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I almost birthed my baby boy on my sister’s Ugg boots. That’s how fast labor went the second time around. It was so swift that there was no time for drugs or fear. I’ve spent a better part of my child conceiving years terrified by natural childbirth.

Hours, days and whole conversations at slumber parties, bachelorette celebrations and baby showers have been spent discussing childbirth. After all those years of worry, I can say that I survived it. More importantly I learned that FDR was right: “The only thing to fear is fear itself.”

This is a shocking statement from someone who dreads her annual visit to the OBGYN. I’m a firm believer and worshipper of the epidural and all drugs that precede it: Morphine, Fentanyl, etc. With my first pregnancy, I had the anesthesiologist tap the epidural when I hit 7 centimeters and spent the next three hours thankful. This time around, after a hellacious pregnancy involving two bouts of kidney stones and a freakish blood disorder that put me at risk of bleeding to death, I was even more concerned about getting the epidural. I wanted to end the torturous 10 months with a gentle birth. I thought I’d earned it.

I was told at month five, just after my first round of kidney stones (easily more painful than childbirth for any of you who debate such things), that my blood disorder would most likely preclude me from an epidural due to the bleeding risk. My panic increased. Then a second fear developed: Not making it to the hospital on time.

There are a few times in your life when people, even the well-intentioned ones, say all the wrong things. Pregnancy is one of them. About the time I learned that I may not be eligible for the epidural, people started telling me horror stories about women who didn’t make it to the hospital for birth. Conversations went something like this:

Well-intentioned person: “Are you getting excited for delivery?” (NOTE: No woman is ever excited to give birth.)

Me: “Oh yes, can’t wait to be done with the pregnancy, but I might not get the epidural.” (NOTE: This is a fake answer. Again, no woman is excited.)

Well-intentioned person laughing: “Oh, well, this is your second, so you might not make it anyway. I had a friend who delivered _____ (fill in the blank with parking lot, bath tub, bed, Highway 101) …”

By month six I was having severe anxiety about making it to hospital. I had visions of my water breaking while in the middle of teaching class, forcing one of my students, probably half asleep after a night partying, to deliver my baby. About that time my friend, Jenn, asked me to be present for the birth of her second child. She called me one morning to say that she was having contractions, but they weren’t strong yet. Sit tight, she said. I was getting gas 30 minutes later when I saw a message on my phone from Jenn. In a labored voice she blurted that she was leaving for the hospital. By the time I made it to Kaiser in Redwood City her daughter had been born — in the entry to the ER by a nurse who said afterward, “I’ve never caught a baby before.” My paranoia hit an all-time high.

By the end of my eighth month, I kept my travel within the 6-5-0 area code. An avid exerciser throughout pregnancy, I stopped walking or going to the gym for fear that the meat-head on the elliptical wearing a “No Fear” shirt might deliver my baby. Nobody knows this, but I even taught my daughter how to dial 9-1-1 and say, “My mommy is having a baby.” I came up with excuses to be near the hospital. I even started shopping at the grocery store next door to it. At night, I wished for the kidney stones to come back so I’d have an excuse to be admitted and be in the comfort of a hospital room with doctors, nurses and, more importantly, drugs.

It all came to a head one Monday morning during my weekly blood draw with the hematologist whom I affectionately called Count Dracula. My platelet count had dropped to a level of concern. My hematologist only had to say, “What do you think of an induction today?” I was literally out of his chair and in the lobby of my OB’s office in five minutes. They warned me that I’d have to wait in a hospital room all day for the doctor to break my water (I was already dilated to a five and fully effaced, so no need for a drug-based induction). “Wouldn’t you be more comfortable waiting at home for the doctor to call you?” the nurse at my OB’s office asked. Uh, no, I thought. First off, I want peace and I’m not going to get that at home with a pre-schooler. Secondly, I want air conditioning, drugs, nurses, heart rate monitors, a big-screen television, bad hospital food and the comfort of knowing the doctor is next door.

At 9:30 p.m., the doctor came in and asked if I wanted an epidural before she broke my water. No, I said. It’s going to take a long time to get from a five to a 10, I thought. I had plenty of time for the drugs.  I gripped my husband’s hand, while my sister and mom watched the doctor break my water.  First came relief and then pain, the kind that sucks the air out of you.

Someone convinced me to stand. So, I did, legs quivering, supported by my sister who’s half my size. I starred at her Uggs and asked in a faint voice for the epidural. The nurse turned to get the anesthesiologist and it hit me — the baby was coming. Now, I’ve spent a lot of time wondering how you know when the baby is ready for delivery. Let me say there’s no mistaking it. It feels like someone rolling a bowling ball through your innards. At that moment, the nurse threw me on the bed. Alarms went off, lights came on, a flood of people entered the room. All the while, I screamed, and begged in the most pathetic way, for someone to take the baby out. The process is uncontrollable, as if your body is on auto-pilot. It’s as violent as the stomach flu, but as natural as breathing.

Ten minutes later, the nurse placed a calm, shivering baby on my chest. I wrapped my arms around him and was speechless.  I felt out of my body, like I was on drugs. It reminded me of the scene from Garden State in which Zach Braff gets high at a party and sits back while people in the room pass by as if on fast-forward. I was still, holding my baby, but the rest of the world was lightning fast 

That night, I held my newborn close to my chest and watched the hours on the clock tick by while my husband slept on the couch next to me. Sometime around 4 a.m. the nurse came in.

“You haven’t slept yet,” she said.

“No, I can’t,” I said.

“You know, you should get your rest. You’ve got a lot of sleepless nights ahead of you,” she said.

“I know,” I said. I tried to shut my eyes, but I was still dumbfounded. Here was this thing I feared more than any other physical feat I’d performed (and I’ve done a lot. I one time ran a half marathon with a fractured pinky toe and a torn glute muscle) and it wasn’t that bad 

I’d do it again, I thought, if I didn’t have to be pregnant.

Chances are Chad Clifton is taking fewer snaps than any healthy starter in any training camp around the NFL.

The Green Bay Packers left tackle has arthritic knees and at age 35 is the NFL’s oldest starter at that demanding position and the third-oldest starting offensive lineman overall, behind only Kansas City’s Casey Wiegmann (37) and Indianapolis’ Jeff Saturday (35), both of whom play center.

The Packers have spent years learning to manage Clifton’s chronically sore knees and since the early 2000s have given him regular days off in training camp and during the regular season to make sure he’s feeling OK on Sundays.

But in this year’s camp they’ve cut back on his playing time even further, often playing him only a snap or two per team period. There also are practices, even with only one practice a day, when he doesn’t do any 11-on-11 work and takes part only in individual drills.

So far, at least, it seems to be working. Clifton says his knees are holding up and he’s feeling only the typical soreness that all players do in camp. And his performance in two series in the preseason opener didn’t suffer from rust.

“He looked good the other night,” said Joe Philbin, the Packers’ offensive coordinator. “He’s getting some good work in individual (drills). I’m hopeful. A player at that stage in his career, you have to have a little faith that he knows how much he needs and what he doesn’t need. I think he looks good.”

Clifton was one of the surprises of the Packers’ Super Bowl run last year, at least considering how he looked in Week 2. In that home game against Buffalo, the Packers pulled him in the first half because of performance – his right knee was so inflamed and irritated that he couldn’t play at a starter’s level.

There was reason to wonder whether it was the beginning of the end of a distinguished NFL career. Clifton’s knees had been chronically sore since his return from the devastating separated pelvis he sustained on a Warren Sapp blind-side block in 2002, and maybe he was hitting an age when the swelling and irritation were too much to overcome.

The Fiesta Bowl likely is moving – to another date.

The game could be moved up three days to Monday, Jan. 2, 2012 at 8:30 ET, sources told CBSSports.com.

Because of the uncertainty of the NFL lockout earlier this summer, the BCS only scheduled the Rose Bowl on Monday, Jan. 2, 2010 (5 p.m. ET) and didn’t schedule a game that night in case the NFL regular season schedule was pushed back a week and was required to play that night.

However, with the lockout settled and the NFL regular season schedule remaining the same – it ends on Jan. 1, 2012 – the Sugar, Orange and Fiesta bowls were given the opportunity by the BCS to move one of their games up to Monday night, Jan. 2.

The Sugar, which also hosts the BCS title game on Jan. 9, 2012, had the first opportunity but decided to remain on its original date of Jan. 3, 2012. The Orange also turned down an opportunity to move off Jan. 4, 2012.

The Fiesta Bowl, originally scheduled for Jan. 5, 2012, wants to make the move to Jan. 2, 2012, because it would draw higher television ratings by having a Rose Bowl lead-in game compared with playing on a Thursday night. Also since Jan. 2, 2012 is recognized as a holiday, it would be more easier for visiting fans to attend.

A Fiesta Bowl spokesman declined comment on the expected move.

The Arizona Republic reported the holdup whether the Fiesta Bowl will be moved depends on if the NFL's Arizona Cardinals, who host the Seattle Seahawks on Jan. 1, will waive part of its stadium rights for crews to transform the stadium immediately after the game for the Fiesta Bowl. A Cardinals spokesman said told the Republic the Cardinals want to explore ways to make it happen. The NFL game is now scheduled for 4:15 p.m. ET at University of Phoenix Stadium in Glendale, Ariz.

Ironically, all three BCS bowl games that had the option to move also are hosting NFL games on Jan. 1. The N.Y. Jets play at Miami at Sun Life Stadium, Carolina visits New Orleans in the Louisiana Superdome and the Seahawks play the Cardinals in Glendale.

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It’s been a crazy season for the Washington Wizards.
First, the hype about Gilbert Arenas and John Wall coexisting had fans anxiously waiting for season to start.
Little did they know, Arenas was already on the verge of moving out to Orlando in exchange for Rashard Lewis in the middle of the season.
Right now the Wizards are about moving on and forgetting the growing pains that spread through the franchise as their former veteran filled roster became “stale.”
Wizards’ Owner Ted Leonsis has made it clear to the franchise and the fans that he is a firm believer in building a franchise through the draft, like what the Oklahoma City Thunder did and the Portland Trailblazers.
With that being said, it has put pressure on General Manager Ernie Grunfeld to pretty much nail every draft they come upon in the next two or three years, no matter how weak of a draft it may be.
Expect the Wizards to be pretty active during the draft to make sure that they come out with a player that can contribute right away or in the near future, and not come out with a prospect that is a “bust.”
Here are five predictions on what moves and prospects the Wizards may act upon.

Current projection: High first-round pick
Hands: Has consistently shown the ability to twist and contort his body and make tough catches seem routine. Knows how to use his body to shield the cornerback and can make the tough grab with the cornerback trying to climb over his back. Grade: 8.5
Patterns: Has consistently displayed the ability to disguise his route until the break point, gets in and out of his cuts quickly and has a burst out of his cut to get separation easily. Tends to lose focus and ends up rounding off his cuts. Does a good job of using his hands to push off from the cornerback without it being noticeable. Can consistently get separation on deep routes. Grade: 8.0
Run after catch: Is quick getting started up the field after the catch. Has the quickness and agility to change directions in a flash, which enables him to make tacklers miss with surprising ease. Is able to consistently run through hits and arm tackles to gain yards after contact. Has legitimate big-play talent and is a touchdown threat every time he gets his hands on the ball. Grade: 8.5
Release: Is able to consistently defeat the cornerback’s jam and get into his route fast. Flashes explosiveness off the ball and is able to close the cushion on the cornerback easily. Grade: 9.0
Blocking: Gives a solid effort as a blocker and has the size and deceptive strength to do a good job. Is effective blocking cornerbacks but isn’t as good when he has to make crack-back blocks on linebackers. Grade: 6.0
Bottom line: Green has the talent to be a game-changing receiver in the NFL. Look for him to be a top-five pick and eventually become an elite wideout at the next level.

PULLMAN, Wash. – Washington State University men’s basketball juniors Klay Thompson and DeAngelo Casto have each earned Pacific-10 Conference honors, commissioner Larry Scott announced Monday.
For the second year in a row, Thompson, a native of Ladera Ranch, Calif., picked up All-Pac-10 First Team accolades. This year marks the first time since 1996 and 1997 that a Cougar earned first team honors in consecutive seasons. He also becomes just the fourth Cougar to be named to the first team twice, joining Keith Morrison, Mark Hendrickson and Isaac Fontaine. No WSU men’s basketball student-athlete has earned conference first team honors more than twice. As a freshman Thompson was named to the Pac-10 All-Freshman Team.
Casto, a native of Spokane, Wash., earned All-Pac-10 Second Team honors, along with being named to the five-man Pac-10 All-Defensive Team. He is just the third Cougar to earn All-Pac-10 second team honors, joining Kyle Weaver (2008) and Don Collins (1979). Casto is the first Cougar to be named to the All-Defensive Team multiples times in a career and the third Cougar to earn defensive honors, as Kyle Weaver was named to the team in 2008 and Robbie Cowgill earned honorable mention that same year. Keith Morrison was named the league’s defensive player of the year in 1986. Last season Casto became the 10th WSU player to be named All-Pac-10 Honorable Mention.. As a freshman he was named to the Pac-10 All-Freshman Team.
The Pac-10 All-Conference selections include a 10-player first team and a five-player second team. On top of that, there is a six-person all-freshman team and five-man all-defensive team, as well as a player of the year, freshman of the year, defensive player of the year, most improved player of the year and coach of the year. Players earning at least three votes in the all-conference, all-freshman and all-defensive categories receive honorable mention accolades. Thompson, the Cougars’ leading scorer, is first in the conference and 12th in the nation with a team-best 21.4 points per game. He ranks first in the Pac-10 in 3-point field goals made (2.9 mpg), third in free throw percentage (.829), third in steals (1.8 spg), fifth in assists (4.0 apg), eighth in blocked shots (1.0 bpg) and ninth in steals (1.8 spg), while playing a league fourth-most 34.5 minutes a game.With 44 blocks this season, Casto ranks third in the conference averaging 1.6 blocked shots an outing. He ranks third on the team with 12.0 points per game and has a team-best 6.8 rebounds a game. Casto ranks second overall in the league in field goal percentage (.600) and first in Pac-10 games only (.627). He similarly ranks eighth in rebounding (6.8 rpg), and ninth in defensive rebounds a game (4.8 drpg).
WSU (19-11, 9-9) takes its No. 6 seed into the Pacific-10 Conference Tournament where it will take on third-seeded Washington (20-10, 11-7), Thursday, March 10 at 8:40 p.m. at Staples Center in Los Angeles.

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