Thursday, May 20, 2010

It Was A Dark And Stormy Night


May 20, 1977


It was a dark and stormy night. I know, I'm sorry, but it really was. There had been rain , thunder and lightning with tornadoes bouncing around us all through the evening. Streets were already flooded and the rain was not letting up.

My baby was due that day. It was getting late enough that I had given up hope that it  would come on the due date. The older kids were already asleep and we were heading to bed at about 10. That's when I got a sure, wet sign that something was starting to happen. We called the doctor and he said he would meet us at the hospital. We called my in-laws to come stay with the kids and waited nearly an hour while they made their way across town through the storm.

My pains were getting pretty bad as we headed for the hospital, making several detours because streets were closed by the downpour. I'm sure I was very polite the whole way saying things like "take all the time you need" and "just be careful", or maybe not.

We made it to the hospital, checked in, and a very young orderly brought out a wheel chair and invited me to have a seat. It was at that point that I realized that sitting wasn't an option. The baby was coming, right then and there. Instead of primly having a seat, I dropped my pants and and sprawled back into the wheel chair.
My husband bent down and looked and said "yeah, its coming, its got some hair." Nothing says dignity like being laid out in a wheel chair in a hospital lobby with your shoes on and your pants and underwear hanging off one ankle.

The, by then, very white-faced orderly spun the wheel chair around and headed for the elevator. By the time we reached the maternity floor I was holding a beautiful, 8 lb. 9 oz. baby girl in my arms. She was born at 11:55 p.m. on the day she was due.


My daughter, Joanna, and her daughter, Hope, whose birthday is the day after her mom's


Happy birthday Joanna and Hope

20 comments:

  1. What beautiful girls!

    Isn't it funny how we can remember every detail of those deliveries even so many years later!

    ReplyDelete
  2. What a great delivery story. I can't believe you delivered your own baby! That is amazing. Happy Birthday to your daughter.

    ReplyDelete
  3. happy birthday to Joanna,
    and Hope..
    and to YOU gramma..
    who started it all..
    on that dark, and stormy night!!
    beautiful post!
    hugs!
    Loui♥

    ReplyDelete
  4. What a great story.. and I love that picture. Such adorable faces.

    ReplyDelete
  5. Here's a very happy birthday to both Joanna and sweet little Hope. Your story reeks much like the birth of my daughter. I enjoyed your dark stormy night tale! That's a beautiful pic of mother and daughter.

    Have a fun day filled with birthday celebrations.

    ReplyDelete
  6. Whew, you just barely made into the hospital!! Your hubby sounds like he knows his new babies. Happy Birthday to your beautiful daughter.

    ReplyDelete
  7. Wow
    have you always been a drama Queen?
    Just kiddin
    that made me laugh
    your hubbies comment was great
    I had my second child...a boy in Oct. of 77
    I almost waited to long (because the first child took 30 some hours)
    I didn't want to be there that long....so when I got there they pushed me right in (o:
    3rd child was 8 years later and back to the loooonnnngggg labor
    Happy BD to you beautiful daughter and her daughter

    By the way...are you a Boulder native? Did you know any Lillards?

    ReplyDelete
  8. Who needs politenes when you´re in labor, right? haha
    That was some delivery and something you´ll never forget, I´m sure. I couldn´t help smiling imagining you laying in the wheel chair with your underwear around your ankles.... :)
    Joanna and Hope are beautiful and look so much alike. Happy Birthday to them both!

    ReplyDelete
  9. oh my! what a birth story you have from Joanna! Happy birthday to her and Hope! both are beautiful young women!

    I can just imagine the orderly's look on his face; makes you wonder if he started looking for another job afte this......

    betty

    ReplyDelete
  10. Ha! I was trouble from the beginning! :) Hopefully my third will at least wait until we're in a hospital bed!

    ReplyDelete
  11. Wow! What a great story! You were a champ! I don't think I would have been so polite.

    It was all worth it, though, wasn't it? Joanna and Hope are beautiful! Happy Birthday to both!

    ReplyDelete
  12. Seriously!!!!!! You are WONDER WOMAN. What a delivery story.

    Your daughter and grand daughter are absolutely gorgeous! Happy birthday to them both.

    xo

    ReplyDelete
  13. Love stories like that!! Congrats, they are both beautiful.

    ReplyDelete
  14. That's quite a baby story! Will I see it re-enacted on the Discovery Channel? It definitely has enough excitement! Glad it all turned out well in the end. Happy Birthday to both of them.

    ReplyDelete
  15. This is one funny, and heartwarming story. I can just picture it....LOL. Happy Birthday Joanna and Hope. They're both great looking kids.

    ReplyDelete
  16. Jeanie, My daughter was born on May 20, 1983.

    Loved your story. Daughter and granddaughter are both very lovely!

    ReplyDelete
  17. Wow! That is some fast work. Belated Happy Birthday to all.

    ReplyDelete
  18. The orderly delivered your baby in an elevator? That is one exciting birth. I'm glad everything worked out.

    Happy Birthday girls.

    ReplyDelete
  19. Wow that is an awesome story!!

    ReplyDelete