Book Enter 123: 1976 Adam is Born

          For the third year in a row I was going to have a baby!  Dr. Bigelow told me since we had five little girls so far there was a good chance we would be having another little girl.  I like to think I can turn my troubles over to God.  I turned everything over to him when I went to bed at night.  I know He can handle my problems but as soon as the sun would come up the following morning I would find myself worried again.  

I was afraid; no I was terrified, something bad would happen to this baby too.  No matter what our pastor said, no matter what the doctor said, no matter what anyone said, I worried.  Although I was enjoying Heidi and Robin it was the longest and hardest nine months of my life.  

To save my parents just a bit of worry we told them I was two months pregnant when I was actually four months.  When my tummy began to expand I said it was because it was so soon after Cari and I was still chubby from her.  My parents believed us.  The middle of May, just a week before our baby was due, I told them the truth.  They questioned why I had done it but soon realized I did it for them as much as for myself.  When they understood our baby was due any time they were excited too.

          We went into the hospital around 7 o’clock on May 30.  Labor progressed as it should until about 3 the next morning.  I was given a shot to relieve some pain allowing me to rest and I reacted to the shot by stopping labor all together.  It was a nice relief but very frustrating.  Dr. Bigelow came in around 8 the next morning.  When he found how the night had gone and checked me he said the baby was certainly ready.  He gave me a shot telling me it should start some progress again.  He was off to a dentist appointment.  He joked as he left asking we please give him time to get his teeth cleaned.

          He had been right.  Our baby was ready.  When that shot hit my bloodstream it went right to work.  Within a few minutes labor was underway again.  By 9 it was hard labor and the nurses were asking one another how long before our doctor would be back.  At 10 they called the dentist office!  A few minutes later Dr. Bigelow was walking by my side as I was being wheeled into delivery.  He patted me on the hand and said, “Joyce, I only got the right side of my teeth cleaned; now I will need to go back once this baby is here.”  He laughed.  I laughed.  The nurses laughed. 

          Mrs. Mott was a wonderful nurse.  She had been with me each time I had delivered a baby.  She had celebrated with me when Heidi and Robin were born.  When Joyce, Jayne, and Cari were born she cried with me.  I think she was nervous going into the delivery room.

          We had been given the option of Larry being with me during delivery this time but had declined because we knew things could go terribly wrong at the last minute and I didn’t want him there if it did.  He didn’t want to be there if it did either.  I always felt he got cheated out of watching a miracle.

          When Adam was being delivered Dr. Bigelow exclaimed in a loud voice, “Well, look here, this one is different!”  I had no idea what he was talking about, for a brief instant I thought something was wrong again, then he said with a loud laugh, “We got a boy!”  Dr. Bigelow was beaming!

          Dr Bigelow instructed one of the nurses to go get Larry.  I looked at Miss Mott, she was wiping her eyes, “Joyce, he’s beautiful, He is a keeper!   What do you say, let’s quit while we’re ahead ok?” I assured her this was definitely the last baby we would be having.  She gave me the biggest hug I can remember ever getting.  

One of the nurses led Larry into the delivery room.  She laid Adam on a blanket and handed him to Larry unwrapped.  Dr. Bigelow laughed and told Larry to look close at this one because it was different from the rest of our babies.  That is how Larry found out we had a son!  After a few minutes the nurse took Adam to clean him and dress him.  Larry couldn’t get out of that room fast enough to call his sister and tell her he had a son.  

Adam was perfect, not a bruise or bump or red spot anywhere and I looked him over good!  Adam was definitely the prettiest baby I’d ever seen!