1989: Rose, Party of 4

This is the year that our family was complete. Lauren’s due date was January 15, 1989, but we were told at Christmas not to travel as I was too close to delivery. We traveled anyway, thinking I went into early labor with David on Monday yet he wasn’t born until Thursday. We returned from Christmas fully expecting to have the fourth addition to our family soon after New Year’s eve. But, God planned for everything. (I’m embarrassed to admit that I was surprised by that.) The body is reluctant to go into natural labor if the mother is sick. I came down with walking pneumonia and was feverish in mid-January, so I went each week to ensure that the baby was alright. As long as she remained healthy, the Doctor thought it best to allow her to continue to develop. (But, remember, we thought it was a him at this time.) I was convinced she was going to stay in there forever once February arrived. The doctor set up an appointment to induce me the morning of February 8.

However, we were reminded that God also has a sense of humor. I went into natural labor a bit before midnight on February 7. We decided to go ahead and sleep and arrive at the hospital at the scheduled time of 6:00. Yet, Lauren had other plans. Contractions kept coming closer and closer together, so we crept downstairs at around 2:00 am careful not to wake David and whispered to Mom and Dad, who were sleeping on the pull-out couch in the family room, that we were going on to the hospital. We often talked that was probably a God thing as well. They were already there due to the scheduled induction and didn’t have to rush to arrive.

When we arrived, I was already six centimeters dilated and the nurses wondered where we had been. I explained that I was waiting for the really painful contractions like David. They never came. Once admitted and epidural began (I had learned my lesson; I was doing this one natural.), labor went quickly. At around 6:00 am, the nurses began to scurry. You and I along with Mom laughed, because of the hours it took to push David out. Yet, they were right with asking me not to push. Once Dr. Watson arrived, we pushed twice and our little girl was here. We were so thrilled. We had what we had learned was a “King’s family”- a boy first, then a girl. And, you were definitely my king!

Mom (Nana) went to buy the frilliest dress she could find, and you exchanged the baby book so that we could get foot prints in it at the hospital.

The rest of the year was spent settling in with our precious bundles.