Nine months of waiting finally over,\u00a0 Rider, our grandson, was born early Friday morning after more than two long days of labor.\u00a0 On Wednesday afternoon, we dashed from Alexandria to a cousin’s place in New Jersey, close to Manhattan where the baby would be born, staging ourselves for the final dash to the prize: meeting our first grandson, seeing our son a father and his beautiful bride, a mother.\u00a0 She had been in labor for 12 hours when we started the drive, so it seemed a reasonable time to get going when we did.<\/p>\n
Then we waited.\u00a0 Wednesday night we waited.\u00a0 Our son sent occasional text messages like: “Closer contractions.\u00a0 Still at home but there’s improvement,” (meaning progress) and: “Still at home.\u00a0 Trying to relax while at the same time get it going.\u00a0 I’ll keep you posted.”\u00a0 He kept us posted but we were always eager to hear more and so, so anxious for it all to be safely and happily concluded.\u00a0 We went to bed that night breathing prayers for momma and baby and the papa who was supporting them.\u00a0 <\/p>\n
All day Thursday we waited.\u00a0 And waited.\u00a0 And waited.\u00a0 The few updates he sent (he was occupied at that moment, supporting his wife through the increasingly drawn-out labor) were hours apart but like sweet drops of water to a desert traveler.\u00a0 We were thirsty to know more.\u00a0 They moved to the birthing center at some point that day yet we, and they, still waited.\u00a0 We occupied ourselves as we could.\u00a0 I wrote plus chatted online with our two other children, overseas at that moment.\u00a0 The waiting grandma chatted with her cousin, played the piano, did what she could to stay busy.\u00a0 We were grateful for mealtimes that gave us something to fill another hour or so, while we still, still, still waited.<\/p>\n
The messages from our son became terse.\u00a0 “Birthing center,” (meaning they had arrived there), “4 cm dilated,” (progress…good), “Water hasn’t broken.\u00a0 Baby o.k., mother is super tired but ok,” (nicely wordy, giving us a lot to chew on in the long stretch ’till the next message).\u00a0 We went to bed Thursday night, nervous and tense and wishing we could do more than wait, wait, wait.\u00a0 How could we sleep, not knowing what was happening, but sleep we must, exhausted from our long day of\u00a0 expecting.\u00a0 Looking back, I know that day was just as long as any other day, the same number of hours and minutes and seconds as usual.\u00a0 Living in it, however, I wondered if maybe a few more hours had been thrown in.<\/p>\n
I set my phone to beep when any text message arrived to be sure not to miss one from our son.\u00a0 Funny that for some reason (maybe that I use a $25 cellphone), when The Message finally arrived at 5:45, we slept right through it because the message alert, on its own, had switched to vibrate!\u00a0 Not long after, however, I woke up and read the following: “He is here!\u00a0 8lbs 1oz, born 4:49 a.m.\u00a0 Long night.\u00a0 Natural birth.\u00a0 Once we get out of this room to the other unit, I’ll give you a call.”\u00a0 I woke my wife to give her the news.\u00a0 Waves of bleary-eyed early morning relief hit us to know the labor was over and the baby and his parents were o.k.\u00a0 We didn’t know the name yet, but “He” was plenty at the moment, music to our ears. \u00a0 She rolled over for a little more sleep and I dashed downstairs to share the news, through online chat and text message, with our other two children and their spouses.<\/p>\n
(Next: A Day of Sweet Havens)<\/p>\n
![\"\"](\"http:\/\/www.thelifeliterary.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2011\/05\/IMG_9214.jpg\" "\\"Baby")
<\/a>Our new little grandson!<\/p><\/div>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"
Nine months of waiting finally over,\u00a0 Rider, our grandson, was born early Friday morning after more than two long days of labor.\u00a0 On Wednesday afternoon, we dashed from Alexandria to a cousin’s place in New Jersey, close to Manhattan where … Continue reading