Turning 18

When I turned 18, it was a little different than most people. I was 6 months pregnant with my daughter. I turned 18 on 6/6/06. Yea that should have given it away that it was gonna be one of those days LOL. The very next day I found out I was pregnant with a girl. That was super exciting because there wasn't a girl born in my house since me. My 2 younger brothers were WILD and hyper as can be. The saying "boys will be boys" was a true statement living in my house. So knowing I was having a girl was a breath of fresh air. The day after that, 6/8, I graduated high school. I like to give Sierra ALOT of crap recently because she walked across that stage with me and then had to go back and do it again in May of 2025 for herself. There was so much just flat out shit that surrounded the rest of my pregnancy from there. Back then McDonald's McDoubles and sweet teas were actually $1.00. Those were the days man! I tore them up while pregnant. Before getting pregnant I was a typical girl, "OMG I am sooooo fat." Little did I know- I would be sitting here at 37 and PRAYING to the Lord above to give me that body back. I'm still waiting for that prayer to be answered but if I have learned anything from the Bible- It's all in God's time......So here I am.....waiting.....and even if it doesn't get answered until I am 60----I'll be the hottest chick on the Dementia unit!! Yes, I will be wearing sweatpants that say "JUICY" across my ass. 

Being pregnant during the summer, and I mean SUPER pregnant, made the heat 10000% hotter. My mom worked the night shift during this time. One night, my "baby daddy" and I got into a heck of an argument. Not unusual but this one was pretty rough. You already know that hormones being like 8 months pregnant is already a struggle and then being 18 didn't seem to help matters much. Anyways, on this particular night, he threatened to come to my house, kill my little brothers while I watched, and then cut Sierra out of my stomach and let me die. Well, that wasn't a fun night at all. My mom wasn't allowed to have her phone in her work due to security clearances and etc. So when she was on break I let her know what was going on. She had me call 911 while she went to let her supervisor know she had to leave. I have to give the county police props because they came in like SWAT. I had police in the front yard, an officer posted at each corner turning into my road, and at the major intersections. My mom was hauling ass down Plantation Rd and apparently police were concerned. The officer in the living room with me had his radio on and I heard my mom's license plate go over the radio and "look out, this vehicle is coming in hot and not stopping." I had to let the officer know that it was my mom and that she was more than likely NOT going to stop until she got here. He radioed it was OK and she literally LANDED airplane style in the front yard. 

Things got crazy after that. County police got with Salem police and went to his house. Of course, the truck he said he would be in, and him were not at home. He did not answer the phone for the police either. County police went through my texts with permission from me and afterwards, 2 officers left my house and the rest stayed. When they came back, it was super late, but I was brought an emergency protective order. The police stayed in my neighborhood all night that night. We went to court and I was given a 2 week extension on the protective order until it was heard in court for a 2 year order. The judge advised that he was allowed to be at the birth as long as he was cooperative, helpful, and was supportive. Well, my due date of October 25 came and went. Halloween arrived and I walked my butt off that night. Down the hill and up the hill and blah blah. I was so ready to evict her. 

On November 2nd, at about 2 or 3 in the morning, I let my mom know on her break that I was having contractions. I had called the hospital and they told me since my contractions were 4-5 minutes apart and I was overdue then to go ahead and come to the hospital. Mom left work and picked me up and off to the hospital we went. The nurse said I was 3 cm dilated and that did not qualify me to be deemed in active labor. The OB doctor there was actually who I had an appt with several hours later anyways. She asked me if I smoked cigarettes or could have sex to induce labor. Well the answers to those questions were 10000% a NO. LOL. She then took me into the stairwell and had my mom stay with me and have me run up and down the stairs and then walk the labor and delivery floor. We did this for HOURS. The doctor checked me again and stripped my membranes so she could call it 4 cm and admit me. 

They then kept an eye on me and decided that I was not progressing so the induction process began. UGH! After a super long day, it was time to push, and push, and push. HOURS of pushing. I was so tired that I was falling asleep between contractions. My nurse was amazing and was trying to think of things outside of the box to help me. Baby Daddy showed up not too long before I began pushing. The protective order had been given to the nurse and she had security looped in as well. He stood behind me while I was pushing. It was taking a long time and so he left to go to the parking lot and drink alcohol with his brother, dad, and friends. While he was gone, my epidural had worn off, my mom and granny were talking with the nurse and trying to see what needed to happen next. The nurse was frustrated that the doctor had not come to the room yet and she had tried everything. I had started pushing around 4 PM and my nurse was supposed to get off at 7 PM but stayed over as long as she could. Sierra was officially stuck. I could see the concern on my mom and granny's face but I was so dang tired. Apparently, from what I hear from friends and family outside in the hallway, my mom left the room in tears, red in the face, and seeing fire. She found a white coat and told them they were gonna get that room and help me and they were gonna do it right then. Well, I finally met the doctor that was going to be delivering my child. He was an ass. Just needed to throw that in there. He used the vacuum suction and instead of pulling straight back towards him, it popped off and he went down with it. The metal cut Sierra's head. It was a long gash at that. Sierra was stuck. Her shoulder would not come out and she was basically just too big of a calf in the small little shoot. (You are most very welcome for that image). The doctor forced her out anyways. That wasn't a fun time for this young mama. I remember seeing my granny's drain ALL color and she had to sit down. Apparently there was A LOT of blood. Well, when in labor, the nurses predicted that Sierra was going to weigh 4-6 pounds. LYING HEIFERS!!! My mom placed her on my chest and all I could say was, she felt like a sack of potatoes. She was 9 lbs 2 oz. My aunt Glenna had told me when she had my cousin Logan that it was hard pushing out a baby. Logan was 4 pounds and so I had to look at her and be like- mine was 9- beat that. LOL 

The next day, I freaked out because I was coming back from the bathroom and Sierra was blue in her bassinet. I swear every nurse and doctor on the floor was in that room. Fast forward to 6 days later and Sierra hadn't woken up for her feeding and when I picked her up, she was blue and not breathing again. I screamed for my mom. Baby Daddy refused to go to the doctor with us. My mom and stepdad took us to the doctor. A few days later, we went to court. The judge granted me a 2 year protective order. He said that due to the child, contact could be made but it had to be peaceful and lawful. He even went as far as to say if homeboy listened to music too loud around me and I asked him to turn it down and he didn't, he would violate him. Man I miss Judge Trumpeter. He was a BEAST. He didn't care who he made mad, he was forever going to be on the side of whatever was right for the children.

What a way to spend the first several months of being an "adult." I was a fresh 18, and already wanting to spin back that clock and go back in time. I do want to say that I am NOT writing this to shame homeboy, or make him look bad, I am simply just putting the facts out there. He has matured so much and has a wonderful wife. She was literally heaven sent for him. I have no issue with speaking to her and I don't even mind talking to him. He has grown leaps and bounds compared to back then. Sadly though, he was part of the shit show of my turning 18.  

Sierra was born Nov. 2nd and I started nursing school Jan. 20th. What was I thinking?  That's a story for another time. 

Peace out cub scouts.