I've Come a Long Way, Baby

Good news, people: I made it through the labor and delivery tour at Harrisburg Hospital a few nights ago without passing out, or even coming close.

Some of you might remember this is a vast improvement from LAST TIME, when I nearly blacked out at the mere sight of the delivery room.

And Chris wasn’t even with me this time! (They don’t allow little ones on the tour, so he had to stay behind and watch Kostyn.) That’s right, I remained upright all on my own. I breezed through the NICU like it ain’t no big thang. Was the first brave soul to flip on the lights in the labor room’s bathroom and check out the Jacuzzi tub (let me tell you, they use that term very loosely) that some women opt to labor in. Practically rolled my eyes at the nurse leading the tour when she said she was going to bring us into a small waiting room for a minute so we could all sit down and rest. (Sit? Pfft. Hell, let’s give the delivery suite another drive-by....)

We all know I’m talking a big game here. Without a doubt, I will be shaking with nerves as they approach me with a neatly folded hospital gown and my very own personalized plastic bracelet. I’ll beg for someone to find a way to cover the IV line once it’s inserted, so I can’t see it. I’ll eventually puke, just like last time.

But for now, I’m more confident this go-round. It’s a whole new experience. (And not just because this maternity ward is on the eighth and ninth floors of the hospital, as opposed to the hospital where I delivered Kostyn, which is in a rural county that doesn’t even allow buildings to be taller than three stories.) The difference is that last time I understood that the whole thing was a means to an end, but this time I truly KNOW the end. I feel it. I live it every day.

So, ya know, uh ... bring it on!
/Said with a wince...and a wee bit of trepidation.
//OK, a huge dose of trepidation.
///But only a little dread.