All Eve's Fault

Twenty-six years and one day ago I was pregnant. Very! I had four wonderful little girls at home. And the child that I was carrying was to be my last. There was a five and a half year gap between daughter three and daughter four. I had gone back to teaching full time in between them and time slipped away. Pam was number four and her older sisters were mommy/sisters to her. They took care of her as though she were a baby doll, always looking out for her. She needed a real sibling. Someone to fight with and torture. And God had answered that need. I never prayed for a boy. When you have four girls, you get that a lot with your fifth pregnancy. "Oh, you're trying for a boy?" No! God is giving us another child. I don't care if it's a boy or girl. God's choice. He already has this child's life all planned out. Then the next statement- always the same. "Oh, that's nice. Well, as long as it's healthy. Right?" NO! Not as long as it's healthy! Even if he or she is unhealthy! Any way God gives him or her to us. God's gift. Total and unconditional love. Now I answered more softly than that. But, I've told you before. I think differently than other people. I try to be understanding. But, please! I had a wonderful obstetrician. He had delivered most of my children (all but the first). He was a Christian and loved the Lord. And we were friends. (gasp!) We sat and talked about life and the Lord often. He took care of me in several ways. He never let me pay him one penny, regardless of my insurance or lack there of. My husband was a staff preacher, and Dr. Magan said that taking care of us ministry girls was HIS ministry. :) And so, twenty-six years ago today I was in labor. This should be easy, right? Number five? I was only in the hospital for twenty-five minutes before Sarah was born. So let's get going and get home! But it wasn't easy. It was my hardest. Something just wasn't right. Incredible pain! I'm really good with pain. The first four, all natural childbirth. No drugs. But this one was crazy. More than contractions. More than back labor (I had experienced that). But this kid was pressing on my spinal cord like nobody's business. I was being electrocuted from the inside out. Even when I wasn't having a contraction. Imagine getting an electrical shock. Now multiply it by a thousand. Oh, and throw in contractions every two minutes. Even my hair and fingernails hurt. It wasn't pretty. Dr. Magan came to check on me. I told him I needed an epidural. He laughed at me! He told me that I would be fine. That no one gets an epidural after four natural births. Then he went away. Grrr! A little while later he came back. He wanted to know what was taking me so long. I grabbed his shirt as he walked by. I pulled his face down close to mine. I said, "I NEED an epidural". He laughed again! He said, "NO, you don't". Then I told him something that I won't repeat. (No, I didn't cuss.) Then I couldn't find him. He was sitting across the room, laughing hysterically. With tears coming down his face. Grrr! I hate you, my former friend! And you know, I don't use that word lightly. :) Finally, delivery time. Dr. Magan was ready and waiting. "Ahh, I see the problem", he says. "Big head, way out of proper position. Let's fix this." And then big push, in the opposite direction of the way I was pushing! Grrrr! Then, a few seconds later, the cries of a beautiful baby boy! He was sorry. Would I forgive him? Ha! Then he told me that this one wouldn't need to get saved. He had already been born again. Lol. A little baptist humor. :) Happy Birthday, James Wesley. My son. My preacher boy. I love you more than the air that I breathe. And you will always be my hero! PS~ My friendship with Dr. Magan resulted in something truly amazing years later. He was also the ob for one of my daughters. He had delivered her, and now he was delivering her babies. Very cool. But one of her pregnancies was very high risk. Impossible, really. Dr. Magan went way out on a limb and did something very unconventional to try to save my grandbaby's life. He risked his license. He told me later that his colleagues thought it was absurd, the risk that he was taking professionally. The stuff that a big malpractice suit could be made of. But he knew me. And he knew that would never happen. Regardless of the outcome. God used him to save my grandson's life. I can't imagine life without that boy. Remarkable. Have I mentioned lately how good the Lord is to me? :)