OUR LITTLE FAMILY GROWS!

IT WAS SPRINGTIME, AND UNUSUAL FOR US BECAUSE IT WAS STILL COLD AND WE WERE USED TO THE WARM WEATHER IN TEXAS. I SPENT THE TIME GETTING READY FOR MY BABY TO ARRIVE AND IT SEEMED THAT THE TIME WAS CRAWLING BY. SHE WAS DUE ON MAY THE FIRST, AND BY THE END OF APRIL, I WAS MORE THAN READY FOR HER TO COME. I SHOULD CLARIFY THAT WE DID NOT KNOW IF IT WAS A BOY OR GIRL, BACK THEN YOU JUST HAD TO WAIT. I NEVER GOT REALLY LARGE WITH HER, AND THAT WAS KIND OF DISSAPOINTING, AS I WANTED TO WADDLE AROUND AND HAVE EVERYONE ADMIRE MY TUMMY! BUT, FINALLY THE BIG DAY CAME. IT WAS MAY THE FIRST. ALL DAY, I SAT AND WAITED FOR SOMETHING TO HAPPEN. NOTHING. OKAY, ON MAY SECOND, SAME THING. NOTHING. MAY THIRD, FOURTH, FIFTH, HEY WAIT A MINUTE! I AM WAITING FOR A BABY HERE! NOTHING. FINALLY, TWO WEEKS WENT BY. NOTHING. THREE WEEKS, NOTHING. FINALLY, THREE WEEKS AND FOUR DAYS, SUDDENLY, (WHATEVER!) I GOT A TINY CRAMP IN MY BACK. YIPPEE! THE BABY SHOULD BE HERE ANYTIME NOW! BY THE WAY, DID I TELL YOU THAT I HAD NO IDEA WHAT WAS GOING TO HAPPEN DURING CHILDBIRTH? I KNEW HOW THE BABY GOT IN, BUT I WAS NOT SURE WHAT TO EXPECT WHEN THE BABY CAME OUT! A FEW MORE TINY CRAMPS AND WE WERE OFF TO THE HOSPITAL. OF COURSE, IT WAS ONLY FALSE LABOR. SO, I CRIED. DURING THE NIGHT, THE CRAMPS RETURNED, AND WERE STRONGER. I WAITED THIS TIME, AND WHEN THEY HAD A SEMBLANCE OF ORDER, OFF TO THE HOSPITAL WE WENT. I WAS TOLD TO GO HOME AND WAIT, IT WAS NOT YET TIME. BY NOW, I AM VERY DISCOURAGED, AND CRIED ALL THE WAY HOME AND FOR SEVERAL HOURS AFTER. IT WAS A SATURDAY, AND I WAS SO UPSET- MARTIN TOOK ME FOR A WALK AND A HAMBURGER, THE CRAMPS WERE STEADY, AND GETTING STRONGER BUT THEY WERE IN MY BACK SO I THOUGHT THAT I WOULD WAIT TILL THEY GOT IN MY STOMACH AND TRY TO GO BACK TO THE HOSPITAL. BED TIME CAME, AND THE CRAMPS IN MY BACK GOT WORSE. STILL, I HAD TO WAIT TILL THEY WERE IN MY TUMMY RIGHT? ALL NIGHT, I LAY THERE AND THE CRAMPS WERE KILLING ME. I DIDN'T EVEN REALIZE THAT THEY WERE REGULAR, I ONLY THOUGHT THAT BECAUSE THEY WERE IN MY BACK THAT IT WASN'T REAL LABOR. BY EARLY MORNING, I WAS GASPING WITH THE PAIN. MARTIN WANTED TO GO TO THE HOSPITAL, BUT I WOULDN'T BECAUSE I DID NOT WANT TO BE SENT HOME AGAIN. SO, ON IT WENT. FINALLY, ABOUT 11:30 AM, MY FRIEND WHO WAS A NURSE CAME TO CHECK ON ME. SHE WAS SHOCKED WHEN SHE SAW ME, AS MY FACE WAS RED AND SPLOTCHY, AND I COULD NOT TAKE A DEEP BREATH. SHE ASKED MY HOW I WAS FEELING AND I TOLD HER THAT THE PAIN WAS UNBEARABLE, BUT I DIDN'T KNOW WHAT TO DO. SHE TOLD MARTIN TO TAKE ME RIGHT AWAY TO THE HOSPITAL, BUT HE TOLD HER I REFUSED TO GO AND WHY. SHE TOLD HIM "GO NOW! SHE CANNOT WAIT ANY LONGER!" SO, MARTIN CARRIED ME TO THE CAR, (BY NOW WE HAD FOUND AN OLD CAR THAT WE COULD AFFORD) AND SHOVED ME INTO THE FRONT SEAT. I ARGUED ALL THE WAY TO THE HOSPITAL AND TOLD HIM I WASN'T GETTING OUT! I DIDN'T WANT TO BE SENT HOME AGAIN. WHEN WE ARRIVED AT THE HOSPITAL, THE PARKING LOT WAS FULL. IT WAS SUNDAY, AND I GUESS EVERYONE WAS VISITING THEIR RELATIVES. MARTIN TOLD ME TO WAIT AT THE DOORWAY WHILE HE PARKED THE CAR. I WAS WAITING FOR HIM WHEN A TREMENDOUS CRAMP HIT ME AND I FELL. I COULDN'T GET UP, AND ASKED A SOLDIER STANDING THERE TO HELP ME. HE SAID HE WOULD GO FOR HELP, BUT JUST TO LAY THERE. OF COURSE, I DIDN'T DO THAT, I STRUGGLED UP AND DECIDED TO GO TO LABOR AND DELIVERY JUST IN CASE I WAS GOING TO HAVE THE BABY. WHEN I GOT INTO THE DELIVERY WARD, A NURSE TOLD ME TO LIE DOWN ON A GURNEY. NEXT TO ME WAS A WOMAN WHO WAS SCREAMING HER HEAD OFF. BY NOW I AM THOUROULY TERRIFIED AND AM CRYING WITH FEAR. THE LADY CONTINUED TO SCREAM, AND I REALIZED THAT WITH EACH CRAMP IN MY BACK I AM WHEEZING FOR AIR. (IT WAS BECAUSE I WAS IN SO MUCH PAIN I GUESS) FINALLY A DOCTOR CAME AND TOOK THAT WOMAN OFF, BUT YOU COULD HEAR HER SCREAMING FROM DOWN THE HALL. A NURSE CHECKED ME, AND SAID, "OH MY GOODNESS! DON'T MOVE! DO NOT MOVE!" WELL, WHERE DID SHE THINK I WAS GOING? A SWEET YOUNG DOCTOR CAME DASHING INTO THE ROOM AND SAID, "HEY SUGAR, ARE YOU READY TO HAVE YOUR BABY?" I GASPED, "NO, I CAN'T HAVE THE BABY YET". HE LOOKED SO SUPRISED, AND ASKED ME WHY WOULD I SAY SUCH A THING- AND I TOLD HIM THAT I WAS NOT SCREAMING LIKE THAT OTHER WOMAN AND THE PAINS WERE IN MY BACK AND I GUESS IT WAS NOT TIME FOR ME YET. HE SAID, "OH YOU POOR LITTLE THING. YOU DON'T HAVE TO SCREAM LIKE HER, AND ANYWAY, I CAN SEE THE BABY'S HEAD! JUST GIVE ME A LITTLE PUSH AND LET'S SEE WHAT HAPPENS!" WELL, I HAVE HAD ENOUGH OF THIS! YOU MEAN TO TELL ME THAT I HAVE ALREADY BEEN THROUGH LABOR AND I DIDN'T EVEN KNOW IT? ALL THIS PAIN WAS LABOR? WHAT ABOUT THE TIMING? THE TUMMY CRAMPS? IT DIDN'T HAPPEN LIKE THIS IN THE MOVIES! BUT, HE WAS TELLING ME TO PUSH, AND SO I GAVE IT MY ALL, (WHAT LITTLE I HAD LEFT!) OF COURSE, ONE LITTLE PUSH DIDN'T DO IT, BUT A FEW MORE DID, AND THEN- I WAS TOLD THAT I HAD A LITTLE GIRL! THEY HELD HER UP FOR ME TO SEE, AND THERE BEFORE ME WAS A TINY LITTLE MARTIN FACE! I LOOKED AT HERE AND THEN TOLD HER-"OH BABY, I AM SO SCARED. I DON'T KNOW HOW TO BE A MAMA TO YOU, BUT I TELL YOU ONE THING, NO ONE WILL EVER HURT YOU AND I WILL BE THE BEST MAMA I CAN!" I THEN GOT TO HOLD HER AND IT WAS THE SWEETEST MOMENT OF MY LIFE.
NOW, DURING THIS CRISIS, MARTIN WAS STILL PARKING THE CAR. HE FINALLY GOT A PARKING SPACE, AND RAN TO THE HOSPITAL ENTRANCE ONLY TO FIND ME GONE. HE RAN TO LABOR AND DELIVERY, AND SINCE HE DIDN'T SEE ME HE DUTIFULLY WENT TO THE FATHER'S WAITING ROOM. (BACK THEN, THE DADDIES STILL HAD TO WAIT OUTSIDE). HE WAS SO UPSET, AND THE GUY NEXT TO HIM SAID THAT HIS WIFE WAS HAVING NUMBER FOUR AND IT NEVER GOT ANY EASIER. MARTIN TOLD HIM HE WAS NOT GOING THROUGH THIS ANYMORE, ONE WAS ENOUGH FOR HIM! THE OTHER GUY SAID HE WISHED HE HAD MARRIED AN ORIENTAL WOMAN, BECAUSE ONE JUST CAME IN AND THE NEXT THING YOU KNOW, SHE JUST POPPED A BABY OUT. MARTIN ASKED HOW HE KNEW IT WAS AN ORIENTAL WOMAN, AND THE GUY SAID, "OH HER NAME WAS GEE OR LEE OR SOMETHING LIKE THAT". MARTIN JUMPED UP AND SAID, "SEE?!!! WAS HER NAME SEE?!!! THE GUY SAID, "COULDA BEEN, I AM NOT SURE, ANYWAY, SHE JUST HAD THE KID, SO GO LOOK IN THE NURSERY". MARTIN RAN TO THE NURSERY, AND SURE ENOUGH, THE NURSE WAS CLEANING UP A NEWBORN. MARTIN STARTED TAPPING FRANTICALLY ON THE GLASS, AND THE NURSE LOOKED AT HIM, SMILED, AND HELD UP A BEAUTIFUL BABY BOY! MARTIN WAS BESIDE HIMSELF, HE HAD HAD A LITTLE BOY! HE COULDN'T BELIEVE IT! A SON! WHILE HE WAS REVELING IN THESE FEELINGS OF JOY AND SNAPPING EVERY PICTURE ON THE ROLL OF FILM , ANOTHER NURSE CAME OUT AND CALLED HIS NAME. HE TURNED AROUND AND SHE SAID, "MR. SEE? MEET YOUR BEAUTIFUL BABY DAUGHTER!" AND HANDED HIM OUR LITTLE GIRL. HE ALMOST PASSED OUT! TWINS? WE HAD TWINS?!!! SHE TOLD HIM THAT, NO, JUST THE ONE LITTLE GIRL. TURNS OUT, THAT OF COURSE HE THOUGHT THE LITTLE BOY IN THE NURSERY WAS HIS- AND HE SAID, "WELL, WHAT ABOUT THAT ONE- HE'S NOT MINE TOO?" SHE TOLD HIM, NO, NOT HIS, AND DIDN'T HE NOTICE THAT IT WAS A BLACK CHILD? SHE TOOK OUR BABY BACK TO THE NURSERY AND LET HIM COME IN TO SEE ME. HE LOOKED SO WORN AND CONFUSED. HE TOLD ME THAT HE HAD TAKEN ALL THE PICTURES OF ANOTHER BABY IN THE NURSERY AND DIDN'T HAVE ANY FILM LEFT TO TAKE PICTURES OF OURS. I ASKED HIM HOW HE COULD MAKE SUCH A MISTAKE, AFTER ALL THE BABY BORN BEFORE OUR BABY WAS TO A BLACK WOMAN- DIDN'T HE NOTICE THAT? HE SHEEPISHLY TOLD ME THAT NO, HE DIDN'T NOTICE, HE WAS JUST SO GLAD THAT HE HAD A BABY! I JUST THOUGHT THAT WAS SO FUNNY AND COULD NOT STOP LAUGHING ABOUT IT. FINALLY HE WENT AND GOT MORE FILM AND WE WERE ABLE TO PHOTOGRAPH OUR LITTLE ANGEL. WE NAMED HER JESSICA LEEANNE SEE, AND SHE WAS THE FIRST OF OUR WONDERFUL FAMILY. GOOD THING HEAVENLY FATHER SENT HER FIRST, BECAUSE SHE HAD TO BE EXTRA TOUGH, AS I LEARNED HOW TO BE A MAMA BY MAKING MISTAKES ON HER. SHE HAS ALWAYS FORGIVEN ME FOR THAT I HOPE, AND ANYWAY, SHE IS ONE TOUGH BIRD TODAY! LOVE, NANASEE