Michael James Burton

Happy Birthday Michael James. He is four years old today. I remember 4 years ago when he was born. It was so blasted hot. I would venture to say it was hotter then than it is now. The hottest day EVER in salt lake was recorded that week he was born. 107 degrees. Oh, I remember.
I was so miserable. Our power kept going out. I would go and sit in the car in the carport with the air on. One time our macho policeman neighbor walked by and looked confusingly at me. I didn't care. I was miserable. I still had just over 2 weeks to go before his delivery. I had just gone to see Dr. Curtis and I was at a one and not completely effaced. AHHHHH! I wanted to be done with the pregnancy. But not quite ready for the extreme measure of the castor oil shake.
Mike, my brother-in-law, suggested we go for a ride in the canyon. He suggested that the change in altitude would perhaps get me into labor. I thought he was smoking his lunch. But I knew it would cooler in the mountains so I planned a family get-together with tinfoil dinners for Saturday evening the 27th.
I remember on our way down the canyon the contractions started. Shawn and I laughed. I had had so many braxton-hicks with Anna. But at about 2 am sunday morning I called my mom to come stay with anna. I went in and was monitored. The nurse was amazed at my contractions. I just knew they hurt. All I wanted was a morphine shot (I had a couple with anna because of my false labor). She checked me and I had not progressed at all since I had seen Dr. Curtis. She gave me the option of staying a bit longer (because of the closeness and the strength of the contractions) or I could get a shot and go home and sleep. I took the shot and went home.
I was soon disappointed. The contractions didn't go away and I didn't even come close to the happy peaceful sleepy feeling I usually got with the shot. By 9 am we were back at the hospital with anna safely in the arms of my mom at church. I was admitted at a six. I got my epidural. ahhhhhhhhhh.
Michael James entered the world that afternoon but not before causing me some pain. My epidural wore off right before he was coming out. I was SCREAMING and Dr. Curtis didn't want to have to sew me up with no anesthia in me (I didn't have to be sewn up). He sat down on a chair next to my bed and put his feet up on MY bed. He told Shawn to relax it would just take a minute. I don't think Shawn heard over my screaming. Those two contractions, one on top of the other, really made me appreciate modern medicine and technology. Michael is such a good boy. As Dr. Curtis held him up to announce we had a baby boy, Michael peed all over Dr. Curtis. He would have been 8 pounds but instead was 7 pounds 15 ounces.
What a joyous day. A good strong healthy baby boy.