Ten years ago today the nurse midwife looked at my huge belly and said "You do realize you're pregnant? Surely you understand that the baby has to come out sometime." This she said to me as I was 2 weeks overdue with no labor in sight. I liked that lady. She talked tough and grew up with cowboy brothers on a farm in Wyoming. She had the hands and skin to prove it. Her confidence in birthing stuff won me over and eight hour later, in spite of my reluctance to turn myself inside out that day, she delivered my son and handed him to me in a single motion. He was hot, 98.6 degrees, and steamy fresh. It was shocking. It was surprising how he was not there one second, and then right there the next. Within five minutes I couldn't believe I'd ever lived any part of my life without him. Now it's my job to make him dislike me enough to want to move away from me and make his own life. Weird how that works. Happy Birthday Son! Thanks for ruining my lower abdomen, it's not your fault....really. No problem. | 