~*~Anthony~*~

When Amanda was 12 and a half months old, a little brother came along. Anthony was a surprise baby, a big surprise as I was using the sponges back then (the sponges that were later found to be defective).

My pregnancy with him was also uneventful. I gained about 20 pounds or so. We had agreed not to find out what the sex was again. But during an ultrasound (Rich wasn't there), I found out we were having a boy. Again, we thought we would use the name Joshua Aaron. Although I had mentioned a few Italian names that I liked, we were sure we were using the name we had picked out before.

Anthony was born smack dab on his due date, March 3, 1994. I woke up that morning around 2 a.m. and started having contractions that were five minutes apart. I started panicking and woke Rich up. My mother was going to keep Amanda for us. We all get into the car, Rich backs out of the driveway, and slides on some ice (it had been snowing pretty bad). Our car ended up in a ditch that was beside our driveway, blocking in our other car.

For a few minutes we just sat there in the car, probably stunned. Then Rich jumps out and starts running down the street towards a neighbor's house. I later asked him what he was doing, he said he thought our neighbor could pull the car out of the ditch. In the meantime, I took Amanda out of the car and went back inside. I got out books and started reading about home birth, because by this point the contractions were alot harder and closer together. It occurred to me as Rich was walking back inside, that we should call an ambulance.

When the paramedics got there, I was upset that Rich wouldn't be able to go with me. And afraid, I was having my baby in the back of an ambulance. I remember begging the guy not to cut my pants off. They were borrowed from my sister. How funny to think about something stupid like that in the middle of a crises. I also remember them asking me what hospital I wanted to go too. I told them Uniontown, because that is where my doctor practiced medicine. They said we won't make it, you're going to Waynesburg (a very small hospital that doesn't deliver babies). I started to panic, asked someone to call Rich. I also asked them if they ever delivered babies, because I was honestly afraid I was going to give birth in that ambulance.

When we got to the hospital, a nurse came out and said you can't bring her in here, we don't have the facilities. The paramedics said, she either goes in or has the baby here in the ambulance bay. They let me in. Apparently, when you go to medical school nowadays they don't teach you how to deliver babies. I say this because everyone just kind of stood around not knowing what to do. Someone suggested getting an older doctor that recently retired, but lived within walking distance of the hospital.

I arrived at the hospital at 5 a.m. I was lonely and afraid. I asked them about the prep stuff they did with Amanda, they said they didn't have time before the baby came. I asked them about pain medicine or an epidural, because I was in serious pain. They said there wasn't time. When Rich arrived, he didn't even have time to put scrubs on, Anthony was crowning. I don't remember much other than that, because I blacked out. I do remember asking Rich why I was so wet. He told me it was just sweat (it was actually blood). From what I understand, Anthony fought and struggled his way out. The doctor had to cut me (episotomy) to make room. For some reason when he cut me, I started bleeding. My blood pressure dropped. Rich said he started praying that God spare me, and take Rich instead. I guess they thought I was going to die.

After all that, Anthony was born with a black eye and scratches on his face. He really did fight his way out. When we saw him, we both knew he wasn't a Joshua. We named him Anthony David, after two great warriors (Marc Antony and David from the Bible). He must have been a hurry to get here, I was in labor for a little over three hours. He was born 45 minutes after we arrived at the hospital. Anthony was my biggest baby in weight, he was 8 pounds and 12 ounces.

Anthony means "worthy or praise"
David means "beloved"

Afterwards, we were transferred to Uniontown to be taken care of by my doctor, who put me on iron pills and arranged for Anthony's circumcision. I got to ride in an ambulance twice in one day.