My Lucky Charm

Thirteen years ago today I was pregnant and things weren't looking so good for our family.

We'd been forced to move out of our home in Fort Worth due to a burst pipe under our house.  We were living with my mother (who, by the way, is a saint for putting up with us), and my husband was working ridiculous hours that left him exhausted and asleep on the couch every night.  We were fighting with the insurance company over the claim on our home and trying to figure out where we might end up.

That night, the contractions started.  I thought they were fake.  They weren't.

My husband rushed me to the hospital.  To say that I almost had that baby on the freeway wouldn't be far from the truth.  As I laid there in the hospital room, we waited for the anesthesiologist to show up.
He didn't. For a long time.

By the time he did show up, it was too late.  It was natural all the way.

I wish I could say that I gave birth to that baby with grace, but I'll tell you that I screamed bloody murder and was more than tempted to punch my husband in the nose when he said, "Stop screaming and push."  He wasn't trying to squeeze a watermelon out of his man parts, now was he?  The pain was unlike anything I had ever experienced and I hope to never experience again.  Ever.

I also found out it's true what they say.  As soon as you hold your baby, you forget the pain.  She was beautiful.  Perfect.  I couldn't stop looking at her.  Her little finger nails were perfect little ovals.  Her little mouth looked like a rosebud.  She was and still is my perfect, sweet baby girl.

As you can probably guess, this all went down on Saint Patrick's Day.  What I learned that day is that even in the midst of trial, when circumstances aren't ideal, God will still bless you.  I am so thankful for baby girl, for the joy she continues to bring me, for the peace and love she adds to our family every day.