Best Christmas Present Ever:)

1991:
At 6:30pm. on Dec 7th, the crib my MIL ordered arrived.

Thirty minutes later, I felt my first honest-to-God contraction, and called my mom to see if that's what it was.  She was heading out to a friend's 50th birthday party and told me to walk around; if they continued, then to call my spouse and doctor and go to the hospital.

They came roughly ten minutes apart, so I called the hubby at work and had him come home.  We drove to the hospital where they checked; I was only dilated at 3cm.  We began walking until I got nauseated two hours later.  At 11pm, nothing more had progressed, so they gave me a sedative and sent us home.

At midnight, the spouse decided to watch Predator 2 with Danny Glover.  I lay on the couch and dozed, and did my breathing exercises.  After the movie, D got in the shower.  At 1:30, I rolled over just as he was drying off.

"My body just told me to push; I think it's time."

He threw his clothes on and we got in the car.  I was in pain; I couldn't fasten my seat belt, and the hospital was thirty minutes away.  I think we made it in 20!  I felt as if the baby was going to be born on the sidewalk, but D got me inside and they whisked me back into the LDR room.  I was dilated at 8cm and was begging for an epidural, but it was too late.

When I was fully dilated, we began pushing.  But the baby apparently wasn't progressing, so Dr. Mark looked at the nurse with a devilish grin.

"She's not had any meds; we can have her squat."

"WHAT???"

So they helped me to my feet in the bed and we pushed that way for a while, then they let me lay down again.  And at 3:41, son K was born.  He was 8 lbs, 7 oz and 20.5 inches long.  He reached up and took the measuring tape away from the nurse who was trying to measure his tiny head; I laughed and told him to behave himself.

And after they cleaned him up, I got to hold him for the first time.  And burst into tears of happiness.  Mom and Dad arrived and were thrilled with their first grandson.  And twenty years later, he's still a blessing to them:)

His 1st outing was up to my parents' house for my birthday.  I wasn't sure I wanted to take an 11-day old baby to a restaurant, so we had a quiet celebration.  And a few days later, he charmed his great-grandmother Jean and great-grandfather Norman at our Christmas party with my dad's side of the family.

He'd made us late to the party because first he hosed down his bed as I was changing his diaper; then he deposited another 'present' in my hand as I was carrying him to his bath; and just as we were ready to walk out the door, he proclaimed loudly he was hungry, and after eating, promptly spit up on my shirt!

And now, twenty years later as we said goodbye to Granny Jean, he was a pallbearer at her funeral yesterday.  So both 1991 and 2011 will be forever special Christmases in our hearts.

Present Day:
I'm heading north again to help clean out Granny's apartment.  The facility 1st told my aunt to take her time, and then told her on Tuesday 'the end of the month'.  Hello.....it's tomorrow!  Thanks a lot....

Yesterday the sun was shining; it was in the 40's and no rain or snow.  A little chilly yes, but otherwise a beautiful day to say goodbye to a beautiful woman.

RIP Granny.
April 8, 1922-Dec 25, 2011