I have Thought Many Times of Cheryl, Wondering how she was Doing, and I have Remembered her in Prayer. Thank you for this Welcome Update, King's Child! I am Grateful Before our Savior for the Mercy He has had Upon Cheryl, and for His Great, Awesome, and Praise-Worthy Grace!
On Good Friday - the 16th that year - I had a regular checkup with my obstretrician at the Naval Hospital at Port Royal, SC, outside Parris Island, and he said I should not expect delivery for at least another week..:(
Afterward, I had lunch with my husband (a hospital corpsman in the hospital) and a good friend who worked with him, and relating that prediction, I added, "However, I intend to have the baby TONIGHT!!"
They laughed, but in the evening, making spaghetti, when I was looking at the clock to time the pasta I was about to drop in the water, two things happened...
* the clock said 6:30 p.m.
* a very odd and *different* "rolling sensation" crossed my abdomen...hmmmm...
It happened again 10 minutes later, and on the 3rd roll, I mentioned it to Ed, who was reading on the bed. He frowned, thinking I was still joking about having it 'sooner rather than later.'
It continued, and before long I was in the next room and my water broke; the sound so loud he was more than aware what it was!
He then panicked, although we were less than a mile from the hospital...grabbed my packed bag and went to the ER, the regular Admitting Office closed.
WELL...time for my Academy Award Performance, for I had nothing on hand to staunch the water flow, now streaming a trail behind me as I went across the ER Lobby.
"Look nonchalant, Self," I commanded, and smiled ever so sweetly. Every person within sight, mind you, was a staff person we knew..:) Waiving registration, the clerk directed us right to the elevator, glad to be rid of me and the Impending Event - LOL.
Yep - more friends in the elevator, and on the Maternity Floor, of course. After prep and initial exam, the prediction was it would be "at least tomorrow afternoon" before delivery.
As I was settled in on a Labor Bed, the clock said 9:30 p.m.
Within 5 minutes, though, my labor pains cranked up a tad...then at 11 p.m. got serious, starting an hour and a half of what could be termed the 'hard labor' phase.
The OB nurse, checking on me at 12, hustled out to call the Obstretician to come NOW..:) - and I was hustled into the Delivery Room with all possible haste.
It was the day of *No Husbands Allowed,* the %#*&! dog...so I was alone when Stephen Douglas entered this world at 12:30 a.m. - precisely 6 hours from that first strange "roll!"
He thus missed Good Friday by half an hour, and Easter Sunday by 11 1/2.
At 0730, I received Easter lilies, voraciously downed a cup of coffee (couldn't keep it down when pregnant) and breakfast.
Fast Forward to Today...Steve and his wife Sandy this day drove to Columbia for a week's vacation, staying with her widowed mother there.
We volunteered to go there to see them and Sandy's family, saving them time and extra driving.
Having asked them to let us know which day would suit best, Steve asked us to come early Monday - which is his birthday, the 17th!
The four of us will then go out to have a special lunch.
How can it be 52 years?! Seems like yesterday...