Bits for Sunday, August 2, 2009

If you've not seen the two posts below, you don't know that the little baby I have been waiting…and waiting…and waiting on was finally born this week. A couple of weeks I wrote about my not-so-patient waiting game, and it turns out that was just boot camp for my nine hour pace-n-pray in the hospital on Friday.

I arrived at (a.k.a. moved into) the birthing center Friday about 1 in the afternoon. I had stopped by the Gaither store for a shopping spree/writing brainstorm/giant iced white chocolate mocha dream. I also squeezed in a trip to the nearby Hobby Lobby to breathe its air. Then, armed with a Biggie iced tea and a backpack loaded with my computer and camera stuff, I stepped off the elevator and into a candid-camera trap. Since Liam’s birth three years ago, the hospital added a security entrance between the elevator and the maternity ward. The directions said to ring the doorbell, listen for the click, and open the door.

Problem #1 – two doorbell looking devices. I was afraid one of them might be an alarm in disguise, and I certainly didn’t want to send a multitude of laboring women into distress by pressing the wrong button. I took a guess, pressed a button, heard a click, and pulled on the door. Nothing. Repeated the process about 10 times (literally) and finally heard this little elderly voice calling out to me from the other side of the door, “JUST PULL!” I am!!!!!!! Somehow I finally got the door open and made a joke to the lady about being smarter than the door.

She just stared at me.

Well at least I’m not here to give birth! Not passing on the stupid genes to anyone else!

For the next several hours, I hung out in good old room six, watching contractions on the monitor, checking status updates online, watching TV, watching contractions on the monitor, pushing the portable IV cart for laps in the hallway, sending text updates to my friends, offering random words of encouragement, laughing at Chris when he picked up a little brown cup of “chocolate pudding” off the bedside table only to find it was definitely NOT chocolate pudding, and watching contractions on the monitor.

About mid-afternoon, I moved into praying mode. As the contractions grew closer together and more intense, and as the clock crept closer to midnight, I began to pound on the door of Heaven. I knew that they wanted…they needed this baby to come before midnight. After midnight, it would be August first, and that day was their first baby’s birthday…a day they needed to be reserved just for her memory. The doula and I stood right outside the door to room six, asking God to please extend kindness and mercy to them and allow this baby to come before midnight.

And then we went back inside for the last of the adventure. And that’s when the pacing began. As the nurses and midwife and doula and Chris stayed close to her bed, I stayed close to the cameras, making sure everything was ready when the time came. And during every contraction, I walked slowly back and forth across the room, praying for enough strength to get her to “the next crack in the pavement.” God heard from me quite a bit that evening.

And finally, just after nine, little James made his appearance. I cried…just like I cried for his two big sisters and his big brother. I cried because I realized what an amazing privilege it is to be trusted to be part of such a beautiful and life-changing moment. I cried because I got to witness something that some people never get to see, except for through a TV screen. I cried because the absolute joy that follows such absolute pain is something I never see anywhere else. I cried because God heard the prayers of a pacing girl in room six…and granted mercy and kindness in the time of need.

Just moments after his birth, I got to hold little James and have a chat with him about life at Aunt Bekah’s house. I told him about how much fun he would have when he came to visit the kitties…even though they’d hide from him. I told him to get used to the camera because it isn’t going anywhere.

I’m so glad to have had the opportunity to be on the welcoming committee for little James, and I can’t wait to watch him grow up!