Sweet Seventeen

Today is my baby girl's birthday.  Seventeen years ago today, she completed our family.

I have to tell her birth story.  I like to relive it every year (well, except for the pain part ...)

I wanted her to be born on June 9 because that is my grandmother's birthday.  Her due date was a week later, but I was hoping that she'd come early.  My babies were usually late, not early. I figured it wouldn't hurt to ask God to let her come on the ninth. Being pregnant for the third time, it was also my hope that my water would break to signal the start of labor, because I didn't enjoy having my water broken for me.

At 5 a.m. in the morning, I woke up with water drenching me.  I told my hubby, he called the doctor, and we dressed our two little girls to take to Grandma's. 

My contractions seemed to be coming pretty close (I don't remember now HOW close) and I decided to lay down in the back seat of the car.  I told Jim that I didn't think it would be long, and he nervously accelerated the car.  It seems almost like a sitcom story line now, but sure enough, a policeman stopped him for speeding. Jim told the officer that his wife was having a baby and that he was trying to get her to the hospital.  Skeptical, the officer said "I don't see your wife," but then shined his flashlight in the back seat.  I don't know what he saw on my face, but he told Jim to go ahead and hurry to the hospital.

I was really praying because, frankly, I thought I was going to give birth right there in that back seat.  It takes 45 minutes to get to the hospital normally, but having to take the girls to grandma's added roughly another 20 minutes to our drive time.

My other two pregnancies had been 12 hour labors.  I was really surprised how labor seemed so intense so early this time.

Once we arrived at the hospital, the nurses seemed to take their time getting me upstairs and checking me out.  Once I was examined, the nurse said "Oh my, this baby is coming NOW.  You seemed so calm I was thinking you had just started labor."  She left to go find a doctor on the floor to help, since my doctor had not yet arrived.

No matter how imminent birth is, it seems there is always time to do paperwork.  Another nurse came in to ask me all sorts of questions.   Answering between breathing short breaths, I had to laugh when she asked me how much my baby weighed!  I told her I didn't know yet, but was hoping for a 7 pounder.

No doctor in the room yet, but I had to push!  I remember thinking, "Oh no, I remember how much this hurts."  The nurse said "try not to push, a doctor will be here soon."  I thought, "try and stop me." I pushed again.  A doctor raced into the room in time to grab the baby as she was born with the third push!

And at 8 a.m., a scant three hours after labor started, there was baby Malia Jaclyn, 8 lbs 2 ounces, all beautiful and an answer to her mother's prayers.

Here she is at one year's old.

Here she is cast as Lucy in the play "You're A Good Man, Charlie Brown." She was 16 in this picture. She loves performing on stage.  Recently, she was in the play High School Musical at the community college.

Here she is last Easter.  This is one of my favorite pictures.

Happy Birthday, Malia!  I thank God for you.  You were always a loving, affectionate child, and God knew we needed you in our lives.  You are a blessing!