Twenty Two Years Ago

Twenty-two years ago today my life was changed forever. With reluctance, Farrah Larie Dicken was born at 6:18 p.m. on September 2, 1983. I say with reluctance as she was scheduled to arrive on August 20, but delayed it as long as she could. I gained 85 pounds while awaiting the birth and towards the end I assured Jeff he was going to have a son. I reasoned that "anything this big had to be a boy".

When I awoke Jeff at approximately 3:00 a.m. and told him I was pretty sure it "was time", his first questions were, "What shirt should I wear and do I have time to shave?" Jeesh! I honestly didn't have an answer. Little did we know that he would have had time to buy a new shirt and go get a shave and a hair cut.

I called the doctor and then mom.Within an hour mom, Jeff and I were on our way to the hospital. At 10:00 a.m. Jeff went to McDonalds to get mom and him a snack. I was told to walk. So I walked up and down the halls while mom and Jeff enjoyed their Egg McMuffins.

About 3:00 p.m. the hard labor began. Jeff was fascinated by the machine I was connected to and gave me minute by minute reports as he watched the graphs of my labor. He would say things like, "Tammy, here comes a big one" or even better than that, "Boy Tammy I bet that hurt". When Jeff's mom arrived after having finished her day of teaching second grade, she assured me that "This is hurting Jeff as much as it's hurting you". Yeah, right!

I decided it was time for my epidural. I got three and none of them worked. Then Farrah decided to back up. I'm not kidding! I really believe she thought it over and changed her mind. The doctor came in and apologetically told me I would have to have a c-section and since I was "immune" to the epidurals, I would have to be knocked out. I assured him he had absolutely nothing to be sorry about. Being knocked out was not a problem. Jeff sat in a chair, inside the delivery room, but right beside the door. He had "had a spell" when they put in my first IV, so everyone thought being by the door was the best place for him.

I woke up briefly about 8:30 p.m. Jeff told me that at 6:18 p.m. we had a little girl. I replied, "Are you sure?" and that's all I remember until the excitement started. My brother and Jeff were sitting in recovery with me. I was hooked up to an automatic blood pressure monitor. In the haze, I felt like I was sinking. l heard Tim say to Jeff, "Her blood pressure is 40 or 20 - that's not good is it?" I heard Jeff's reply, "Shut up, Tim".

When the doctor visited me around 7:00 a.m. on September 3rd, he told me I was lucky to be there and that if I'd given birth 5-10 years earlier, I may not have made it. I was lucky - not only, not even mainly because I lived, but because I met the most beautiful person in the world. The precious baby that changed my life.

Chicken Wings

There must be something wrong with me. We are experiencing soaring gas prices, many gulf coast residents are hungry and homeless, I'm preparing two birthday meals this week-end including baking two cheesecakes and a chocolate cake, Farrah and Jim are coming home and I'm worrying about chicken wings.

Today we ordered our lunch from Snappy. Since mine and Jeff's Friday night tradition is pizza, I chose to order hot wings. I think I ordered six - maybe ten. I enjoyed the three or four I ate during lunch and looked forward to bring the rest home. Much to my dismay, I made it home but the chicken wings did not. Where could they be? I remember eating them. I remember throwing away the bones, but I have no idea where the rest of them are. They aren't in my car, they aren't in my "milk crate on wheels" and I have no recollection of them whatsoever! I hate having these memory lapses.

My missing chicken wings may be more serious than the average reader of this blog realizes. There is a continual mouse problem in our office, as is quite evident each morning. If these little rodents come upon my chicken wings, it probably won't be a pretty sight on Tuesday morning. They obviously find enough food without the benefit of Snappy delivery or they wouldn't be able to leave their little "presents" for me to wipe away daily. Now I've probably supplied them with a feast and if they don't have pretty strong gasric systems, it could be ugly.

Well, the cheescakes are done, the chocolate cake is cooling awaiting decorating, but the mystery of the chicken wings will not be over until Tuesday. It's going to be a long weekend.