My amazing friend (and yes, boss) Alison and I were joking months ago, when she found out she was pregnant, about me watching her give birth to her child (fourth) so I could cross it off my bucket list. It slowly turned from a full out joke- to a thought- to a hmm....why not- to a plan to do it! I can't tell you the fear or excitement or nervousness that went through me as the "event" got closer. You see, it's not as if I ever actually WANTED to see a birth, I just think it's something everyone has to do to have fully lived (just like a good old fashioned heart break).
So, when I got the call that morning from her husband that the baby was on its way, I was mortified. However, I was also ecstatic and honored that Ali & her husband were gracious enough to let me in on their special moment. Slight background- I have somewhat adopted myself into the Fladwood's family. My family, very sadly, lives four hours away. Sometimes, it's nice to have that security and atmosphere that a noisy, funny, sometimes obnoxious, always eventful, REAL family holds. So, in my mind, what's the next natural step? Being there when a real Fladwood moves on into this world.
The birth- took around 36 hours at the hospital. I was there for pretty much all of it- I got to hold Ali's hand as they gave her the epidural (if that isn't birth control for me I don't know what is!), I got to eat cup-o-noodle in the nurse station while spending almost two days at the hospital, and I got to see beautiful baby Olive come into this world. I saw her take her first breaths; I heard her cry her first cry; I held her two minutes after she was born. Let me reemphasize that- I held a two minute old baby! There is an amazing feeling of...well, I'm not even sure what that feeling was: honor, excitement, amazement, world-connectedness, disbelief, etc when you see a baby being brought into this world. I didn't expect to cry or be moved in the way I was- but I most certainly did. One minute there were four family members in the room (including me and Grandpa Gary, of course)- and the next there was five. I don't know what baby Olive's life has in store for her- I hope its amazing and beautiful and I hope I'm there to be a part of it. But I do know this for a fact and forever...I was there the moment she was born. No matter what she goes on to accomplish, to not accomplish, who she ends up falling in love with, where she lives, what she says, whatever she does with this life she has been given- I was there for the beginning. To me, that's an amazing thing.
"A possibility was born the day you were born, and it will live as long as you live." - Marcus Solero
-Megan
