My Own Personal Miracle

As I lay on the hospital bed in silent agony, my doctor came in to check my progress again. I was only dialated to a seven. As she was leaving she asked if any one had any predictions as to how the baby would look. My mother-in-law said that we knew she would have tons of black hair. My doctor asked why she thought this. My mother-in-law explained that I had terrible heartburn, and my doctor laughed. She said,"Do you know how many women report having terrible heartburn during pregnancy? I'll tell you 95%. How many babies have a full head of hair? I would guess 3 maybe 5%. I'm sorry Kaysie, the heartburn doesn't mean anything." I smiled and said that I didn't need heartburn to know the baby had hair. I had seen her hair for myself in the second ultrasound. She laughed and said,"I guess we will see in a few hours."
Now the pain was stronger and my recovery time is minimal, and although I was unaware of time, everyone else in the room was sitting there counting the minutes, and wondering if this little girl was ever going to be there. My husband was beginning to worry about my strength, and his own.
How thin is the veil between this life, and the next? I think there is a very fragile balance in a birthing room. You do feel the presence of the divine. For me it felt like an electric energy. I went into the birthing room so excited that I didn't even think to ask for help, and strength. I forgot to pray. It wasn't until this moment that it occured to me that I needed help. The moment when the pain was so terrible that Nurse C., that rough old cowgirl, and my husband were pushing as hard as they could on my lower back with each contraction. I began to feel overwhemled, and exhausted.
It was during one of these silent moments of breathless anticipation that my mother-in-law reached into her purse, and pulled out a paper that she had forgotten about. This paper just happened to be a program from one of the church meetings she had attended with us. On this paper were the names, and phone numbers of our priesthood leaders. She quickly grabbed the phone, and dialed the first number on the list. She asked if someone would be willing to drive to the hospital to give me a blessing. They said that they were on their way, and they would be there in ten minutes.
I had three more contractions, and I heard voices of people coming into my room. Two men and their wives entered the curtain. One couple I knew form church meetings the others were kind strangers. the wives sat down by my mom, and my mother-in-law, and began to chat calmly, asking how I was doing. The men walked over to the bed, and said that we would have a prayer. We all bowed our heads, and one of the men said a few simple words, and the most amazing thing happened. I knew that everything was going to be fine. From that point on I didn't feel any more pain.
A few minutes later my brother, and his wife walked into the room. They just got into town, and they came to tell me that they would be in the waiting room. They were surprised that I hadn't had the baby, and they couldn't wait to meet her. then a few more contractions. I only knew about these contractions because I was staring at the monitor with absolute facination. Shocked by my lack of feeling.
Nurse C. asked how I was feeling, and checked yet again for progress. She seemed surprised when she smiled, and said,"Kaysie, Your going to have a baby! Right now! I'll go get the doctor!" She ran from the room.
Next I heard some unexpected and much welcomed voices from the other side of the curtain. I heard my uncle say,"Well we are here! Did we miss anything?" He and my aunt had traveled for two hours just to meet my daughter. I was shocked. They were surprised when we told them that they hadn't missed a thing. I was still pregnant. My uncle went out to visit with my brother, and my aunt stayed. She is a nurse, and witnessing a birth doesn't bother her.
The doctor came in, and she said that it was really time. Was it possible? Was I really having a baby? Yes!
I remained calm, and focused. For me this was the easy part. I couldn't feel anything. Things seemed to go by very quickly. Soon my doctor said, "Kaysie, I can see her head, and guess what? You guys were right. She has about two inches of thick black hair." In between contractions the doctor would style the baby's hair. She would say things like, "Oh Mommy, you are going to have fun with this! Look Grandma, she can spike it up, or wear it to the side." Then she asked me if I wanted to feel the baby's head. I will admit I was surprised when I heard myself say yes. I was always the woman who said as soon as they clean my baby up I'll hold her. I will have waited nine months to hold her, what is another ten minutes?
As I felt her head I gained more strength than I ever knew I had. I was getting three really good pushes in every contraction.
Sunday, April 27, 2008 3:15 P.M. roughly 31 hours had passed from the time of the first contraction. The guest of honor entered the room. She was 7 lbs.10 oz., and twenty inches long. She was perfect, although slightly purple. I thought of her as a little pearl who had been rolling around in my belly for the past nine months polishing herself to perfection. She was screaming as loud as her little lungs would allow. Her eyes were big and beautiful, and every bit as wide open as her mouth. I reached out my arms to hold her, and that was it. I was a mother. I felt like she had been handed straight from the arms of her loving father in heaven to me. How did I get so lucky? Here was this helpless little girl looking up at me as if she were trying to say,"Love me. I love you." Pleading with me to take care of her. How could I refuse. As I held her I vowed that I would do anything in my power to ensure her happiness.
I looked over at my husband, and there were no words exchanged. He had tears of joy brimming in his eyes. We kissed, and hugged, and we knew life as we had known it would never be the same. Is would be even better. A family was born.