahold of him. The hospital wanted to send an ambulance to pick me up and I was like No, wait a moment and let me call you back. I called my husband's friend Joe and was like can you please take me to the hospital. He was like of course. So I got ready to go and called the hospital back. I was then thinking how can I let Jason know I am at the hospital getting ready to give birth to my first child...alone. So I got on our answering machine and left an outgoing message telling Jason to get his butt to the hospital. So yes, anyone who called our number got that message. Hehe! Genius I think on my part!! Joe came and picked me up, and was so nervous I was going to give birth right then and there. He turns to me and says "are you sure you're in labor? I was like yes! We get to the hospital and I thank Joe for driving me up there and he was like, do you want me to go in with you. I was like umm, thanks, but I will be fine. Then poor Joe was like, "they think I'm the father and want me to fill out a bunch of paperwork". I had to set them straight. I was started on an IV, checked and I was dialated to a 6 w/o too many contractions. WOOOT! My friend Lisa came over and was so sorry she had her phone turned off, and she stayed with me for a few hours. She tried to call Jason up in DC a few times at the business office where he worked. The nurses broke my water and after that....well....ow!! The contractions got worse and I was like "epidural now please before its too late." As they started prepping me for my epidural, Jason walked into the room. Oh my God, I was soooooo happy to see him and I asked how he knew I was there. He told me he listened to the answering machine message when he called earlier. Whew! Normally, he just hangs up and doesn't leave a message, this time he did. After the epidural, I was laying comfortably in bed and Jason walks in with a twinkie in 1 hand and a mountain dew in the other. "You don't mind if I eat this in front of you, do you?" I was like of course not, thinking of ways I could tackle his ass and get them. It was approximately noon-ish time and I had not eaten since the previous night. I WAS STARVING!!! He was starving too. He hadn't eaten all day. So finally after a few more hours of dialating and 4 cups of ice..yummmmm, I started pushing. I was lucky, I only had to push 20 minutes or so and she was my first (and only!) child. My beautiful baby girl was born on 3/14/1998 at 3:14 pm weighing 8 pounds, 9 3/4 ounce.