"Double digits!" or "My baby is 10!"

Sept. 7, 2000, at 9am, I called my midwife to tell her that (for the fourth day in a row) I thought my water had broken.

Honestly, I think she was getting sick of me, so she told me to come on in and if it hadn't broken, she'd break it for me.

Hooray! We'd be coming home with an Emma!

In we went to the birth center. No, my water hadn't broken. (Hhhmmm... what was that I get feeling then?? Ew.) With a long little hook thingie, she popped that bag of water and got that labor started.

Of course, contractions didn't start immediately. Scott and I walked and walked and walked through the beautiful, historic neighborhood nearby. Still nada. I remember clearly how disappointed I was. What was taking this kiddo so long?

Then I got hungry. Not just hungry, but starving. About to die starving. We swung into a 7-11 and I asked Scott for a king-sized Snickers bar. It sounded so right, so amazingly delicious. And I wolfed the entire thing down in probably less than 60 seconds.

And then, immediately then, contractions started. Not itty, bitty starter contractions, but drivers-staring-at-me- doubled-over-on-the-street-corner contractions.

Two hours and 50 minutes later, in a bathtub of cold water, Emma made her squalling arrival! What a joyous sound! The midwife instantly put my baby on my chest and I said, "You have a side part!" And then, "I love you!" (That side part comment cracks me up!)

7 lb. 13 oz., 20 in. long. And gorgeous. So incredibly gorgeous. Even with the teeny hand print bruise on her cheek and her black and blue tongue. (Apparently, she was sucking her thumb during birth and with so little room in that there entryway, her hand squished against her sweet little face. She also, in the process, bit the tip of her tongue. It looked so sore!)

Seven and a half hours later, we came home and for the first time, held both our precious daughters in our arms.

And here she is today... 10 years old, gorgeous, funny, talented, intelligent, compassionate and oh so wonderful.

Thank you, God, for sharing this amazing blessing with me!