The Sweetest Sound

It's 3:16am on Grace's birthday; and four years ago, right at this moment, Grace still resided in my belly.

During my last trimester I suffered terrible insomnia. I played so much computer mahjong that I saw it in my eyelids when I would finally sleep. I guess that my body knew that I would be delivering her the next morning because I fell asleep before 2am. I was woken at 5am by my water breaking. This was really super special for me because with Lori my water was broken by the nurse at the hospital and Anthony was a planned c-section 1 week before my due date, so my water didn't break with him at all.

I got up and showered and played a little mahjong. I thought it was too early to wake up everyone else. At about 7:00 I started to feel some regular contractions and thought that I might get my husband up. You see, Grace was also a planned c-section due to a prior c-section. My doctor was worried that a vaginal birth wouldn't be safe, especially since we were such a small hospital.

I called my mom to meet us at the hospital and I got Jon and the kids up. I remember telling Jon that he was going to have to call in to work because my water broke. He FREAKED!! *When did this happen? Why didn't you wake me sooner?!*

When we got to the hospital things started to move so fast. It was about 8:00. It's a small hospital and everything starts in the ER. I jumped in the OB bed and they strapped me in.

My doctor was called and, boy, did things start going. Surgery was called in, anesthesia was called. The kids were taken by my sister.

I remember the nurse, who came in to insert my foley, told me that I smelled clean *like soap* down in my girl junk.

They came to get me to take me to surgery and were going to try to make my mom wait in the waiting area. Only one family member was allowed in surgery and Jon wasn't going to leave my side. If you know my mom, that was not an option. They did know my mom. She was given a set of scrubs and I left her and Jon in the hallway while they prepped me.

The thing that frightened me most about c-sections was the epidural. They tried to give me one with Lori, but, even after 3 tries, couldn't get it. It hurt crazy bad. It took twice for them to get it with Anthony. The one for Grace wouldn't be any different.

It was a blur in surgery. I remember my husband holding my hand. I remember my mom's eyes tear up as she watched. I remember vomiting. I remember that the usual conversation that my doctor carries with him everywhere stopped and the room got very quiet. Then my doctor said that the cord was wrapped twice around Grace's neck and he'd have to cut it before he could lift her out.

Time felt like it stretched on and on, forever and forever, before I heard her cry for the first time. It was 9:16.

That has got to be the sweetest sound. The first shrill cry that signifies breath and life. There is so much meaning filling that one moment. A moment that I will never forget.