Unbelievable!

What a night!!! After the day I had yesterday, Jared and I got a phone call that my sister Molly's water had broke. My first feeling was pure excitement and then Jared broke through my thoughts and said "Jack said that if you want to come to the hospital and be in the room for the birth that would be fine." Gulp....let me re-phrase that Double Gulp. I should back up and explain that I am the sister who hears of the impending child, rolls back over to sleep and then visits the niece, nephew, friend's child, whomever, the next day at my leisure. At best I DO offer to help my sisters with their other children. But at NO point have I ever considered being in the room when a child came into our world. I mean I was barely conscious when I had my own children.



On Mother's Day Molly told Missy and I that she would be fine with one or all of us being in there. I considered it and thought I would have a few weeks to think about it. At the time my thoughts were "It would be awesome but the odds were the timing wouldn't work and I'd need someone to watch the kids." In other words I figured that I would have an out. You see I love my sisters like, well, sisters and seeing them in pain is not on the top of my list of "things to do". I am a person full of mercy who cries at commercials. I am not the "strong oak" type who assists someone while giving birth. I also tend to pass out when giving blood. I am not sure how I would handle seeing blood fly out of another human. I decided to "man up" and do it. I mean what a blessing. There are people who go through life and never see another child come into the world. It is miraculous and DARN IT I am going to do it.



I arrive at the hospital within the hour and talk to my sister Missy who is leaving to take care of Molly's other children. Jack (Molly's husband) came out to say I could come back. I have never even seen my other sisters have a contraction so despite my nerves I headed back to find my sweet, sister Molly. I swear she is not related to me because she is just that; SWEET to the core of her being. She is so gracious to her nurses and her husband and her ridiculous sister :) I prayed on the way to the hospital that first of all Molly and her baby would be safe and secondly that I would not be a lunatic but a composed woman who would actually be a support to my sister. When I got there I realized that she was that "strong oak" that I wasn't.



She is amazing. My imitation of Molly in labor goes as follows: "So, I plan to paint the bedroom...oh, hold on I am having a contraction.....heee, heee, heee haaa, haaa, haaaa....wow, that was a bad one......some shade of purple and then I'll do the nursery in this color." Enter Nurse. Again Molly is gracious and thanks her each time she enters "thank you so much for your help". Towards her husband: "Jack thanks so much for rubbing my back that helps so much".



I swear to you it was like watching Snow White give birth. Jack also did a great impression of Prince Charming and took care of my sister in a way that only he cold. When it came time to begin to push, her Snow White persona was outta there and she became the athlete that I remember her being in high school. The girl was a champ. In high school I remember her pitching and people were afraid to face her. Although that was partially due to the fact that she pitched really hard and really fast but not always accurately. I lost track of the number of batters she hit with her pitches but I am sure the other teams kept count. :0 But I digress, she is my hero and I admire her so much for her grace and composure in day to day life and while bringing a child into the world.


The birth was such a miraculous experience and only our Creator, God can accomplish something so beautiful. I held a leg and was right in the thick of it. I am so glad that Jack and Molly included me in this moment of their lives. I am still in awe of what my sister went through in order to bring Landry Thomas Smith into this world. He is gorgeous and healthy. He, at 3 weeks early, weighs 7 lbs. 12 oz. and is 19 inches of pure joy. Welcome to the family, Landry!

Pictures are to follow but I had to high tail it out of there so I could relieve Jared of Alex and Eli duty and he could go to work. I haven't slept yet so that is where I am headed.