Eighteen

I officially have an eighteen-year-old today. Eighteen! I am absolutely dumbfounded where the last eighteen years have gone but here we are. My firstborn has reached his eighteenth year & it’s quite ironic that I fell pregnant with him when I was just eighteen myself – a pretty scary thing to find out when you’re still so young – but it’s something I wanted. Something we wanted.

I can remember walking to my local health clinic to have a pregnancy test done and I remember the nurse coming to me after seeing the results and she said: “Congratulations – it’s positive”. I’ll be honest the realization of knowing I was pregnant was terrifying, but also pretty amazing.

I can remember the pregnancy pretty well – considering it was so long ago – way back in 1999! I can remember being obsessed with potato waffles and brown sauce. I’d eat them like they were going out of fashion. And alongside my potato waffle craving, I couldn’t get enough of blue gel Colgate toothpaste! 

The entire pregnancy went by quite smoothly except for some incredibly bad pelvic pain – but the sooner I got to my due date I started to have dreams of being on my own when I went into labour. Funny story? Those dreams came true! 

I can recall the day so clearly. I was woken up early with cramps {little did I know at the time this was early labour!}, I took a bath, soothed the pains and the morning continued on. My partner {at the time} popped out to go to the Barbers later that morning – he was a little apprehensive about going but I said: “I’ve still got two weeks to go yet!”; Famous last words! 

He left and I remember sitting down on the sofa to finally get round to filling out my birth plan and no sooner than I had a few sections filled out that I felt a popping sensation ‘downstairs’. I stood up and soaked my living room floor. Queue my panic! I remember running and sitting on the toilet and thinking “What the hell should I do?”. So I got myself changed and tried to phone my partner. No answer. Typical! So I phoned my friend and after I said that my waters had broken, he said “Stay right there!” and hung up the phone. I then phoned the barbers my partner was at, explained my situation {I bet that doesn’t happen to them every day!} and everyone was on their way. 

My partner came home with half a hair cut done and on someone’s bike {still to this day I have no idea who owned it!}. We ordered a taxi and made our way to the hospital. If I’m honest, I don’t remember much about the hospital experience other than not being listened to. Perhaps it was because I was just 18? Apparently, when trying to explain to them that the pain was incredibly sore it was just me seeking attention. Either way, they finally listened and it turned out I was ready to go up to the delivery suite. 

I was in labour for 26hrs before they decided my little boy was not coming up my natural means – mainly because he was lying diagonally and he couldn’t get himself through my pelvis. I later found out that I couldn’t naturally deliver any of my children naturally if they were over 6lb. Once born – which was via an emergency c-section – we found out he weighed 7.5lbs. He was perfect. 

I remember being placed into the recovery room, Rhys was put next to me in his cot and he was just silent, wide eyed and looking at me. I will never, ever forget that moment – and now we are here celebrating his eighteenth and I can’t quite believe it. 

He has grown up into such a kind, funny and thoughtful young man and I could not be more proud of him if I tried. He towers overs me {which isn’t difficult} and I guess as his Mum, I’m just absolutely flummoxed that he is now eighteen. I have no idea where the last eighteen years have gone – but they went by in a flash! 

We threw him a BBQ & Beer party at the house {call us crazy!} and it was a little messy, lots of fun and I think there will be a few sore heads this morning! Is your eighteenth really a success if you haven’t drunk too much, vomited, sobered up & continued partying? 

My eldest & I don’t have a recent photo together {yet} so this one from back in April will have to do!

Happy Birthday, Rhys! Love Mum xx