NaBloWriMo Day 6: A very special post.

Today is October 6, 2009.

I know for most of the world it's just another day. Some people have anniversaries on this day, some have work, some have a party to go to, some are blogging, or sleeping, or washing clothes... and some people have birthdays on this day.


So I want to tell you about a certain little someone who was born two short years ago today, at 5:00 in the morning, after of night of long and involved labor. Now, I'm sure her mama tells this story differently, but I am Auntie, not Mama, although for a little while I was Mama-Auntie :)

It was about 1:00 in the afternoon on the 5 of October when Andrew and I were told Meg was in the beginning stages of labor. We were also told there was no rush really, but we should get there as soon as possible. At the time we were living in San Manuel, with my parents, with no car, no drivers' licenses, nothing. We called out of work and my mom flew us to Tucson. We went 80, I think, the entire way and someday, my bloggy buddies, I will give you a picture of the curves leading to San Manuel so you can see why 80 was probably a bad idea. But we got there, nonetheless, and Meggy was only just starting.

It was a long night. Mattie was already a week or two late, and as we had told her about 100 times, if she didn't hurry it up, we were coming in after her. Well... we had to go in after her. Meg was given pitocin, which brought on the contractions, which brought on the birth of a beautiful little girl. Now, I was not in the room. There were too many people, too much happening, and I ended up going with Andrew to Steve and Chelsey's to get what sleep we could. Andrew at the time was the asst. manager at Subway and was unable to call off the next day. So, he had to work at 8 am the next morning. We watched a scary movie, Steve, Chels, Ben, Phil, Andrew and I, and I slept on the couch between Andrew and Ben's feet O.o
At about 3 am, we headed back to the hospital to wait for the arrival of a certain little someone, and it was another two, torturous hours before Matt came out, beaming, and sweaty, and beaming, lol and said that she was here and she was beautiful, and that two people could go in at a time.

Andrew's dad was going to take him to work, an hour's drive from Tucson, and come back, so Chip and Andrew went in first. Besides the people in the delivery room (Rita-Meg's mom, Leslie-Matt's mom, Megan and Matt) Andrew was the first person to hold her. All of the boys held her, and we all melted right away. She was amazing, she was beautiful... and she was REAL. I don't think any of us really understood that yet. She was REAL, and she was hungry. But given that my dear sister in law was a 32DD with milk, she wasn't hungry for long.

I came in last, because I wanted everyone to be done with cooing and aww-ing and everything else. If everyone was done, they wouldn't care how much time I spent with her :) I held her last. I cried. I cried as hard as she did, I think, and as she laid there in the little rolling, plastic bassinet, wide awake, totally alert, and completely calm, I tickled her foot.

She kicked me. I tickled her foot again. She kicked me again, and gave me as mean a glare as a 2 hour old baby could muster.

That was two years ago. It was love at first kick, albeit differently for me than for Meg.

Happy birthday, Ducky. I love you as much as if you were my daughter, not my niece. I've loved you from the moment your mom got two lines, not one, and you are more special to me than anything else on this earth. I know that I'm far away, and I know that you might not remember me very much when I come home, but I miss you every second that we're away and I can't wait to see what a big girl you are when we come to visit for Christmas.

Love, Auntnie Helen