This is just too funny not to share.
We met a couple, Jiffy and Katherine Seto, at a Christmas party in December when I was huge and pregnant. Since Jiffy is a doctor, I ran all kinds of scary childbirth questions by him and he happily answered with a knowing smile that screamed, "There's no easy way out, sister, so get ready!" Katherine and I also hit it off right away, and she mentioned that they were trying for a baby, too. Danny and I were pleased to meet them, and we continued getting to know each other through various lunches and dinners.
Shortly after Tyler arrived, Jiffy and Katherine told us that they were expecting and that Katherine was due on August 8th. Because they are both of Chinese descent, it thrilled them to know that their baby could be born on the opening day of the Beijing Olympics. The tough part was/is that Jiffy had to deploy to Iraq in May and was/is unable to be here for the birth of the baby, as well as its first month or so of life.
So, the two of them holed up in an effort to get as much as possible done before the deployment, and we all prayed and hoped for the best. I did all I could to help Katherine navigate the chaos that is the Wilford Hall OB Clinic, and I made her a list of all the important things that I had learned once Tyler came into the world. Since Jiffy left, I have tried to be faithful about calling and emailing as regularly as possible to offer support and check in on her. All of this is to say that the poor girl has been by herself for a lot of her pregnancy, would not have her husband with her for the birth of their first baby, and she is going to have to deal with the hardest part (in my humble opinion) of motherhood virtually alone. Oh, and she's continued to work full time for her entire pregnancy (she's active duty military, a JAG, like Danny). She's a brave, brave soul.
Part of our anti-boredom plan became pedicures and ice cream. This awesome place near us gives fabulous pedicures, and they last for weeks and weeks. Well, this past Monday, Katherine and I went for a pedicure to update her toes before the big day. When we left her house, she told me that she was having contractions every 20 minutes or so. I decided right then that she wouldn't be making it until Friday; that baby was on its way.
We got our pedicures, talked a lot about the impending birth, and skipped ice cream because she just didn't think she could handle any. That should have been a sign.
Fast forward to yesterday (Thursday) evening. I get a phone call from Katherine, and I immediately prepare myself to run to Wilford Hall. When I pick up the phone, I say, "Are you in labor?" She says, "Not anymore." WHAT???
That crazy girl had had that baby after our pedicures!!! We didn't get home until about 7:30 or 8 p.m., and by 4 a.m. Tuesday morning, her baby was here! In fact, once her contractions got to ten minutes apart, her mother took her over to the hospital, even though the nurse told her to wait until the contractions were three to five minutes apart. Rule #1: Never listen to the nurses at that place.
Thankfully, they went on in because by the time she arrived, she was fully dilated plus one. That baby was coming out fast. She begged for an epidural, got it, and then proceeded to push for a couple of hours. Not knowing the sex of the baby, she was ecstatic when the doctor said, "It's a girl!" That was my guess all along.
In short, the pedicure rumors must be true for some people. They never sped up any laboring for me, but, clearly, it was the magic touch for Katherine!
Welcome to the world, Meredith Seto! We pray that you will be blessed with a happy and healthy life. And, may your toenails always be polished and pretty!
We met a couple, Jiffy and Katherine Seto, at a Christmas party in December when I was huge and pregnant. Since Jiffy is a doctor, I ran all kinds of scary childbirth questions by him and he happily answered with a knowing smile that screamed, "There's no easy way out, sister, so get ready!" Katherine and I also hit it off right away, and she mentioned that they were trying for a baby, too. Danny and I were pleased to meet them, and we continued getting to know each other through various lunches and dinners.
Shortly after Tyler arrived, Jiffy and Katherine told us that they were expecting and that Katherine was due on August 8th. Because they are both of Chinese descent, it thrilled them to know that their baby could be born on the opening day of the Beijing Olympics. The tough part was/is that Jiffy had to deploy to Iraq in May and was/is unable to be here for the birth of the baby, as well as its first month or so of life.
So, the two of them holed up in an effort to get as much as possible done before the deployment, and we all prayed and hoped for the best. I did all I could to help Katherine navigate the chaos that is the Wilford Hall OB Clinic, and I made her a list of all the important things that I had learned once Tyler came into the world. Since Jiffy left, I have tried to be faithful about calling and emailing as regularly as possible to offer support and check in on her. All of this is to say that the poor girl has been by herself for a lot of her pregnancy, would not have her husband with her for the birth of their first baby, and she is going to have to deal with the hardest part (in my humble opinion) of motherhood virtually alone. Oh, and she's continued to work full time for her entire pregnancy (she's active duty military, a JAG, like Danny). She's a brave, brave soul.
Part of our anti-boredom plan became pedicures and ice cream. This awesome place near us gives fabulous pedicures, and they last for weeks and weeks. Well, this past Monday, Katherine and I went for a pedicure to update her toes before the big day. When we left her house, she told me that she was having contractions every 20 minutes or so. I decided right then that she wouldn't be making it until Friday; that baby was on its way.
We got our pedicures, talked a lot about the impending birth, and skipped ice cream because she just didn't think she could handle any. That should have been a sign.
Fast forward to yesterday (Thursday) evening. I get a phone call from Katherine, and I immediately prepare myself to run to Wilford Hall. When I pick up the phone, I say, "Are you in labor?" She says, "Not anymore." WHAT???
That crazy girl had had that baby after our pedicures!!! We didn't get home until about 7:30 or 8 p.m., and by 4 a.m. Tuesday morning, her baby was here! In fact, once her contractions got to ten minutes apart, her mother took her over to the hospital, even though the nurse told her to wait until the contractions were three to five minutes apart. Rule #1: Never listen to the nurses at that place.
Thankfully, they went on in because by the time she arrived, she was fully dilated plus one. That baby was coming out fast. She begged for an epidural, got it, and then proceeded to push for a couple of hours. Not knowing the sex of the baby, she was ecstatic when the doctor said, "It's a girl!" That was my guess all along.
In short, the pedicure rumors must be true for some people. They never sped up any laboring for me, but, clearly, it was the magic touch for Katherine!
Welcome to the world, Meredith Seto! We pray that you will be blessed with a happy and healthy life. And, may your toenails always be polished and pretty!
4 comments:
That is a funny, funny story. Make sure to print out a copy of this blog for Meredith's baby book!
Wow! Great story! I agree-make a copy of this for her baby book!
Wow!I cant decide what's more incredible---Katherine or the birthing story!
Congratulations to the new family!
I am so happy that you and Danny are making friends with such nice folks.
Now Tyler has another friend to share play days with.
Post a Comment