Happy Birthday David

Today is David's 18th birthday. As I reflect on the past 18 years my heart is filled with joy and pride. David, I had no idea what joy you would bring into my life the day the doctor told me I was pregnant. All I knew then was that I was scared and nervous about being a mommy.

The pregnancy was an experience to say the least. During my seventh month I woke up one night with a terrible pain in my back. At first I thought it was contractions but soon realized that wasn't the cause of the pain. Your dad and I finally decided we better go to the hospital so the doctor's could figure out where the pain was coming from. Much to our surprise, my appendix was on the verge of rupturing. After the doctor explained that I would have to have surgery immediately our first thought was how are they going to put me under to do surgery, well as it turned out they didn't. I received an epidural and the appendix was removed. I went to sleep in the operating room while the surgeon removed the appendix and the obstetrician stood by in case you decided to make your entrance into the world. Thankfully you stayed put. Upon waking up my first words were, "Is the baby okay?" (We opted not to be told whether you were a boy or girl). Once the appendix was removed and a few days in the hospital we returned home with you still in my womb. However, the stay at home was short lived because somehow I got food poisioning within a week and had to return the hospital. Due to the food poisioning I began having contractions and the doctors had to give me medications to stop the labor. We returned home once again.

I returned to work and worked right up until the 26th of July. As I was sitting at work that morning I began to have contractions, but I didn't leave immediately. Finally at noon a co-worker suggested that I call the doctor's office since my contractions had been 9 minutes apart for the last 2 hours. Upon calling the doctor's office they told me to go home immediately and to go to the hospital when the contractions were 7 minutes apart. I guess you just didn't want to be at work that day because once I got home the contractions stopped but only after your daddy and your Granny Grace had left work. Granny Grace made me walk up and down the road for hours after dinner that night and your daddy mowed our yard. At 9:30 that night we headed to the hospital because the contractions were 7 minutes apart and had been that way for a few hours. All that walking helped I guess.

You remained stubborn though and refused to come into the world until 11:00 a.m on the 27th. My labor was long however I wasn't in much pain thanks to the epidural I requested earlier that morning. But Dr. Robinson (that's the OB) said you would have been born sooner if I had not had the epidural. I had never experienced such joy and love before until they placed you in my arms. My heart melted at the sight of you. And it still does to this day.

You have brought such joy into my life. I am so proud of the man you have grown up to be. God has taught me so much through these past 18 years of your life. You are a man who loves and fears the Lord and lives out his faith with boldness. Your laughter, jokes, tender heart and love for others is wonderful to see. As you continue this journey into adulthood I pray that you continue to trust and look to God to lead the way. Words cannot describe how thankful I am that God has allowed me to be your Mother. Happy Birthday!