High

I had a really bad day today. A really really bad day. A really really REALLY bad bad day. It culminated with me yelling some not so nice things at a woman at the girls dance studio. It was a really REALLY BAD day.

But you know what. I don’t care. 'Cuz I am high…high on life. High on the most beautiful, crazy, baffling, miraculous, impenetrable, mystifying, magical, inexplicable experience that is childbirth. Our good friends had a baby last night. I got the text-the text I had been waiting nine months for- late. I left my phone in my bedroom while I showered and then subsequently did laundry. What’s wrong with me?! I’m fired!

But the minute I finally looked at my phone and saw that yesterday would be the day I went crazy. I was bouncing off the walls. Yes I have had children before, and yes my other good friends have had children before but this was different. This was a birth that I would be present for,-well present as in 'in the vicinity'. Our friends let us be at the hospital …or rather we were going to be there. I don’t really remember asking…not that they would have really had a choice! ;)

So there I was with four whole hours to pass before my husband would leave work and get home so we could race down the freeway to the hospital. I was a bundle of nerves. What should I wear? Should I go fancy? Would we be sitting long? Would I hold the baby? If so I wanted something not too fuzzy or scratchy. I literally went through 4 outfits. I even ironed…I NEVER iron. This is what goes on in my mind…What the hell is wrong with me? (don’t answer that?!) I finally settled on a Catholic High School football sweatshirt cuz I figured A- it would be comfy B- I was too bloated for anything else and C- the mom to be’s parents are staunch Catholics so it would up my standing with them.

Upon arrival at the hospital we were allowed to visit the laboring mama. We were fine to wait in the waiting room but were glad to be able to see her before things got rolling. She looked nervous, shaky… maybe a little scared. The mom in me came out…I wanted to take all of it away from her-to go through it for her. I was nervous too so I gave her a lame little pep talk and we left her to rest so nature could take its course.

The next several hours were filled with family and friends commandeering the fourth floor of the hospital. It was fun and tiring and exciting. We laughed and played games on cell phones and drank ‘coffee’ from the cafeteria and played baby name guessing games and made fun of ‘Walter’ doctor and ‘burka doctor’ and waited for news.

When the call came that the baby was out we all were suddenly invigorated with a third wind and the place was alive again.

We were allowed into the room. I got to hold the little baby. Not yet an hour old. What. A. Trip. He was perfect. Many of us attempted to steal him…I contemplated cutting off his nose and eating it –my most favorite baby feature =)

And there in the room was the new mom. She looked great…. tired but calm. Happy. She looked like a mom. A mom!!!!!!
Our friends are parents. Our friends are parents!! OUR FRIENDS ARE PARENTS!!!! Wow.

After this long night the 5 of us friends that had spent the evening wandering the fourth floor halls walked each other out to the parking lot. There we hugged each other and said ‘congratulations!’ We did it! We had a baby, guys! Welcome to the group little man….your life will never be boring and you will never lack for playmates…though they will all be 34 years your senior.

And to add to all this amazing wonderment the parents went and named the baby in our honor. The middle name is after my husband and the first name has the initial ‘D’ ‘cuz we're going in alphabetical order. We got A B C so it's only logical it would be a D name… Right? I mean that’s it, right? (Just say yes.) Thanks guys!

So all during this most horrendous day whenever I think ‘seriously?…I can’t take anymore’ I open my phone and look at that little picture I snapped of him last night just minutes after his birth…its grainy and has bad lighting and its blurry but it makes me happy…It reminds me of the bigger things in life. It makes me hopeful. It makes me giddy. It makes me wanna have one. Thanks guys.