Wednesday morning at 7:30 am the phone rings. I look at the phone and it’s my daughters house (she never calls this early). On the other line I hear,”Ma, my water broke.” OH MY GOD, I’m thinking- this is it!!!! I say,” I’ll be right over. She says she has to go to the doctors first and then we’ll see what’s going on, but she hasn’t had a contraction. Mean while Her husband’s parents leave from North Carolina for their 14 hour drive here to see their grandson born.

We waited for hours while she went to the doctors, then was sent to the hospital to take a test to make sure it was her water. (I never heard of this…I’m thinking …let’s GO, you only have so long when the water breaks) Finally she gets home and they told her the test came back negative.  Either that or the baby covered the break……what’s he a plumber already?? This turned out to be the longest day ever.

Thursday she goes walking for hours and is bouncing on her exercise ball to get this going. She’s been doing everything right for this pregnancy which amazed me how disciplined she was. At about 6:00pm she thought maybe she had a contraction and they were coming maybe a few each hour…….Now I KNOW -THIS IS IT!!! Tonight she’ll go into labor. There was no way I was leaving her house now! Her mother-in-law and I were watching the contractions and sure enough they started coming regular. Crissy had the breathing down as each one came.

She went to birthing classes with her husband and also brought her sister as a second coach (which I thought was great!) 11:30 pm they were coming every 5 mins for 45 seconds. She started having back labor which totally sucks. At this point I wasn’t thinking about the baby coming anymore but I was concentrating on “my Baby” I knew the pain that was waiting for her around the corner and I was so scared for her. She wanted to have a natural birth… I wanted to scream to her…this is one time I want you to take drugs for the selfish fact that I didn’t want her to be in pain.

When we arrived at the hospital, her and her husband were in the room as Courtney and I called the immediate family to advise them what was happening. Ya know the movie, My Big Fat Greek Wedding? Well this could have been called MY Big Fat Italian Delivery. Within 30 mins, there was about 15 family members in the family waiting room. Coolers were brought with food, drink, and games like Uno, Skippo, and regular cards. Italians always make a party and what’s a party without food and drink?

She was able to let 3 people in the room for delivery. Her husband called her sister(Courtney) and I into the room. I had planned on leaving once it was time to push because they wanted it to be just them. I watched her handle each contraction as they got stronger and stronger. The 3 of us worked as if we practiced each step 100 times. We were a team and each new their role. I was their as mommy for her baby and the others were the real coaches. Before we knew it, she had reached 9 cm. My heart was breaking watching her go through each contraction, I still wasn’t thinking about the baby but wanted to make all her pain go away. It didn’t matter why she was having the pain. With each contraction lasting about a minute and only a minute apart she handled it like a trooper-with her breathing and with her husband coaching and Courtney rubbing her back. She didn’t even break a sweat, after each one I was more and more amazed by how courageous she was. She never complained or yelled. She stayed focused on the job she had to do. Before I knew it, she started pushing and I wasn’t asked to leave. Three pushes…yes that’s not a typo…THREE and he was out.

Now, I was thinking BABY– when I saw him I was so happy. I cried so hard, tears came streaming down my face like a waterfall. He was the most beautiful thing I ever saw in my whole life!! I couldn’t stop crying, she did it! I saw the look her husband gave her and when they looked at their baby, “my grandson” I saw the love of this family. My baby is a mommy. My other baby is a zia (aunt) and she was there with her sister. I was in a dream, it was surreal. I never thought this would be the feeling I would have. I never knew happiness could make you cry hysterically. (Yes, I’m crying as I write this) I was so thankful for my son-in-law, he guided her and handled her with such care. I couldn’t ask for a more loving son in law.

So….. I’ve been in a fog for a couple days now, I can’t stop looking at his picture when I’m not at the hospital. I can’t wait for him to come home and I want to move in with her. I have hit the jackpot, I have all the riches in the world. My Prince has come!!!! I’m a Grandma aka Mimi. Please meet Treydan Keith– 6 Lbs 11 1/2 oz- born August 13th (on his Zia’s Birthday) at 8:51 am.