My baby turns 23

Naomi at 10 minutes being held by her sister

Naomi holding her own baby

Naomi and Shanna. Naomi is 10. Shanna had just graduated from college.

At 6 in Disney World

Tempus fugit. Despite using midwives for the first time, Naomi's birth was my most medicated one. My waters had broke on Good Friday 2 weeks before her due date; they were giving me 3 days to go into labor spontaneously. Supposedly  had a 90% chance of going into labor within 24 hours but this did not happen. Early Easter morning, I thought I felt mild contractions which of course stopped as soon as I was in the labor room. So I was induced. For two hours, absolutely no contractions and then suddenly it felt like end stage labor. On contraction two, I was begging for something, anything...make this stop!!!! I had just bragged how I had a 10+ lb baby with no pain medication (sunny side up at that) and 5 minutes in, I am whining. In my defense, there was no break between the contractions and they reached their peak intensity quickly and for a long time. I was given laughing gas, which I found helped a lot though when I was pushing, it was hard to suck it in and push at the same time so I threw the mask off. Although laughing gas is used extensively in Europe, it is isn't used hardly at all in the US though the midwives are trying to bring it back. When I asked (not that many years later) Naomi's OB what the problem was, she said it was bad for the baby but I have found no studies to back her up. About an hour later, I started to push. The midwife stopped me as she thought I had at least 4-6 hours to go but checked..the head was right there. Five minutes later, out popped Naomi. Shanna, almost 12, quietly observed the birth. I had told her that I might need her to leave if things became too intense. It wouldn't be a good strategy to get grandchildren if she saw me scream in pain. I was relatively quiet for the first two and third births should be easier, right?

Did her quick birth lead to learning disabilities? Was she oxygen deprived because there was no break in contractions? Is laughing gas to blame? And her learning disability was so subtle, it took me and her teachers 7 years to figure out something was not right. She had reached all those milestones early. In first grade, she was a fluent reader. She tested all over the place. Very high in some areas but scarily low in others. To most people, she is an outgoing, beautiful woman but then, she gets into a mood and its teenagerhood all over again. Right now she is concentrating on being a mother. In the past, I've come up with plans to follow, which she follows to a certain degree but then gives up. It's up to her now. Slowly she is growing up but she is my biggest worry by far. When will she be self-sufficient?

Spring finally arrived. It was sunny and in the high 40s yesterday when Maya and I went for a walk. Lots of sun deprived people out and about. Maya petted numerous dogs. I stopped to speak to a former co-worker while Maya looked down at her feet. Strange adults are so scary to her. We went to the playground which is still snow covered as it is shady there. Still Maya was thrilled to go on the swings.

I spent hours yesterday trying to use a Groupon for a photomagazine. It is due to expire. However none of my work could be saved..such a waste. I finally got a hold of them today and they admitted that everyone using their groupons at the last moment crashed their site. They gave me an extension and will e-mail me when the site is repaired. Too bad this info wasn't on their site before I wasted so much time.

I will take Naomi out for a special dinner tonight. Maya will stay with Steve.