The Birth of a Sailor

One of the birthday traditions with my kids is for me to re-tell them their birth story on their birthday. To be honest, my first born is the only one who really appreciates this tradition and that is probably because she is a sentimental sap like her Mom. With your first child everything is a big deal. I started wearing maternity clothes the week I found out I was pregnant.... Well maybe not literally but I sure wanted to. The pregnancy went off without a hitch. We did the childbirth class thing, read books, did all the things new parents do to assure their child will not grow up to be twisted maniacs, like their parents. The morning of my due date I was so disappointed that I did not have  one sign the books say you will notice when the birth is near. Not a pain, not a twinge, none of the gross stuff that goes on down under.... Zip. My husband came home for lunch and I was fit to be tied. They said my due date was on the 15th of June and by gosh today was the 15th of June and time was a-wasting, according to my rules of all things must happen according to plan and schedule. Little did I know that children have their owns rules about plans and schedules. I walked my husband out the door after lunch and he held me and patted me as he assured me that it would be soon. No one likes having a hysterical pregnant woman on their hands and he was happy to be headed back to work for the afternoon. I on the other hand had wifely chores that needed to be done which included taking the laundry to my Mother-In-Law's house to use her washer as ours was out. I loaded up the laundry and headed to her house with as sad a face as you have ever seen. After my clothes finished washing, I loaded them back into the car and took them home to dry. On the way home I felt kind of.... Icky. I loaded the clothes in the dryer and laid down to rest and watch General Hospital. When General Hospital ended, I didn't feel any better so I called my Mother-In-Law to see if my ickiness could be a sign of labor, which she assured me it was. She informed me she would be right
over to take me to the hospital. I made my phone calls, had my bags ready (as per instructions from birthing class) and waited for her to arrive. Somewhere between her house and my house my quiet, meek, frail, Mother-In-Law had turned into a panic stricken drill Sergent who was large and in charge weighing in at a whole 98 pounds. I was stunned speechless as she ran in the house and grabbed everything out of my arms and ordered me into the car. What had they done to my Mother-In-Law and who was this woman impersonating her??? As we sped away in the car (like we wouldn't make it to the hospital a whole 1/2 mile from the house in time for the delivery), my husband drove up and headed in to change clothes. When we arrived at the hospital, she jumped out of the car and practically carried me into the hospital... Apparently she felt the need for urgency but I'm not quite sure why. Everybody got settled in ready for a long night, but that was not to be. My precious baby girl had the same quirky disposition for promptness as her Mother. She arrived at 8:39 p.m. on June the 15th, 1983. She entered this world jabbering like a magpie in the delivery room. When her jabbering turned to

cries, her Daddy gently bent over her, she grabbed his finger and she quieted as he began to sing the ABC song as he had done every night while I had carried her. She was spunky, she was head strong and little did we know that some day she would be a Sailor in the United States Navy. Happy Birthday Sissy!!!! We are so proud of the woman you have become.