the main course

May 23rd is my surrogate son's birthday (wish him a happy belated birthday if you can). Of course, this time makes me reminisce his birth and all the excitement and joy that filled it....

but there is one little bit of information that I held back in my story of his birth.

As I was nearing 10cm, grabbing onto the bedside bars, trying my hardest not to think about wanting to pushing, my husband decided to go for a walk. A walk outside the hospital, a few blocks outside of the hospital, a few blocks outside of the hospital talking on his cell phone. Yes, my husband was unreachable, talking on his cell phone to our friend from Seattle, all messages going straight to voice mail. Him, physically blocks away from me who was about to give birth to another person's child.

I told the nurse that I needed my husband (At this point, I had no idea that he had gone on a walk that far). I started to cry.

The nurse looked all over the maternity floor. I gave her his cell phone number, which she called and left messages and finally, she paged him over the hospital speaker (which she informed me they never, ever do. Yes, I'm pretty certain, to the nurse, I was queen of b$tches-about-to-give-birth.

I'm teasing, she loved me, I think...).

Lucky, my husband walked in the door without missing the birth. All was good, we laugh about it today. Ha-ha. (See, funny.)

So as I reminisce about my surrogate son's birth tonight, eating my volunteer dinner at the hospital cafe, I smile as I see a pager sitting on the table of a family waiting to see the lights flash, the buzzer buzz, letting them know that baby is about to come.

Best idea ever.

It totally make me think giving birth is a like dining out at the Timber Lodge Steakhouse, but whatever, I'd be completely happy if I could get a pager and make reservations for having a baby too, as long as that meant this time, my husband would definitely be sticking around for the main course.



And again Happy Belated Birthday, to E&D's main course, Ari.