As I sit here today, my thoughts go back to 9 years ago...  It's hard to believe my first born is nine... Where did the time go?...

He wasn't due until the 31st, but the morning of the 26th I began having stomach cramps.  I didn't put "two and two together" at first, and it wasn't until I was on my way to work (my husband and I owned a pawn shop at the time) that it dawned on me that these "cramps" were coming and going frequently.  I began timing them at regular intervals of five minutes.  My husband and I kept track all day... they continued on and off until noon, and then they were sporatic.  My hopes fell as the contractions grew further apart.

Later that night after supper, they began again.  My husband suggested a walk.  I barely made it around the block before the pain was strong enough it made it hard to walk.  I called my mom and she picked up my step-son (almost 8 at the time).  I continued to labor until eleven that night.  Never having done this before, and not knowing what to expect, I wanted to go in for a "courtesy check" and see what I was dialated to.  (Funny how I worried the baby might "fall out"... oh don't we women wish!)

We hadn't pre-registered (a suggestion that I'd made to my husband but he saw no need), and the lady there was new (and frustrated) so it took 30 minutes.  Meanwhile, I sat in the waiting room breathing infront of passers-by (the beginning of "loosing your modesty in labor" stage...)  I have to chuckle now, thinking back to my "ever-so-cool" husband.  Since he'd already had a child, he remained calm about everything.  It wasn't until the lady asked my birthdate, that I realized my husband was excited, nervous, and just plainly... flustered.  What did he do?  He gave the lady his ex-wife's birthdate (mind you.. we'd known each other for almost three years... and he DID know my birthday!).  How did I respond?  "WRONG WIFE, MIKE..."

I finally made it into the delivery room (small town, so it's all in one place) and found out that I was dialated to a "4".  The nurse began hooking me up, and my husband looked at the clock.  It was just before midnight, so he said not to do anything until after midnight.  We'd been told that anything before midnight still counts as a "day", so he didn't want me to loose a day in the hospital over a few minutes.  I'll never forget the look on the nurse's face.  She looked at me and asked if I agreed.  Of course, I did.  I made it another 15 minutes and everyone began to come into my room, change my clothes, poke and prod.

I got a shot of Lanicane to numb the cervix, and instantly my pain was gone... all of it.  I went into the jacuzzi tub and sat for awhile.  It was then my husband came in to tell me a bomb had went off at the Olympics.  About 45 minutes had passed since my shot, and my pain was returning.  I got out of the tub, and soon it was time to push. 

My husband and I had never went to any birthing class, so when the nurse asked if I knew how to breathe, I panicked inside.  She was very reassuring and helped every step of the way.  When I got distracted, my husband "pulled me back" with a magical sentence looking into my eyes... "We're going to have a little baby..."  It still brings tears to my eyes, as he's said it to me with every child we've since brought into the world. "I see black hair!" I heard the doctor exclaim, and with renewed strength, I pushed out God's blessing. 

The feeling of releasing that moving body from within, is an amazing thing.  One moment it's there, and then... the life you've carried for so long is gone... "You have a boy!"  Tears of joy and elation.  And then... time stops.  The world continues to turn, and people continue to sleep, eat, and mundanely live... nothing has changed for them, but the lives of two people are forever altered.  A new life has entered the world.  There have been no trumpets sounding, yet something magical happens as a miracle enters the world.  If you soak in the moment... time stops, as it never will again.