Teresa Dee Meyerhoeffer Christensen's Life History : Emily Brianne 1979

Almost 4 generations with Gma June, Mom Pauline and me expecting Emily.

Expecting Emily at church at 7 months along.

EMILY BRIANNE - TWIN FALLS, IDAHO 1979 - Our first bundle of joy was born less than a year after we were married. I did not want to become pregnant on my honeymoon knowing all my relatives would think that was the reason we got married, but I became “with-child” the next month. I finished up my RN degree and worked in the Twin Falls Clinic which was a private hospital until she was born. At my doctor's appointment the day before she arrived, I was already dilated to 5 cm and only 10 cm is needed for delivery. He said if I did not have the baby soon, they would induce me so it did not drop out as I walked around :-). He asked if I had had any contractions and I replied just Braxton-Hicks or fake ones.

The next day I thought I might be in labor with real contractions so I went and visited my labor and delivery practicum mentor from nursing school at the Magic Valley Memorial Hospital (Denise Mayes). By the time she got around to examining me I was at 7 cm! We called Roger at work (Vans Department Store) and he said he would come over when his shift was done. I told him to come sooner if he could and he finally arrived a few hours later (shortly before Emily was born) with his buddy in tow, since Tim had driven them there. Roger brought him into the labor room where Tim proceeded to spread out his school books to study while we waited for the baby. Horrified I asked the nurse to have him leave. Tim went out and called family members to tell them I was in labor (my mom asked me later who was the stranger who had called). The baby arrived swiftly and face up or posterior, which is the only reason the doctor had time to arrive for the delivery with only 5 minutes to spare. He said they usually have to use forceps with posterior babies. Tim did end up being an inspired addition to the event. After delivery I hemorrhaged on the delivery table because the placenta would not detach. I lost consciousness and had to be taken to surgery. They last things I remember were an oxygen mask being put over my face, the doctor calling for an anesthesiologist and for lab to type and cross match my blood and me asking for a blessing. Tim was there to help Roger give me that blessing.

One of the nurses said later that she does not believe in “that stuff”, but she had to admit, they could not find my blood pressure or pulse before the blessing, but it started to increase afterward. Luckily Denise had felt inspired to put an IV in my arm (which was not routine in those days) before the hemorrhage or it may not have gone so well. I woke up hours later not having seen my baby girl yet! A large nurse came into my room with Emily tucked like a football under her arm and I still had trouble seeing the baby amidst the nurse’s girth. She was tiny, but perfect, weighing 6 pounds 5 ounces and 20 inches long. I guess the placenta had grown into the lining of my uterus and was getting all the nutrition so even though Emily Brianne Christensen was 10 days late, she was little. Roger sat up beside my bed that night as I received 2 units of blood. I had asked for him during recovery in my drug induced haze and randomly my brother Steve too.

We went home on Halloween 1979 with the nurses all dressed up in costumes. This is what I wrote in my journal about Emily at one month “I am sure Emmy is a very intelligent child. She is so alert and strong. Her eyes are very bright. She smiles and is very fair like Roger with a cleft in her chin.” She was intense and active and walked at 8 months old without ever crawling first.

That first Christmas our family was asked to portray Joseph, Mary and baby Jesus in the ward Christmas presentation. Definitely not gender specific casting. Shortly afterward we packed up our belongings into Larry’s diesel truck to move to Boise, Idaho for Roger to attend Boise State University and work part-time at State Farm Insurance. We lived in married student’s housing on campus in an all brick apartment for $175 a month. It was small, cute and cozy and I have happy memories there. We attended a married student ward on BSU Campus and felt blessed. I decided to not continue with college at this time because I could not imagine leaving little Emily with a babysitter all day, so I asked the state to hold my scholarship for a year….that became more...