A letter to my Canadian SIL......

I found this email by accident. SubhanAllah....I was typing a search into my Yahoo mail..."voicemail" and this email popped up. OMG! It's about the birth of baby # 4. I had been trying to get pregnant for about 3 yrs...and it hadn't happened....and then finally....the baby. So this is the letter I wrote to my SIL in Canada about the birth.....I thought I'd share it all with you.....and you'd see a different side of me.......enjoy....(I changed names and stuff....sorry guys)

Dearest SIL,

Thanks so much for your congratulations. To be
honest, I am also relieved that it is over with. Last
night I came upstairs and checked my mail quickly.
My niece, your daughter happened to be online, so I had a chance to
exchange a few words. Not much, mind you, cause
the baby woke up and I had to type with 1 finger. Had
to use my imagination with some of my abbreviations.
LOL. Actually, Last night she didn’t sleep at
all….she stayed awake until 5:15 am. I was literally
falling asleep with her in my arms….I got worried and
decided to sit on the floor, thinking that I might
drop her. It didn’t last long, she woke up at 6 am!!
Then she was up until I got the girls off for
school….can’t wait until I get her into some sort of
routine. She is soooo sweet…and cute!! She’s tiny
like the third child was…..but she has a nice layer of fat on
her. The third child was so thin when she was born. Believe
it or not….I feel really good. I don’t feel weak like
I did with the others. I feel fine…..I just started
having some cramps today. It’s the cramps of the
uterus returning back to normal size. They are mild
and I can manage it…having managed childbirth!! So
how about I get to the story of the birth.....

I couldn’t sleep on Sunday night. Try as I might…just
couldn’t find any position that was comfortable. So
in the end….I went into the TV room and sat on the
couch and ended up falling asleep in front of the TV.
I woke up at 5:15 am with this really urgent need to
go pee. Stood up and then was surprised when all this
water ran down my legs. I thought I was peeing
myself!! LOL….but then I said….but this is a lot of
water! And then it clicked! So I ran to the phone
and called my SIL downstairs, water still running down my legs.
(yeah….peed myself, I’m sure!) Funny thing was, I
wasn’t having any contractions. So I kind of got
scared. She called the doctor and the doctor said
that you can go for 12 hours without contractions
after your water breaks. That sure didn’t make be
feel any better. 12 HOURS? The doctor told my SIL to
buy me 2 needles…and I should take them….it’ll help.
Well…I told my SIL….what does she mean…buy me needles?
I should go to the pharmacy and let them give it to
me. She told me…not this needle…you have to give it
to yourself. I’m like….I don’t know how to give
myself a needle! She said, it’s not difficult…..and
it’ll clean your bowels. (wait a minute here….clean
my bowels????) MY BOWELS? I’m thinking….hmmmmm…..am
I supposed to give myself an ENEMA??? YUCK! EWWWWW!!
So I told her go and buy it…..and my BIL goes and comes
back with…guess what? 2 ready to use ENEMA’S!! YUCK!!
How convenient…..no mixing involved. LOL…well…I won’t
go into more detail here….would be about as
interesting as listening to someones hemorrhoid
problems or constipation stories. LOLOL!! Couldn’t manage it
very well anyways. But come 7 am and the contractions
started. Doctor said as soon as they are 5 minutes
apart to come in. Managed to get the girls off to
school in record time…everyone was out the door by
7:40am. Got the third child up, did her hair…step by
step…contraction…breathe…..brush hair…..stop,
contraction…breathe….put elastic….stop…LOL…you get the
picture. So by 8 am I was downstairs at my BIL's….with
this little towel with me. I kept leaking water and
was really conscious about it….so I put this towel on
the floor and was standing on it. LOL! Oh yeah….by
the way….I was wearing your daughters sandals that she left
here. I kind of messed them…but they’ve been washed
now, so it’s ok. Come 8:25 am….I told my SIL it’s 5
minutes apart. So she woke up her hubby and off we went.
Pretty quick, eh? Got to the doctor’s and guess what
she did? Yep, an internal…LOL….can you imagine that I
was already 6 cm? So I walked around for a bit….and
then she wanted to give me a needle to help my cervix
open….needle hurt like hell…worse than the
contractions…had to take it in the muscle, she chose
my buttocks. LOL….like it’s not enough that I’m
having a baby and other parts of my body are busy…but
got to focus in the same damn area??? I mean for the
love of mercy…put it in my ARM!! LOL!! So this
needle is supposed to help the cervix open
easily…..and then the doctor wants to give me an IV of
glucose. So I kind of gave her a hard time about
that, I remembered having to be hooked up with the 2nd child
and hating it. She wasn’t about to take no for an
answer, so ended up getting the IV. Problem was that
with the IV I had to stay in bed. I think that was
probably the worst, too. I didn’t like having
contractions while lying flat on my back.

Funny thing happened with the IV, too. You see, every time the
doctor did something, I kept asking, what’s that for?
Why do you want to give me a needle? Is that just
plain water? So on and so on. When the doctor put
the IV in my hand, the nurse comes over with a big
piece of surgical tape. I got her laughing when I
said, Ohhhh you’re coming to tape my mouth shut, aren't
you? LOL..but it was to tape the needle down...LOL…..Well, with those contractions lying on my back, I asked the doctor, can I turn on my side? She
allowed it. So because she’s a busy woman, she closed
the curtain on me, and started seeing her patients.
(LOL….don’t mind me behind the curtain….just
experiencing the joy of childbirth, carry on please!)

But I was good…didn’t say anything, no moaning,
grunting….swearing. Just lied there, and breathed
through it all. Contractions weren’t so bad, not
those really terrible ones. I kept saying to myself,
you’re doing fine….just save your energy for the big
ones. So the doctor saw two patients and came over to
me at 10 am. Checked to see how I’m doing, then told
the nurse not to let anyone else in. So I’m still
lying there, waiting for the BIG contractions,
wondering whats going on….so I asked the doctor, how
much longer do you expect? Guess what she said? 10
mins. WHAT? 10 mins? Woooohooooo! You mean this is
about the worst of it? I mean, I’ve been blessed.
Alhamdulillah!! Well, after that, I got a big
contraction….not the BIGGIE that I was waiting for
either, and started feeling the urge to push. I had
to push her harder than the others, maybe a bit like
the first. Guess I’m outta shape! LOL. Well, when she
came out she was all blue/grey…..so the doctor gave
her 3 hard slaps. Then the doctor brought her over to
the table and gave her another 3 slaps…she managed a
weak cry….so she smacked her again, 3 hard ones. And
with that, the baby started wailing. It was the most
wonderful sound!

LOL….my SIL was sitting outside the
room, and thought the doctor was smacking me! In
fact, everyone in the waiting room did! I almost
started crying….but just let slip a couple of tears.
Doctor cleaned me up, and baby, too. After I was all
cleaned up, they wanted me to sleep for a bit, I just
wanted to see my baby. They wanted to put her in the
other room, but I refused. I said, let me see her.
The doctor was so worried that I would faint….but I
was fine. Oh she is sooo gorgeous. So tiny and
complete. We’ve waited for this little baby for a
long time. (tears coming to my eyes now)

I started after the doctor to take out the IV. She said, let it
finish….it’s filling your stomach. Grrrrr! Then I
said, well take it out, so I can leave. She said,
you’ve got to stay at least 2 hours. I really wanted
to leave…..but what could I do? So after about 1 ½
hours, I said….is this IV really filling up my
stomach? She said, yes. I said……well, I think I’m so
full, I couldn’t handle another drip! LOLOL….she
laughed and finally agreed to take it out. So during
my 2 hours of recovery….behind the curtain…she starts
bringing in patients again. Every one of them
congratulating me on the birth. Was kind of weird…..I
mean for someone who didn’t really like sharing a room
with 4 ppl….here I am with a bunch of strangers and
listening to their problems…(eavesdropping, I
guess…but hey, it’s a small room!) So in all, SIL, it
took 3 hours and 20 mins. I didn’t take any pain
killers and I came out of it feeling wonderful. I’m
so happy….I think that just feeling this happy is half
the reason I feel so good.

On the other hand, I’m worried about my hubby now. On the first day, he called
me 3 times. On the last call, he couldn’t find
anything to say. I can just tell by his voice that he
wants to be here…..and doesn’t want to hang up. It’s
so hard for him, SIL. I know……and I hurt for him.
When my BIL came to get us from the Dr's office, he took the baby in the
front seat and said the Adhaan in her ears. I sat in
the back seat and cried for the first time. Tears of
joy, SIL....…joy and a little pain. Alhamdulillah, I’ve
overcome the hard part.

My downstairs SIL has been so good to
me, above and beyond whatever I expected. It’s been a
joy for that, as well. I think that there is hope of
us getting past our difficulties. I know that you
cannot change a person, and that when it comes to
childbirth, that no one could ever do anything less.
But maybe, this will change me…..I’ll always have this
little piece of mercy towards her. I’ll think to
myself…but when I really needed her, she was there for
me….and moved mountains as well. Right? Yes…..I
think I’ll try that. So, SIL….about a
present…..hmmmm…..that’s a hard one. Let me be simple
about it……first of all….everything is here in
Egypt….but let me list a few things, that aren’t and
you can decide, ok? Little toys of good quality,
(everything for babies here is cheap and breaks) Baby
bonnets (summer hats) I mentioned this to your daughter…told
her just to buy me a few from goodwill….I’m not
picky….and I know that usually you can find a whole
bunch of cute ones there. LOL…I bought all the other
girls summer hats from goodwill…but funny enough, I
don’t even have one, now. I don’t know what else,
really…..maybe a little plate set…you know the bowl
and sectioned plate for babies? Or one of those
upside down training cups…the ones that don’t leak? I
know those cups are here….but so far…all I’ve seen are
just plain….not with little pictures and stuff.
LOL….well SIL….from there….you can figure it
out….don’t have to go by what I’m saying…just trying
to give you an idea. Believe me….anything that
baby's Tante in Canada bought her would be wonderful.
I’ll try my best with the pictures……got to work on my
husband about sending a camera. I know he wants to
send a video camera…..I’m supposed to do some
comparative shopping here first. Will work on that.
This letter has taken me two days to write, SIL. Too
hard to sit for too long. I can’t wait to hear from
you….say salaam to everyone. Check on Hubby for me,
will you?
Love Safa