I finished packing my hospital bag over the weekend. I was ahead of schedule. My due date was March 12.

I was at work. It was about 10:30. I finished a conference call.

Co-workers stopped by to chat. Email, IMs and conversations. A different kind of multi-tasking back then.

You read the books on what happens when you go into labor. But nothing, nothing prepares you for your water breaking when you’re not expecting it too. And at work! I kid you not. I did not read about that in the what to expect book.

Thank goodness the girl who sat in the next cube was also preggers. I IM’d her because this was not something I wanted to talk about in cubical country. Everyone hears you.

She told me that I needed to get myself to the hospital asap and that my baby was going to be born soon.

For realz? I was truly in disbelief.

It wasn’t time. This was not part of the schedule.

I called my doctor’s office and sure enough they told me to get myself to the hospital.

I called G. He was at home waiting for a plumber to fix a leak. A sign!

He was just as stunned and unprepared to hear the news. Meet me at the hospital and don’t forget my bag and pillow and camera.

My manager was so thoughtful. He got news of what was going on and offered me a ride to the hospital. I said I would be fine and besides did I really want my business all over the front seat of his car? No way jose!

Since I wasn’t having contractions I took my time. Packed up my laptop and sent out the “out of office, please contact so & so in my absence” email. I was pretty stealth. Only a handful of people knew what was going on.

I literally waddled to my car. Five flights down and about a 30 second walk to my car. I was quite a sight.

During my drive, I scarfed down an apple because I knew once I was admitted food was not an option. Ice chips don’t count.

20 minutes later, I walked myself to the admissions desk.

They got me into an L&D room. I put on the obligatory hospital gown and the nurse made sure that in fact my water had broke.

I heard “you’re going to have a baby” at 12:30pm.

Eeeks.

They started me on pitocin and we waited.

And waited.

And wondered if the baby was a boy or girl. What he/she would look like? Was it going to be painful?

I watched Days of Our Lives for the first time since college. Daytime tv was about all one can do when strapped to IVs and such. This was before wi-fi and blogs. How awesome would that have been to pass the time reading your blogs? Maybe I wouldn’t have needed an epidural.

Who am I kidding? I wanted an epidural the minute I walked into the hospital.

Fast forward a couple of hours.

I watched G eat dinner. In his defense I told him to eat. The guy faints easily.

Relief in the form of an epidural arrived.

Another couple of hours passed.

11:59 pm: no baby.

My first born was going to make me wait until the next day.

12:53 am to be exact.

It was painful, it was tough, it required a lot of people. I remember lots of people (of no relation to me) in the room.

He was worth it.

6 lbs, 6 oz and 19 inches. Our baby. Our baby boy.

Ten tiny fingers and ten tiny toes and a full head of hair.

Nothing prepares you for this first moment.

Welcome love.