Busted By a Baby

I’m ruined, y’all! After witnessing my grandson come into this world I am completely busted and can’t seem to put myself back together. And I don’t know that I want to.

Buckle up for the story…

My husband and I were hours away at a conference when the text came in that Monica was having contractions. Knowing if we waited we’d be in the worst of the L.A. traffic, I let her know we were leaving.

This is what she sent me:

“No, don’t leave. This could go away, Mom. It could be a false alarm.”

Did we wait?

NO!

Our first grandson arrived early in Texas, which meant Grandma was late! I wasn’t about to miss the grandchild being born in California. No way!

We were on the road for over an hour when Monica and Kyle headed to the hospital. We beat them there by about ten minutes. My daughter later told me it brought her comfort to see us waiting, and that she had to fight back tears when she saw us.

When was the last time you had something happening in your life, which made everything else seem utterly trivial?

After Monica was admitted to her room, the nurses told us we were in for a long night. Then at about 11:00 p.m. she was dilated to nine and a half centimeters. (For those of you who don’t know, pushing starts at ten centimeters.) Before we knew it, she was at ten centimeters, and the nurses were preparing the room for baby’s arrival. All guests were asked to leave the room except for Judy (Kyle’s mom) and me.

They let us stay, y’all! THEY LET US STAY!

As Monica was preparing to push, Kyle walked over and addressed the grandmas seated on the sofa.

“Okay, both of you need to remain seated. No one is allowed to get up.” In unison, the grandma duo gave an understanding nod.

Seeing Kyle take charge left me with no doubt he’d be a superb dad. I was so proud of him. He knew he had to address the “veteran moms.” As a mom we stand ready to jump in, ready for action. Keenly aware we’d be eager to help, Kyle knew it was best for us to stay put.

And there we sat like two little kids waiting to see the principal.

At this point, I’m thinking, This baby is going to pop out real soon!

The nurse instructed Monica, “Ready, deep breath.”

All at the same time, Monica—and the two grandmas—inhaled. With each inhale and ten count push we grandmas held our breath and tightened our bodies, as if our efforts would help deliver the baby.

When was the last time you did something silly but you did it anyway?  

With every push I waited for the baby to fly out.

She pushed for THREE HOURS, friends! Three hours! I was extremely proud of my daughter, she never complained or held back because she was tired. She gave it her all and pushed each time like a champion.

At first sight of the baby’s head I began to cry uncontrollably. I heard my daughter say, “Is my mother crying? Hold it together, woman.” I knew it was her way of telling me she was okay, and it made me laugh as the out-of-control tears continued to flow down my face. She knew I needed to hear that.

The midwife rebutted, “Grandma can cry if she wants to. She’s spent her whole life building up to this. Let Grandma cry!”

This midwife didn’t know our relationship and had no idea that Monica instructing me to “hold it together” were words of endearment, and that it would make me laugh. But the midwife was right, my whole life had culminated up to that point in time.

Seeing my daughter give birth flooded me with foreign emotions. I was concerned for her, concerned for the baby, elated to meet my new grandson, excited Kyle and Monica were about to become parents, and was thanking God for the miracle of life. The conflicting emotions of wanting to shout like a high school cheerleader, and crawl up in a ball and suck my thumb, kept a steady stream of tears.

After massive amounts of breathing and pushing, along with team grandmas’ tensing and tears, finally, with one final push, my world changed.  

I changed.

Having grandchildren has done something to me.

Has one event ever changed your life forever?

How do I put this?

Three words.

I. Don’t. Care.

I don’t care about trivial matters.

I have a better understanding when God says, “But store up for yourselves treasures in heaven, where neither moth nor rust destroys, and where thieves do not break in or steal; for where your treasure is, there your heart will be also” (Matthew 6:20-21).

I care about loving people more than ever. I’m consumed with wanting to make everyone around me happy and I want to be with my family more than ever. How am I going to get to Missouri to see my son at college? When can I take another trip to see my Texas family? How much time can I spend with my new grandson?  

What do you care about? What matters most to you?

What’s most important in life has become pointedly clear to me, and what’s more, I think I may have discovered the key to a successful marriage.

Can I share it with you?

It is simply this:

Could it be the key to “happily-ever-after” is being more concerned about our spouse’s happiness than our own? Yes, I believe it is. Perhaps that is the key to good family relationships as well.

Until next time, store up treasure, my friends!

Fondly,

Lu

Lucille Williams is a relationship coach and the author of “From Me to We: A Premarital Guide for the Bride- and Groom- to- Be.” Want to keep in touch? Give us your email address in the subscribe button and you’ll receive regular updates.