Waiting for the call...

Any time now I will hear from my sister that she is in labor. I am so excited and nervous for her. I have been in her shoes - three times - and know exactly what she is thinking and feeling. Soon after the "call" my Mom and I and Hailey will head to Wisconsin to meet the newest member of our family. I am nervous to leave the boys here (to say the least - but that is a blog for another time) but can not wait to see and hold this new little baby.

I came across this on the Sweet/Salty blog. I wish I knew how to hyperlink to it, but I don't. This woman is an amazing writer and this passage summed up so perfectly what the experience of birth was for me.

Birth is gorgeous, but not pretty. It makes you feel indescribably powerful, but its audience requires the shedding of all inhibitions. It stretches you, pushes you, taunts you, bullies you, thrills you, shames you. It kicks you in the pants so hard you won’t sit down for a week. But then it’s over, and the next day breaks. They bring you soggy toast, cold tea and a celebrity gossip rag. You look outside and buses are running, people are late for work. The world trudges on, oblivious.
I’m a mother now! You want to hang out the window and yell, shaken and bruised but joyous. Can’t you see? I did it. Everything’s changed. Your child-burrito snores in a plastic box, nose squashed, forcep-dented, chalky goop clinging to every crease. The most perfect 7 pounds, 9 ounces you’ll ever know. And you are more proud, more fulfilled, stronger than you’ve ever been in your entire life.

Seriously, every time I read that I just want to cry because it is so true! Their are other random things that remind me of my children's births. To this day, the smell of an alcohol swab takes me back to that delivery room anticipating the relief that Stadol drip is going to bring. How for some reason the water they give you in the big hospital styrofoam cups with the ice chips is the best water you have ever tasted. How even though you rarely drink apple juice at home and almost never touch lime jello - you just can't get enough of it after you have been in labor. How your time is the hospital is so sacred because in that time you are a super hero and you are just so amazed at what you and your body were able to do.

I am so excited for my sister. She is about to start on the most amazing journey. As I told her before, the first time she holds her baby in her arms and looks at what they created - the word "miracle" will just not seem strong enough.