the surprise

Jordan's "golden" birthday kind of came and went. He turned 23 on the 23 of June and everybody was BUSY...working, vacationing, playing...We had known his birthday would fall on busy day so a few days before his birthday, we got together and ate cake in his honor. Part of that fun family tradition is that everyone present gets to tell a story about the birthday boy! The stories were all funny and Jordan endured the attention well.

But there is one story that I completely forgot about until I was visiting with Sara (Jordan's wife) the other day.

I was just getting used to having three little girls to take care of when woops - pregnant again! After the initial shock wore off I got excited and started to plan for four little girls. I mean, it just didn't make any sense for me to imagine a little boy in our family. What were the odds of us actually having our very own real, live BOY?

(angela, diana and sara)

So my pregnancy progressed without incident and the time came for the baby to arrive. The due date was June 3, 1988. And I was basically as big as a house and busy, busy, busy. I loaded up the little girls and took them to a primary party on June 6. Jugglers and treats and a grand time was had by all and no baby arrived. Then there was a flurry of activity through the month of June-end of school parties, trips to the park, the zoo, etc.etc. AND STILL NO BABY!

I had decided I was 1/2 elephant and I would be carrying this baby FOREVER! My doctor believed with all his heart that giving birth was a normal, natural thing and there was no need to interfere with Mother Nature. But as I was moving into my third week overdue he decided I really should give birth. "The baby's getting bigger and it's just going to be harder if we leave this much longer." he said, as he booked an appointment for me to be induced on June 22! That was a fun idea since it was Wally's birthday. A baby would be a great birthday gift!

Wally and I loaded the girls off to a sitter and loaded me into the car and headed for the Hospital to get a baby. We were greeted with a solemn faced nurse who explained the labor and delivery rooms were FULL with women who were actually having babies. Me and my induction would have to wait for another, less hectic day.

Wally had taken a day off work to accompany me to the hospital. The next morning I told him he should probably just keep going to work until I was really having the baby so he got up bright and early and headed off. I got up too and got busy doing whatever it is moms with three active little girls do.

Halfway through the morning, I started to feel a little weird...not labour and delivery weird...just a little off. I decided to drop the girls off with my friend and drive over to the hospital (where Wally worked) and talk to Wally about how I was feeling. I needed the break anyway.

I walked into the hospital and talked to someone who suggested a "stress test" to make sure the baby was fine.

Nurse 1: We'll just get you up here on the table and check and see how you're doing.

(I gown up and said nurse starts poking a prodding and prodding some more)

Nurse 1: Hey, Susan will you get over here and come have a look at this? (to me) You sure you're feeling okay?

Me: I'm almost 10 months pregnant-what does okay feel like? ha ha

(Nurse 2 begins poking and pushing and prodding and pushing again)

Nurse 1 and 2 whisper and then yell to Nurse 3: Hey Joan, call upstairs and let them know we've got one coming up!

By now I was a little worried to be the focus of so much attention. Now there were three nurses gazing down at my swollen belly and poking between my legs.

Nurse 2: How did you get here, Mrs. Smart?

I was pretty sure I understood the question so I replied, " Well, I dropped the girls off at the sitter and I came straight from Millwoods down the Whitemud Freeway. It's a pretty direct route."

Nurses 1, 2 and 3(in unison): You DROVE yourself here?!

Finally, Nurse 1 exclaimed, incredulously, "Honey, you're in labour and you're already at six centimetres. You're having a baby!"

Nurse 2: Somebody find Dr. Smart and tell him his wife drove here in labour! What is wrong with that man?!!

PS: Wally and I always joked that the only way we'd ever produce male off spring was if it was by accident. Well, Jordan was about the biggest and the best accident/surprise any young mom and dad could ask for; all 10 pounds 6 ounces of him!

Happy Birthday Big Boy!