This a speech I made publicly at a Toastmasters Speech Contest.
Our three children have always been a source of inspiration to me, and I thought I would introduce them to you.
Catherine
We probably should have taken the Lamaze class. While we arrived at the hospital without incident, what ensued was something neither of us was prepared for.
After checking in, my wife Michelle was all nice and cozy. As we sat and watched some old black and white movie, I thought: “This isn’t so bad. What’s so tough about having a baby?”
Then I noticed Michelle crawling around in circles on the bed. “Are you okay?” I asked. She replied, “No, I want to go home!”
This goes on for a while. A long time, ever-escalating. The nurses try as they might, could not comfort her or calm her down, I couldn’t calm her down or say or do anything appropriately soothing. She just kept crawling around in circles on the bed, crying I want to go home, I want a pain killer!”
Fearing she might fall off, a nurse stood at one side of the bed and I on the other -Michelle tried to crawl right up over the headboard! Well, after that she finally got her wish and received a pain killer!
The nurses were against it because it was too close to the delivery time, but she got it -right in the butt!
Soon after that, it was baby time! Without much further ado… out slips a baby! I do not know what they gave her but Michelle slipped into la-la-land and the delivery was much more manageable and possibly induced.
It’s a girl!
Wait! Why is she blue?
Why isn’t she crying? Silence fills the room as a sense of urgency fuels a team of nurses.
The last minute pain killer had stopped her breathing, but suddenly a nurse turned around holding a little newborn baby.
Do you hear it? A tiny meaaaaw. Our first blessing, and today she goes by the name Cat!
Jared
Picture this. You are in your 3rd-floor garden apartment. Your pregnant wife is pacing the floor…
“Michelle, we need to go to the hospital.” “Noooo,” would be the reply, “I’m okay.” “No, you don’t appear okay.” I don’t play a doctor on TV but I know panic. “We need to go now,” I say. “No, I don’t wanna.”
I needed help so I called Judy (our neighbor and friend). She comes over and takes one look at Michelle and without hesitation helps me get her down the stairs into the car and off we go! Thank you, Miss Judy!
Mind you at this point I’m pretty scared. Michelle is having a baby and I’m driving 90 miles an hour around the Baltimore outer-loop! I always wanted an excuse to drive this fast woohoo!
Reel it in, your’ wife is having a baby over here. “Hold on Michelle no no no, don’t push!” Michelle; “I wanna go home!”
We finally get to St. Agnes Hospital in Baltimore and scurry up to the front desk—as I exclaim “we’re having a baby!”
The receptionist looks up and shouts “We’re having a baby!” In seconds someone is there with a wheelchair— we’re up the elevator— Michelle is whisked away.
I’m thrown a hospital gown. “Put that gown on and you can come in.” This is all happening very fast. I no sooner get in there and out “pops” a little boy. A stream of pee arcing through the air!
“You want me to cut the umbilical cord?” Umm, no thanks.
But I’m curious and ask the doctor: “What’s the bump on his head?” The Doctor replies: “That’s where his head was bouncing on your car seat!”
Our son Jared was the 2nd delivery to come in on a wing and a prayer.
Erica: The Deliverer of Feathers
It was another normal workday for me. When I come downstairs for that nice first cup of coffee, I find Michelle crawling around in circles on the floor, on her hands and knees.
Ot oh; I pause for a second to reflect; yep that’s the terror crawl from the 1st delivery. Michelle’s sister was staying with us because we knew the day was near. I call her; “Cathy! You gotta’ come and see this!”
She takes one look at Michelle and states under no uncertain term; “You’re going to the hospital.”
What do you think Michelle says? Yep. “Nooo, I’m not going.”
“Yes. Yes, you are…”
This was the first pregnancy to go full term. Cat was one month early. Jared was two months early!!
This little girlthis one was right on schedule.
We get to the hospital thankfully again without incident (maybe only 80 mph around the beltway this time).
Michelle was checked in and instantly declared to be in full labor and, as I expected, she starts with the “I want to hoooome! I want a paaaaain killer!”
This doctor wasn’t allowing any shenanigans.
The doctor leans over to Michelle and says sternly, “Listen, you; it’s too late for that. Lay back, be still, and push.”
All I could do was watch as Michelle endured her most prolonged delivery yet. After about 4 hours of endurance, Michelle gave birth to our 3rd family member. Another girl!
She was beautiful, and Cat & Jared took to her right away, and we brought Erica home to start a new branch in our family tree.
Little did we know, Erica was born with a rare, severe disability.
Our journey “on a wing and a prayer” was just beginning.
But that’s another story you can read here: Growing With Erica
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