Raymond's Birth Story

Raymond was born at 4:25 PM on April 12, 2003. He was born at Baptist Medical Center in downtown Jacksonville, Florida. Raymond came in weighing 7 lb 13 oz. and was 19 and 3/4 inches long.

The day before his birth, I was *CRAVING* yeast rolls from Golden Corral and still did NOT get them. Donald, myself, and my mom had been at Wal-Mart Supercenter in Fleming Island doing a full blown grocery shopping trip. Mid-way through our shopping excursion, I started feeling really "funny". I had no other way to explain it but "funny". I sat on a bench near the grocery side of Wal-Mart while Mom and Donald tried to quickly finish shopping.

After we checked out at Wal-Mart, we went home and I went on the computer (I *lived* on the computer my entire pregnancy). Contractions came but I shrugged them off. I had already been to the hospital twice previously for false labor. I did NOT want to go again if I wasn't truly in labor. I waited it out.

Around midnight, I was beginning to realize that I was truly in labor. I woke Donald a few times but he was being difficult and refused to wake up. He told me to "Wake me up when they get too bad". I don't think he realized how bad they actually felt. HA! Around 5 AM, I had had enough! I was ready to go to the hospital. I woke Donald up, he called into work, and Donald, myself, and my mom all loaded into the SUV to go to the hospital.

We arrived at the hospital around 7:00 AM, they checked us in and got us settled in our room. It was a really nice, big room. We had already toured the hospital and knew that I would labor and deliver in this room and then be transferred to another room for recovery. As soon as we walked into the room, I was to pee in a cup and then get strapped down to the bed on monitors with an IV for fluids.

People kept coming and it felt like I was in a freak show. Nurses, doctors, social workers, family, and friends coming in and out. Nurses made it their priority to come in every 30 minutes -on the dot- to poke at me and violate me. They asked everytime they saw me if I was read for my epidural. I kept telling them no. I kept telling them how I was really wanting a natural birth. My mom and husband backed me up and told them I didn't want it either.

Finally, after around 14 hours of active labor, I finally gave into the epidural and received it around 9:30 AM. The epidural went smoothly (although I've had a bad back since!) and the pain was gone. Nearing 3:40 PM, I was checked and was told that I was completely dialated and that I could begin pushing. The nurse changed the bed into a pushing device and took a mirror out of a closet so I could watch. I was glad for that.

I was coached on when to push, they told me when to push and when to stop. At 4:25 PM, Raymond Joseph Kaczowski was born into this world. He came out wailing. He was an adorable little brown baby with black hair and grey-brown eyes. Donald and I were in love.

We spent the next 2 days in the hospital. They had taken Raymond to the nursery twice. Once for a bath and whatever else they do back there - Donald accompanied him. The second time for a heart murmur they heard and wanted to watch him for a while. The heart murmur turned out to be nothing - and I often wonder if they ever heard anything or if they just get more money for "watching" a baby?

That's the story of how Raymond came into this world.

Raymond Joseph Kaczowski
April 12, 2003
4:25 PM
7 lb 13 oz
19 3/4 inches