Our first two children, both Eric and Nikia were over 10 lbs. at birth.
As number three approached full term, my wife’s pregnant belly was becoming very large indeed.
(We later learned that this was due to gestational diabetes.)
One interesting fact about my wife, Gretchen, is that she normally has a great sense of balance…….Normal meaning when she is not pregnant. When she is pregnant, she falls all the time. Sometimes that was the first sign that she was pregnant. This became so reliable an indicator that on one occasion, while caring for a child still in diapers, she fell, and although not hurt, burst into tears.
I remember one of the kids asked me, “Daddy where did I come from?”
Instead of responding with the “Birds and the Bees,” I answered,
“Your mommy fell down and then you were born.”
(Which, if you think about it, sums it up pretty accurately.)
On the night before January 15, 1985, Gretchen fell very hard at home. She was not able to get up for a very long time because she was having excruciating pain. We later learned she has cracked her pelvis. Gretchen went into labor the next day.
Note from Eric: She fell because I was being a big help cleaning.
I polished the doorway floor between the dining room and the living room with Pledge. It was a surprise.
The delivery room was like a scene from a Wes Craven movie. The doctor, upon seeing the size of Colin’s head, immediately sat down on the floor and completed the delivery flat on his butt. Colin emerged from the womb half grown at 11 lbs. 15 oz. and 24 inches long. The doctor caught him just before he hit the floor and threw him up onto Gretchen’s chest, startling her with the impact and almost knocking the wind from her.
The doctor said, ”Feed that kid,” and so we fed him and fed him. He had a tremendous appetite. Before we left the hospital, he was eating four ounces of formula and cereal with each feeding.
Within two weeks he was up to 8 ounces per feeding.
Within 3 months he was downing two 8 ounce bottles per feeding.
To be continued….
-Dad
Tags: about colin
Awareness Bracelet: "Save Colin – Terminate the Tumor!"
