Life - End to End

This story ends with the happiest event in life. But starts out at the opposite end of the spectrum - with one of life's great tragedies.

Pregnancy has been wrapping itself around me lately. Two expectant daughters-in-law, my daughter also trying to get pregnant and a few friends on facebook also pregnant. And it seems that they are all very open about their experiences and feelings. So much so that it's becoming overwhelming, to say the least.

The first one due to pop was Kevin's wife, Shirley. Over the course of the last year we've become quite close and, given her current condition, her having 2 little boys and no car, and my availability and willingness to be there to taxi or give other help, I hear from her regularly and sometimes at odd times. So when I got a call from her Tuesday morning I wasn't surprised, the baby was due any time. Then when I answered the phone and she was sobbing it still wasn't totally amazing. But the reason for her tears was the shocking part - her uncle, her mother's last living sibling, died during the night, at 52 years old.

Brett had had a hard life and was on the road to better things. He and his wife were living with Mindy and apparently he simply accidentally took one too many pain killers. It happens. He went peacefully in his sleep. He's in pain no more but, once again, the family is reeling from the shock of yet another death.

I eventually ended up giving Shirley a ride down to her mom's to be with the family, then brought the boys home with me, out of the chaos. When the day was wrapping up Shirley insisted that Mindy go home with her and hand occupation of her house over to the family. Here's a high five to Shirley for being cognizant and insistent! Next thing on the list of ways to help her mom? How about a distraction? I know, let's have a baby!

Shirley has had success in prompting her babies to come at her chosen time. This time it wasn't working as well. But she hadn't tried for about a week so she gave it one more shot - and it worked! I got a text from her just when I was about to take my pills to help me sleep that informed me that they were heading to the hospital! Woo hoo! So I put off taking those pills so I could dash to the hospital if that little girl decided to make her entrance quickly. Soon after midnight I got the news that things weren't progressing as rapidly as hoped so I took those pills and went to bed.

Quarter to eight I got a text from Kevin that the doctor was gonna get aggressive and make the labor move along. So I decided to get up and get ready to head to the hospital. As is the way in the hospital, things dragged on and the actions to speed up the labor didn't happen for hours. I just hung around in the room with them, I had my laptop and was editing my old photos. And felt completely out of place. But they assured me it was OK to be there.

They finally got around to taking the needed measures and the labor still seemed to creep. I was still sitting in the room with them. Eventually she was about half way there and they gave her an epidural to ease the pain. Nearly 3 hours later she was almost there, ready to go. I left for the waiting room and about 10 minutes later I got a text from Kevin: "Done". WHAT!?!? 10 minutes!?!? Cool! Maybe it was only 5 minutes - it was FAST!

I got back to the room and they were still cleaning things up so I waited outside in the hall listening. I could hear the newborn cry that sounds so much like an animal. I could hear Kevin and Shirley talking softly. Then I heard Shirley ask "It's a girl, right?" Too funny! But understandable, they wanted their girl so they could consider their family complete and newborns are so puffy that sometimes it's hard to tell! Yes, it's a girl!

At last I was allowed in the room. The baby was in the heater peeing on everything when I got in. I got to watch them weigh (7lbs 4oz) and measure (18.25") her and dress her and finally Mom and Dad got to hold their new little girl!

The rest of the afternoon was a blur of family and chaos. For a while, during a lull, the whole little family was sleeping. Kevin was snoozing with his baby girl sleeping in his arms. Eventually Joe and Shayne came to visit via their Auntie Rachyl. They brought gifts and Joe was anxious to meet Elise. Shayne, on the other hand, was not. It's gonna take him a little while for it to sink in, I think. When Denny and Heather came Hunter was right there, VERY interested in the newest tiny Sizemore cousin. So the events that I'd stuck around to photograph ended up happening in front of about 3 or 4 cameras! A very well-documented first bath, etc!

Finally around 6PM I was ready to go home. It was a hectic, emotional 2 days. Not to be forgotten for a long while, especially for Mindy and Shirley.