Fast Fact Friday: "Story of Jason's Birth"

When I was 8 months pregnant I moved back home to Pocatello to deliver my baby. I was living in Logan, Utah at the time and my job was going really bad. I decided to leave and have the support of my family while I gave birth to my baby as a single mother.

In the picture above is my dad, brothers and sisters. Lyle and Richard were visiting from Texas and my dad arranged a family reunion barbecue at Ross Park.

back row: Christine, Lyle and Richard

front row: Sondra, my dad Grant and sister Cindy

 Comparing bellies with my dad. "Whose tummy is bigger?"

A few years ago Jason interviewed me about his birth. These are the questions he asked:

1. What was the weather like the day I was born?

It was stormy and getting ready to rain.

2. What kind of pains did you have?

I didn't have much pain. It was just like small aches in my back. I had these small pains every 10 minutes. My sister couldn't believe I didn't have to practice my breathing. During my doctors appointment that day, the doctor told me to go up to the hospital because I was dilated to 8 centimeters. When I arrived at the hospital, he broke my water and then HARD labor started. It lasted 3 1/2 hours and then Jason was born.

3. What did you think about while you were in labor?

Aunt Cindy and Uncle Kelly were suppose to bring up my camera because I had forgotten it. They didn't come up to the hospital because they thought I would be in labor a long time. I was worried they would not make it in time. My mom was in the labor room helping me. She didn't like seeing me in that much pain and kept leaving me. I didn't want her to leave me. I felt all alone, no doctors or nurses came to check on me and I was sure I would have my baby all by myself - alone. I was scared.

After 3 1/2 hours of natural labor, Jason came into the world screaming and peed all over the doctor. They put Jason in my arms for a short time and then Grandma went with him for his first bath and check up.

(first time holding my newborn baby after the delivery)

 4. Were you surprised I was male?

Very surprised. All through my pregnancy I thought you were a girl, the doctor told me the heart beat sounded like a girl. I bought all these pink dresses. When the doctor told me you were a boy, I was in shock and told him I couldn't believe it. I told him how all my baby clothes were pink. My doctor probably thought I was really weird.

5. Where was my dad?

Larry was suppose to fly to Pocatello, Idaho. I was going to call him when I started labor. He lived in Grants Pass, Oregon. When I called him, his mom told me his was in Portland looking for a new job. I was really disappointed because he was suppose to be moving to Pocatello after you were born. I was sad because he had lied to me.

 6. What did I look like?

You had a lot of dark brown hair and your head looked like a football - pointed.

Grandma was really nervous about it and told me I needed to have you sleep on one side of your head and then the other to shape your head to normal. But after a couple of days it was fine, you were beautiful.

(side note: Grandma didn't really know what newborns looked like because wayback when she had children the mothers were pretty sedated and out of it. She didn't have natural child birth. That is why she didn't like being in the hospital room with me during labor - she had never truly experienced it.)

 (picture above - we are getting ready to go home from the hospital)

7. What happened after you had me?

They put me in a recovery room. It was kind of like a hallway with curtains. That night a bunch of babies were born because it was stormy weather. It took them a long time to bring my baby to me because they were so busy. After they took you again, they made me try to go to the bathroom. I couldn't go because of all the trauma. When I tried, I passed out. After they took me to my room, they gave me a cafetiere to drain my bladder.

8. What day was I born?

July 25th, the day after pioneer day.

8:25 pm.

7 pounds 13 ounces and 20 inches long

When Jason was 6 weeks old, we took our first airplane ride to Medford, Oregon to see his dad. We flew from Boise, Idaho to Portland Oregon, then took a very small plane to Medford. Mom and dad fell in love again and decided to try and work it out. We drove back to Pocatello as a family. It only lasted 3 months and then Larry left after Christmas that year.

Jason had the chicken pox on December 11, 1984, when he was 5 months old. It was a very mild case. Jason started to crawl March 5, 1985. I took away his bottle on July 5, 1985 (20 days before he turned 1) and he also took his first step on July 5th.

The headlines on the day Jason was born were:

Presidential Elections: Regan (R) vs Mondale (D)

USA Getting Ready for Olympics, held in Los Angeles, Ca

Soviets Boycotted the Olympics

Some of the events in 1984: The President was Ronald Regan; Movies: Rambo with Sylvester Stallone and Back to the Future with Michael J. Fox. We found out about the starving children in Africa and all the popular musicians made a record called "We are the World". The money earned from the record went to the starving children.