Friday, March 6, 2009

The First Born

Ok. I am doing this. This has been doing rounds on facebook, so I am picking it up and doing it here. And because M4 tagged me too.

1. WAS YOUR FIRST PREGNANCY PLANNED?
Yup and for a while too.

2. WERE YOU MARRIED AT THE TIME?
BigGeek says yes. Ofcourse we were! We are Indians. Are you telling me its possible to have babies without being married?

3. WHAT WERE YOUR REACTIONS?
Delight. Excitement. Anxiety. Contentment.

4. WAS ABORTION AN OPTION FOR YOU?
Absolutely not. No matter what the results of the Down’s test said.

5. HOW OLD WERE YOU?
Very old. 29.

6. HOW DID YOU FIND OUT YOU WERE PREGNANT?
Blood test. At the doctor’s office.

7. WHO DID YOU TELL FIRST?
I got the call at work from my doctor’s office. Called BigGeek right away. And we both were speechless. Called my parents the next morning (they were living in Germany at the time) and told them just as they came out of a museum bookstore. And then called the other set of grandparents.

8. DUE DATE?
May 21, 2005.

9. DID YOU HAVE MORNING SICKNESS?
Just general all-day nausea.

10. WHAT DID YOU CRAVE?
Sweets and read meat. I would look at baby back ribs and hotdogs and salivate. Mind you I am a vegetarian and did not eat the meat despite everyone telling me otherwise. A few months ago, I met a Chinese woman at a wedding and she told me according to Chinese folk lore, if a pregnant woman’s cravings are unmet, the child is born with a birthmark on their backs. Guess where Chip has a birthmark? On this back.

11. WHO/WHAT IRRITATED YOU THE MOST?
That the in-utero Chip treated my bladder as a 24-7 trampoline. And my commute. It was so long that I had to stop mid way at BigGeek’s office to use the restrooms there. He was the only guy to have a copy of the women’s restroom’s keys. He got teased a LOT for that. If I weren’t pregnant at the time, I would have been sympathetic.

12. WHAT WAS YOUR FIRST CHILD'S SEX?
Boy.

13. DID YOU WISH YOU HAD THE OPPOSITE SEX OF WHAT YOU WERE GETTING?
Not really. I always thought I would be a better mom to a boy than a girl.

14. HOW MANY POUNDS DID YOU GAIN THROUGHOUT THE PREGNANCY?
About 20 and they stayed a long time with me.

15. DID YOU HAVE A BABY SHOWER?
Oh, yes! I had two. One was thrown by my friends. I knew about it and it was a girls-only affair. They decorated with flowers everywhere and even made jewellery out of fresh flowers in the proper Maharastrian style. And made all my favorite food. Made me feel so special. The second one was thrown by BigGeek’s aunt in New England. That was a surprise and boy was I speechless. She had invited my uncle and aunt and cousins and friends from New England that I had not met in ages. It was very sweet of her. Just thinking of it makes me break out in a big grin.

16. WAS IT A SURPRISE OR DID YOU KNOW?
Look above.

17. DID YOU HAVE ANY COMPLICATIONS DURING YOUR PREGNANCY?
Low progesterone. They also detected a mildly elongated QT interval in my heart and was prescribed beta blocker which I did not take.

18. WHERE DID YOU GIVE BIRTH?
In a hospital. Where else?

19. HOW MANY HOURS WERE YOU IN LABOR?
Twelve. Contractions started around 4:00 am in the morning, Chip was out at 4:45 pm in the evening.

20. WHO DROVE YOU TO THE HOSPITAL/BIRTH CENTER?
BigGeek. At around 12:30 pm. We were all very chilled. My mom accompanies us, ofcourse.

21. WHO WATCHED YOU GIVE BIRTH?
BigGeek and my mom. The OB-Gyn and two nurses.

22. WAS IT NATURAL OR C-SECTION?
Natural.

23. DID YOU TAKE MEDICINE TO EASE THE PAIN?
At the very last moment. The pain wasn’t bad, but I did not know how bad it could get when I started to push. So I said yes to the epidural and promptly napped for an hour.

24. HOW MUCH DID YOUR CHILD WEIGH?
7lb 7oz.

25. WHEN WAS YOUR CHILD ACTUALLY BORN ?
Exactly a week before my due date. On May 14.

26. WHAT WAS YOUR REACTION WHEN THE DOCTOR ANNOUNCED THE SEX OF THE BABY?
Well, for one, the sex of the baby was announced 5 months earlier. By a radiologist or whatever they call those doctors that look at sonograms. And we were thrilled ofcourse.

27. WHAT WAS YOUR FIRST REACTION ON SEEING THE BABY?
Relieved that he was not a fish. Throughout my pregnancy I dreamt I was carrying a fish. So it was a great relief to see a bonny human baby.

28. DID YOU CRY?
Naah. The adrenalin had kicked in. I was on a high.

29. WHAT DID YOU NAME HIM?
Chip, ofcourse :)

30. HOW OLD IS YOUR FIRST BORN TODAY

120,253,591 Seconds and counting. Ok. He is 3 years 9 months and some days.

12 comments:

Choxbox said...

29 is NOT old. at least not from half a decade away from there.

good heavens, guess what the word verif is - colik!

rayshma said...

u called me VERY old. :(
and i don't even have a chance of having a kid before i turn 30.
i am not talking to u.
not to mention, i'm sitting in the corner and sulking.
:'(

rayshma said...

why would u think u're carrying a fish??? hehehe

Anonymous said...

Are you serious ?(about chip having a birthmark on his back?) wow to those chinese people. Never heard of this before.

Vinita

Just Like That said...

that Chinese folklore bit is just awesome. Chip having a birthmark on his back sent a thrill up my back! :-)
LOL at can you get babies without getting married :-D

Mamma mia! Me a mamma? said...

Thanks for doing this, LOVED reading this...esp. the bit about the birthmark! Gotta love traditional folklore!

As for carrying a fish...hehehe!

Cee Kay said...

What is "read meat" Something for booklovers?? I'd like to try that please!

And I am SO glad Chip has a birthmark on this back and not on that one because, you know, having it on THAT one would just not be good.

:P

Sujatha Bagal said...

I was 29 too! That Chinese old wives' tale is just amazing!

Rohini said...

Sweet post. The birthmark story is awesome!

Tharini said...

Interesting. Tell me...why did you feel you would be a better mom to a boy? I ask because I think like that too, but don't know exactly why I think it. :)

rayshma said...

and heyy... just wanted to add... i'd heard the chinese tale from my mom also... she told my bhabhi that... but of course, neither of us thought it was true...

Mama - Mia said...

:)

awesome stuff! one of the few who went into details! much more fun than raeding yes and no! :D

and yup at 28 even i wished it was l'il earlier.

and I had dohal jevan that my mom arranged for me. quite good fun!

this is my take!

http://amateurabe.blogspot.com/2009/03/meri-kahaani-meri-hi-zubaani.html

cheers!

abha