Introducing...

Songbird's little Bro was born last Thursday, April 23rd at 2:02 in the afternoon. He weighed 7 pounds 7 ounces and was 20 inches long. He was born with his hand against his cheek, and even now as he sleeps in my lap his hand is gently rested against his face.

Around 12:50 in the afternoon I started feeling back pain along with my contractions - to the extent that I decided I should start recording how often they were coming. 12:50, 12:55, 1:00, 1:02, 1:06, 1:08... Wow, they were coming pretty regularly, and the pain was increasing in intensity, so I decided I should call Hubry at work and have him stand ready with phone in hand - just in case this was the real thing. I also called my friend Joya who was supposed to be coming over with her son to play at 3:00, just to ask if she could come earlier if I needed her to. 3-5 minutes later, I called both Hubry and Joya back and said, on second thought they should come right away.

Hubry arrived on bike within 15 minutes, and we quickly began gathering our hospital things - bags, camera, toiletries, birthing skirt... I tried to call the midwife, but only got a busy signal, and told Hubry to call Joya back to see how far away she was. I was beginning to feel that if we didn't leave immediately we might not make it... A few minutes later we were able to get in touch with the midwife and she said we should come straight to the hospital. A few minutes later my friend arrived - we had left our apartment door open and were waiting in the car. We yelled a thank-you to her with some sort of brief instructions about keys, etc., and then Hubry took off for the hospital.

By this point my contractions were intense, and I was having to groan and breath - clench and cry. With each contraction Hubry got more and more nervous, stepping on the accelerator. Slow, slow slow, I said. Go fast when I'm not having a contraction, slow when I am... He went fast the whole time, hearing my pain and remembering how similar it sounded to the pain I felt right before Songbird was born. For a few moments, I seriously questioned whether we were going to make it to the hospital or not, but we kept getting closer and closer. As we pulled up I told Hubry I needed to go to the circle and get on a wheelchair - I could no longer walk.

The lady waiting out front put me on a wheelchair and asked Hubry to go park the car. I was too focused to argue and beyond comprehension, so I went back inside and had to trust that the Lord would work it all out. As we went in the emergency room, they tried to take me in to registration, but I quickly and urgently "requested" that they find me a room immediately or I would deliver the baby on the floor.

Up we went in the elevator to labor and delivery. As we got off the elevator and entered the double doors onto the labor and delivery floor, I began panting - Oh head -the head is coming (yes, I know, I must have been quite a sight!) The midwife was at the far end of the hall, and as soon as she heard me she started gloving up along with several other nurses that happened to be around. She yelled down to me to stop pushing or something along those lines, but by this point everything was happening on its own.

After trying to wheel me into several rooms that were already occupied by other patients, we found a vacant room at the end of the hall. As we went into the room, I was kicking my shoes off while others were assisting lifting me onto the bed and undressing me. (My birthing skirt was with Hubry who was parking the car...) It's your bag of waters, Toni said, not the head. Look at me, breath and focus. I want you to push when you're not having a contraction, she said. Everything is happening so fast, push when you're not having a contraction to try and let things happen a little more slowly.

Right then Hubry came bursting into the room, and as he walked over to me he saw the baby's head crowning - a dark head of hair bursting forth. Within a few minutes little Bro was born (though we didn't know him as little Bro yet, nor even as a boy baby). I had to sit up and look down at him to discover he was a he, and then Hubry said Oh yeah, I forgot to look! We have a he-child.

We pulled up to the front circle of the hospital at 1:55, and little Bro was born at 2:02. It was a complete whirlwind of events. I went from wondering whether I was in labor, to holding my little unveiled mystery, all within an hour. The midwife asked - what are we going to do with you if you get pregnant again??? Hubry made the joke - rent a room in a hotel across the street from the hospital the last 3 weeks of pregnancy!

And that is how you were revealed to us, my son. You came quickly - with the cord wrapped around your neck, your hand outstretched on your cheek, and still encased within the empty bag of waters. You are a miracle and a gift - the Son of our right hand. May you always be aware that it is the Lord who carries you between His shoulder blades, and may you rest content in Him!