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 |  Middle-Age Spread is NOT a Condiment!
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| This is my second attempt at keeping a daily blog. I'm hoping I will be able to enter something everyday, just to keep my creative juices flowing. I plan on writing about my day, and infusing it with my "quirky" way of viewing things. If you read my blog for a few days, you'll see what I'm talking about. I'm in my fifties and see things slightly different than mainstream. Hopefully you will enjoy what you read, and maybe even get a laugh or two along the way. |
| On Friday I received a call from my gynecologist's office. The message said the results of my blood test were in and I was to call the office. They would be there until 3 pm. Well, I didn't get the message until I got home from work at 6, so I had to wait all weekend. While doing everything that I normally do on the weekend, the call from the doctor's office was in the back of my mind. What are the results? Am I menopausal or do I have some other affliction? To be honest with you, I was hoping for some other affliction. Isn't that strange of me? I guess I would almost rather have an illness as opposed to menopause. I mentioned to my mother that I had the blood test and had to call the office for the results. She wasn't as sympathetic as I had hoped. "Well, Vick, all women go through it, so it's just your time." And that was all she had to say on the subject. She went on to tell me what she needed from the grocery store. Monday morning my mind was consumed with calling the doctor. I knew the office didn't open until 10 o'clock, so, I pretty much stewed until then. Finally, right on the dot, I called at 10. The line was busy. In fact it was busy for half an hour. I kept thinking, "don't these people know that I am trying to get through?" At 10:30 the phone rang. The nurse pulled my file, checked my blood work, and gave me the news. In her most sympathetic voice, "Oh you are menopausal, dear." My mind raced. I immediately set-up an appointment to talk to my doctor. This morning, before I go to work, I have an appointment to see him so I can ask him some questions about this "new stage" in my life. After I got the news, I was talking to one of my tellers who was sick. "I'm so sick right now, I can't even keep my eyes open," she said. I felt like saying, "Oh yeah? Well, I'm menopausal, so suck it up." As I drove the hour commute home, I had a lot of time to think about it. I tried to look at the positives. On the positive side, I could now use my hormones as an excuse for just about anything. "Sorry, I can't babysit today, I'm having really bad hot flashes," or "I'm tired today, I was up all night with night sweats so I can't do the grocery shopping," or I could even say, "Look, don't get my hormones in an uproar - just clean your room." I mean there are ways of using it to my advantage. I just have to be creative with the whole thing. I feel kind of 'blah' about it. I'm 43 years old and didn't expect to go through this for another 10 years. All my life I have tried to be "advanced" at everything I've done, and it just figures that this would be the one area that I achieved it. Have a great day! |
| My husband made the comment the other day "You know Vick, men aren't men anymore." I thought about this for awhile, and I realized that he is right. There was a time when men totally 'ruled the roost'. They had the last say on everything and everything was decided upon by them. Now, men are lucky if they get to choose what they wear. Think about the movies that we watched growing-up. Remember how John Wayne always saved the day? Or how about Clint Eastwood movies. They were take charge kind of men who got the job done, no questions asked. They didn't have time for wimps or wusses. Now, we have Johnny Depp as a pirate who wears make-up. Or Tom Cruise, who is scary in real life, but in movies, well, he just doesn't do it for me. Even the musicians of years ago had more masculinity than those of today. Think about Robert Plant compared to Clay Aiken. There is no comparison. Robert Plant exuded sexuality, while Clay Aiken is just, well, asexual. Even Clint Eastwood had "The Bridges of Madison County" or whatever it was called. Times sure have changed. Now, men are more in-touch with their "feminine-side". This phenomenon can be traced back to the 80's. I hate to say such a negative thing about my era, but it's true. That's when women started the notion that men had to be more attuned to their own feelings and just let them show. We began seeing Hawkeye Pierce on MASH cry and singers of the time took on personas such as Boy George and George Michael. We began to lose "men" then. The other day I was introduced to a man and when I shook his hand, it was softer than mine. I'm not sure what that says about him or me, I was just embarrassed that a man's hands would be softer than mine. There was a time when men had hands riddled with callouses from hard work. Don't get me wrong. I know it is still a "man's world", but it is a wimpier world at that. I don't know what the answer is. I know that my husband doesn't fall into that category. He is one of a dying breed I guess. He can still fix just about anything, and I know his hands are rougher than mine from the work that he does all day. He might not exactly 'rule the roost' but when he does explode in anger, we all take cover - me, my daughter, and the cat. Have a great day! |
| It's time I start thinking about gathering all of our information to begin the process of preparing our taxes. I hate this whole routine, mostly because it falls on my shoulders to do it. There was a time when I took everything to a friend of mine, who was a CPA. She gave us a huge break on her fee. Once I noticed that she was using TurboTax to do them, I thought, why can't I just do them. So began my long hated relationship with yearly tax return preparation. I usually pick a Sunday and start entering information, answering the questions that are prompted, and sorting through the mountain of information I have. When I think I am finished, I ask my husband to look through it and sign it. Well, this is the part that I really, I mean really, hate. "Did you enter the mortgage interest?" "What about the taxes we paid last year?" "What about daycare payments?" On and on he asks and I answer his questions with as much patience as I can muster. Then, I snap. My husband is the one who pesters me to do them. When I finally get them done, he stands over me criticizing, questioning, and detracting the work that I did. "If you don't like what I've done - then YOU do them!" This is my annual comeback. Hearing this, he usually tries to back-pedal and smooth over my ruffled feathers, so to speak. He doesn't want to do them. I only got stuck with it because I am "The Banker" in the family. Big Whoop! I can't blame my husband for questioning them - well, I can and do, but for this discussion let's just say I can't. We always hear of people who get great refund amounts. They use their refund to buy great vacations, or something wanted for the house. We, on the other hand, end up paying in. Last year it was over two thousand dollars - ouch! So, he wants to make sure I remember to count everything. With TurboTax it is hard to forget things - it prompts you every step of the way. I tell him this, but he still questions me. You know, I think this year I will make him do them. It will be good for him to learn how to do them on the computer. He can see how much trouble I go through and then, when he is finished, I'll stand there and question, criticize and detract from his work. I think that would do my soul some good. Have a great day! |
| I'm so tired of turning on my television only to find, on every channel, the main discussion is where Anna Nicole Smith will be buried, who's the father of her baby, and what did she die from. Why is this news? Why should I care? I remember the days when you turned on the evening news and you learned what was going on in the world around you. You found out such things as the state of the economy, what was going on in Washington, what world affairs were prevalent, and science and technology updates. This was news. Now, I turn on the evening news and all I learn about is the latest happening with Angelina Jolie and Brad Pitt, how Madonna adopted her latest child, and what is going on with Britney Spears. Why is this news? How did this stuff make if off the pages of the supermarket tabloids and onto the evening news? Shouldn't this remain on such shows as 'Entertainment Tonight'? I am so sick and tired of hearing about celebrities. I really don't care what they are doing, how they are doing, why they are doing it and with whom they are doing it. This is not news. We have a generation of children who are only interested in the latest Hollywood happenings. They aren't informed about the world around them and in fact consider this 'information' to be the news. We are raising a generation of empty-headed zombies. And there is no way to shelter our children from this nonsense. Every channel, every commercial, every station break mentions something about a celebrity or makes reference to what is going on with the latest 'hot' celebrity. This is all part of the "dumbing down" of America. No longer do we hear in-depth reports on social, political or economic issues. Rather we learn what rehab center Lindsay Lohan checked herself into, or what Jennifer Aniston thinks about Brad and Angelina or where Tom and Katie are vacationing. Yesterday we finally found out where Anna Nicole Smith will be buried. I can't remember being bombarded with such trash when I watched the evening news as a young adult. Then we were riveted to the television to watch what was going on during Desert Storm. Remember Arthur Kent the Scud Stud? Or what/who President Bill Clinton was doing, These were things that had impact on our government. This was news. I think this all began with the O.J. trial. America was riveted. This led the network news gurus to decide that every broadcast should include celebrity updates. Soon, two thirds of what we watched was Hollywood related. Do I need to know what Susan Sarandon thinks of President Bush? Do I need to know that the Dixie Chicks are 'back on top"? Give me the days when David Brinkley and John Chancellor reported. When you turned on the news to find out what was going on in the world, rather than what was worn to the Grammy awards. This is my rant for the day. I'm just sick of hearing about this elite group of people. I'm so sick of them being the center of attention when there are more important things going on. And I'm sick of them shaping the minds of our young people. To think more twenty-somethings know what is going on in Hollywood than know where Iraq is on the map is distressing. Have a great day! |
| Our customers loved the fasnachts. We have two dozen left which we will put out for them this morning. I had the table right outside my office and I could hear the comments the customers made while they were helping themselves. It should be noted that most of our customers are senior (or is it 'seasoned'?) citizens. "Oh look! They have syrup and butter" and "They smell so fresh" were just some of the comments I heard. All in all, it was a success. I tried two of them which is totally not like me. I couldn't resist the glazed ones and the plain ones where just as good. It was cute to see a mother give one of the glazed ones to her two little girls. She cut it in half for them, and they sat on the two chairs that are outside my office. One was aged four and the other one was two. They sat and ate their fasnacht trying to being as neat as possible. I went out to see them and asked if they liked them. All they could do was nod their heads because their mouths were full. They ate the whole thing. Their mother told me she had to go grocery shopping so that was a nice treat for them before heading to the supermarket. They were adorable. What a job it was setting up both branches. At least I had help at the second branch I went to. At my home branch I did everything myself. The two tellers that were there with me were about as 'helpful as horns on a cow' as my father used to say. They just let me set-up everything. But, having said that, when they waited on a customer they did direct them to the food table. "Help yourself to some fasnachts and coffee" I heard them say. When you work at a bank, you are required by law to give back to the community. It's called 'CRA' which stands for Community Reinvestment Act. Your CRA is something bank examiners look at when they audit banks. For my next project I am partnering with a local Girl Scout troop to have a food drive in April. This is good for the Girl Scouts, for the community and for us. Plus, the troop leader is open to other suggestions. Once she said that, my mind instantly began to think of other projects: a blood drive, winter coat drive, and a child fingerprinting day. This branch wasn't involved in many community projects before I started there, maybe once a year they did a Customer Appreciation Day, but that was it. If I have my way, every two months we will be doing something for the community. That is my update for today. Not my usual style, I admit, but I had to fill you in on how everything went yesterday. Tomorrow I should be back to my version of 'normal'. Have a great day! |
| Fat Tuesday is traditionally known as 'Fasnacht Day' here in my little corner of Pennsylvania. It is a Pennsylvania Dutch phrase and I think it means something like 'night before the fast'. There is a tradiional food that is eaten too. It is round and donut-like, but without the hole These deep-fried creations, known as 'fasnachts', are somewhat dry, so, you eat them with syrup, butter, and powdered sugar. They are a BIG thing here and many churches, supermarkets and other organizations make and sell them. I personally do not care for fasnachts. I have tried them at least a few times in my life, since I've worked in Pennsylvania Dutch country for over sixteen years. They don't have much flavor unless you get the ones that are deep-fried in lard. I know that sounds totally gross, but they are the best tasting. When deep-fried in lard they have their own sweetness and can be eaten without any syrup or powdered sugar. Years ago I worked with a guy whose dad made them with lard and he made a batch every year. He would always bring some into work for us to try These were delicious. Today, I decided to have Customer Appreciation Day at the two bank branches that I work. To celebrate our customers I decided we would have fasnachts for them. Yesterday I went shopping for everything both branches would need. The total was almost $100. Apparently, fasnachts are not cheap. I also bought a dozen donuts for my family, since many people know this day as "Donut Day" too. (Growing-up, that's what we always called it.) My husband doesn't like fasnachts and my daughter is just like him, so, donuts were the only alternative for us. I made it clear to both of them that the donuts were for tomorrow. If they wanted a baked good, I made Baked Oatmeal with blueberies yesterday. Well, I just got up and on the counter is the box of donuts with two missing. The more healthy alternative, was left untouched. The bigger problem is that no one listens to me. I make a statement and it goes in one ear and out the other. It is the same at the bank. I asked the head teller at my other branch to come up with a list of supplies that she needed for Customer Appreciation Day. I wanted the list by the 9th but never got it. Finally Friday, after sending an email to her, she called me. "I'm not sure what you mean by supplies," she said. This is a girl who grew up in Pennsylvania Dutch country and she doesn't know what supplies are needed for fasnacts. Give me a break. I ended up doing the list myself, which I'm sure was her plan. Anyway, besides all of that, today will be a good day for our customers. We are serving coffee and tea also, so they will have a nice treat when they come into our branches. I expect this will go over very well. I'm actually excited about it since it was my idea, and this is the first project I have done since starting here last July. My boss was lukewarm on the idea, but she will be out of the office anyway for training. This is my baby, so to speak. I have a trunkload of fasnacts and all the fixins and can't wait to see how everything goes. I will let you know tomorrow if the day was a success or a flop. Have a great day! |
| My daughter and I went to the drugstore the other day to buy a few items. As I looked at the jelly bean selection, my daughter came over to me with a bottle of nail polish. "Mom, can I get this?" I looked at it and it was black. "No, what are you Goth? Pick another color." I shook my head and went back to looking at the candy. Lately my daughter transformed into a classic example of a 'tween'. A fancy word used to describe a child who is between the teenage years and the 'child' years. She listens to different music than she used to - no more pop music for her, dresses differently, and is doing freaky things with her hair. She also would like to get it cut the same way as the singer from her latest favorite group. I wouldn't mind a new look for her, however, the singer is male, and his hair looks like I cut it - choppy in the back and long in the front. She began wearing her hair long in the front and I can tell you, it looks stupid. "My friends like it this way," she tells me. "Your friends have no taste." I can't get her to wear, what I consider, 'nice outfits'. A nice top and a nice pair of pants would be a refreshing change. Instead, she wears t-shirts and jeans with a sweatshirt. "I'm not a girly girl," she tells me. Oh how I know that! I long for the days when I could go to the mall and pick-out her clothes myself. Pretty dresses and cute outfits were the norm in those days. I could take her to the hairdresser and tell her how to cut my daughter's hair without any kind of feedback from my daughter. And black nail polish wasn't even an option for her. Pinks and peaches were her favorite colors then. Wherever we went she held my hand and she wanted to go everywhere with me. Those were the days! Now, I have a stranger who is morphing into this odd person who likes to wear black nail polish, have her hair combed forward into her face, and wears the same clothes everyday. The only time she wants to go anywhere with me is if I am going to the mall. Once there, she looks at the t-shirt selection and black nail polish. Her room is a mess, she doesn't take care of her clothes, and helping out around the house is apparently beneath her. She is my only child and I think this has a lot to do with it. Years ago, a friend told me that an only child will grow-up to be a selfish person. I didn't believe it. My decision to have one child is based on my own childhood. I grew up in a family of five children. I was the middle child. We never had money for anything and my parents bought new clothes for us twice a year - once in the fall for school, and once in the spring for Easter. I wore hand-me-downs, which I hated because I had older brothers, not sisters. I wore boys jeans before it was the thing to do. I decided then that if I ever had kids I would only have one so I could give that one child everything. Some people go the other route saying, "I came from a big family so I want to have a big family." The down-side of having an only child is that you become everything to them. When they are young, they want your attention constantly. When they go out into the world, they expect the same treatment from others. My daughter likes to be the center of attention too, and one way she accomplishes this is by making funny comments at school, during class. Her teachers always write comments in her report that say "talks too much during class." I've heard her 'boss' her friends around, and then wonder why they don't call her to go out with them. I can see this new way of dressing is her attempt to be the center of attention at school. If she is doing these things now, what will she be like when she hits the teenage years? I don't know if I am prepared for them. I'm concerned that she will go 'Goth' on me. You've seen the Goths. They are the teenagers who wear black all the time, wear black eyeliner too thick, and yes, wear black nail polish. They have various piercings on their faces and wear strange earrings. Whenever my husband sees a group of teenagers hanging-out together he calls them "Goffs" whether they are or not. We always correct his pronunciation. Today she wants me to take her to the mall to see if they have a t-shirt of her favorite group. You can bet, I'm in a real hurry to get there. Have a great day! |
| I finally got my hands on the remote. This is not an easy thing to do with my husband and daughter around. While channel surfing I noticed the movie "A River Runs Through It", was on. This is one of my husband's favorite movies because they show a lot of flyfishing the rivers of Montana. My husband is a big flyfisherman. Anyway, instead of calling to my husband and telling him the movie was on, the thought ran through my mind, "Oh no. I hope Michael doesn't find out this is on." I realized this was being mean, but I still didn't call him to the television. I've seen this movie countless times because my husband watches it whenever it is on. Like I said, it is one of his favorite movies. He considers it a classic. This started me thinking of all the movies that my husband won't watch. (Here we go, another list.) 1. Black and white movies: He refuses to watch these because, well, they're black and white. He considers the acting in these movies nothing more than one speech after another, and not acting. This includes the holiday classic 'It's a Wonderful Life', which just so happens to be on my "favorite movies" list. Whenever I try to watch it, all he does is sit there and make fun of it. So, I always make a speech of my own before I do sit down to watch it. "I'm going to watch this movie and I don't want any comments, criticisms, or sarcasm while I do. Got it?" 2. Musicals: I can't watch ANY musicals without my husband making snide remarks or comments. 'West Side Story' is a favorite of mine and I haven't watched that in years even though I bought a copy of it. He thinks it is stupid that they walk along singing, and yet people don't stop and take notice. He doesn't understand the concept of a musical. One day I sat down to watch 'Oliver" (another favorite) and he thought I had gone insane. "Really, you're gonna watch this?" He looked at me like I had two heads. Then went to the bedroom to watch the television. 3. Any religious movie: These he considers to be a waste of time. My husband calls himself a "man of science" and therefore, since science proves there is no God, these movies are a joke. One Easter I rented the movie 'Luther' which is about Martin Luther. My husband watched some of the movie and then decided it was "too hard to follow" and went to his Fish and Game Room to tie flies (for flyfishing). At least I had peace and quiet while I watched the rest of the movie. As for 'The Passion of The Christ', well I never saw it so when other people talk about it I have to fake my way through the conversation. My in-laws all went to see this movie when it was in the theater, so I got a detailed report from them. 4. 'Spice World': I can't say that I blame him for not wanting to watch this movie. This is with the Spice Girls - remember them? My daughter saw this movie at the daycare she used to go to. She fell in love with it. Every time we went to the video store she had to rent this movie. I refused to buy it because I knew she would play it non-stop. I would sit with her and watch it, over and over again and again. To this day, my daughter would still rent this movie. 5. War Movies: That is any war movie that has John Wayne, Audie Murphy, or any other actor from the forties and fifties. In fact, my husband didn't know who Audie Murphy was until I told him. (He was the most decorated soldier to come out of WWII, awarded the Congressional Medal of Honor for his bravery, just in case you didn't know.) I guess I just expect him to want to watch these movies the way my brothers and dad used to watch them. We would sit in front of the television every Sunday and watch one of them. Michael just isn't into them at all. However, he will sit and watch the newer war movies like 'Full Metal Jacket' for example. These I don't like because of the blood and gore they depict. 6. Scary/Horror Movies: I love watching a good scary movie. Not the bloody, gorey type, but a good "make the hairs on the back of your neck stand-up" scary movie. These he will not watch because he says they give him nightmares. My daughter falls into this category too. I haven't seen a scary movie since I rented "The Ring" over two years ago. I was home by myself and watched it without interruption. I didn't consider it to be scary or spine-tingling, but at least I got to watch a scary movie. I love vampire movies too, but haven't watched one since "Interview with a Vampire". He watched this with me, but told me the next day that he had dreams of vampires chasing him. Oh brother! 7. Any Disney Movie: We are not Disney fanatics. We are not caught up in the whole "we have to go to Disney for vacation". My in-laws, on the other hand, love Disney movies and would buy them for my daughter for every occassion. They have been to Disney countless times and can't believe we have no desire to go there. Having said that, I will watch some Disney movies. I like the old classics like "Lady and The Tramp" and "Mary Poppins". My husband can't get past the fact that it is a Disney movie, so, he won't watch them. Besides, many of them are musicals too. They have two strikes against them. 8. Romantic/Love Stories: The last romantic movie that we watched was "When Harry Met Sally". How many years ago was that a hit? The only reason we watched it was because it was considered a comedy too. But sappy 'chick-lit' type movies are out of the question. "Ghost", for example, we never saw. 9. Tom Hanks Movies: He doesn't like watching these because I happened to mention that I used to have a "thing" for Tom Hanks. Now Tom Hanks movies are something to make fun of. Consequently, I have seen few of his recent movies. The last one was "The Green Mile", or whatever it was called. Michael has mentioned that he would like to see "The DaVinci Code" but I think that is only because I read it in one weekend and totally ignored him and my daughter. He started calling me 'Mrs. DaVinci'. He can be such a smart-ass. 10. Kevin Costner Movies: This is my fault. Once, when we were still single, Michael made a big fuss over Madonna. I got jealous. (I know, that was stupid on my part.) Anyway, I remember picking up a copy of Time Magazine and seeing Kevin Costner. Just to get a rise out of Michael, and to get back at him for making me jealous, I started making a big deal about Kevin Costner. In reality, I am not a big Kevin Costner fan. I think the movie "Robin Hood" was big at the time. So, I insisted that we rented it because the big thing about this movie is you got to see Kevin Costner's bare butt. To this day, Michael thinks I absolutely love Kevin Costner. To get back to my original thought, as I channel surfed and passed "A River Runs Through It", I wondered how many times Michael came across movies that he knows I would like. Is he sitting there thinking, "I hope Vick doesn't find out this is on"? Since he is the 'remote king' and seldom gives up control of it, who knows how many great movies I have missed out on. This is my humble entry for the day. I hope you enjoy it. Have a GREAT day! |
| Yesterday I made an appointment to see my gynecologiest. Or rather I made an appointment to have a blood test done. I have a feeling that 'the thing' that I've been afraid to face, is upon me. 'The thing' is menopause. YIKES! Just saying it strikes fear in my heart. I made the appointment because, since November, it feels like I have PMS coming on, but then nothing happens. This week, I will go, have the blood test done, and the doctor's office will call me with the results. You may think that I'm jumping the gun, but I have this 'need to know' mentality. This has always gotten me into trouble. I inevitably find-out things that I am better off not knowing. If the results reveal that 'yes' I am in the throes of menopause, how will that change my outlook on life? What will my husband say, or do? Will I finally be able to get rid of the blanket my husband insists we need on our bed? Will I no longer need that stack of panties that have been relegated to 'that week' of the month? Will I have the uncontrollable urge to join The Red Hat Society? These are the thoughts that have been clouding my mind since I made the appointment. For those of us who have yet to go through menopause, I must tell you it is something that we are not looking forward to, and even fear. In some ways I feel it is a signal that you are in the last stage of your life. In other ways, it is somewhat liberating in the fact that you no longer need to spend a small fortune on 'items' from the feminine hygiene aisle. It's kind of strange that just as I am ending my dependency on the feminine hygiene items, my daughter needs them. Isn't nature something else? It is almost as if nature said, "You're done, but you are next." I remember when my mother went through menopause. It was not pleasant to be around her. Her mood swings were wicked. One minute she was asking me if I needed lunch money, and the next she was chewing me out for asking her for money. When I talked back, she asked me, "What's your problem? What, are you going through 'the change' or something?" Yeah right, I was thirteen years old at the time. She had hot flashes, cold flashes, mood swings and night sweats. She finally, finally, went to the doctor and complained. He issued a prescription for Estrogen and sent her on her way. My brothers and I breathed a sigh of relief. She had a prescription for miracle pills as far as we were concerned. But, having the pills and taking them are two different things. And my mother was never good at taking medicine. So, the pills fell by the wayside, and we suffered right along with her. These are the memories I associate with menopause. Now maybe you can understand my reluctance to step over that line. I don't want to turn into my mother. THAT is scarier than menopause. I hope you all have a GREAT day! P.S. For more of my thoughts on this subject, check-out
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| Yesterday, while I was snowbound, I watched televison and saw a show that mentioned Mother Teresa. Whenever I see her, I always think of the day my daughter was born. With that, I always think of the things that I would have done differently that day. Mother Teresa came to our county on June 17, 1995. In fact, she went to the small town where my in-laws live. And, being the good Catholics that they are, they all went to the church to see her. I went into labor bright and early that morning. I remember waking my husband around six o'clock to tell him that I was having contractions. He asked me how far apart they were. When I said three minutes, he said, "Let me know when they are a minute apart." With that, he rolled over and went back to sleep. You can imagine how well that went over. He got his butt out of bed, called the doctor, and then set about calling the relatives. At first we couldn't understand why he couldn't reach anyone so early in the morning, and then we remembered Mother Teresa. We headed to the hospital and were shown to one of the "birthing rooms". A television was in the room and my husband was drawn to it like bees to a flower. Almost every channel had coverage of Mother Teresa. Traditional church music filled the room. Meanwhile, I was in extreme pain and began whining for my epidural. The anesthesiologist came into the room to administer it and said, "Hearing that church music is kind of creepy." I felt the same way. The church music made me feel like I was in a remake of 'Rosemary's Baby'. Since it was Saturday morning, my choice would have been Bugs Bunny making a wisecrack on the morning cartoons. My labor went fast. When my daughter was born an hour later, the doctor told my husband to cut the cord. My husband is a squeamish person when it comes to blood. He dreaded this moment. "I think I'm gonna pass-out," he said. The nurses and doctor had to force him to do it. He turned his head as he squeezed the forceps, and finally the cord was cut. My daughter was carried to one of those warming tables where she was weighed and cleaned-up. She cried the way newborns do. My husband walked over to her and said, "What's all this crying about?" and she instantly stopped. She recognized his voice. This is a cherished memory. However, he walked over to where I was and stood behind the doctor to see what she was doing. I watched him closely. He pointed at the area she was working and made a face. I still had my feet in the stirrups, so I had no idea what he saw. Being afraid of the whole delivery room experience, I insisted that he be by my side throughout the whole process. Looking back, this was a bad choice on my part. I should have gone into the room by myself. Afterall, once I got my epidural, I was fine and didn't need a coach or moral support. In fact the nurses were wonderful and I didn't feel as scared as I thought I would. The organ music, having to force him to cut the cord, and the faces he made behind the doctor's back, I could have done without. He wasn't crazy about the idea to begin with, and seeing blood, and cutting the cord caused him to break-out in a cold sweat. I think my husband would agree with me on this point. He would have been just as happy to sit in the waiting room and be called in when everything was over and done. Like our fathers did when we were born. Well, that's my trip down memory lane for the day. Sorry I had to subject you to that. Have a Great day! |
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