The Long Stormy Delivery

Last night we spent nearly 10 hours with the other set of prospective grandparents and our younger daughter in the tiny waiting room of the hospital, waiting for our twin grandbabies to be born.  We brought a Birth Day cake with two candles on it, each one was a zero, and of course roses for our daughter.  I anticipated the babies would be here quickly, and we'd eat chocolate cake right after dinner.  

Nobody knew what sex the babies were, and we were mighty eager to meet them.  If one was a boy, he would be knighted with the name of John Burns Logan the Fifth.  If one was a girl, she would be named after the two grandmas.  Curiosity made us weak in the knees.  

Outside, it was storm-ageddon.  Pounding rain and wind howled through the city streets as our daughter struggled and labored to bring forth.  Traffic backed up and stood at a standstill on clogged freeways and flooded streets as the hours dragged on.  The unrelenting rain was patiently swept off windshields by dutiful wipers, back and forth, back and forth, as the prospective grandparents stood, sat, walked, drank coffee, stood, sat, and walked.  Wind carried the clouds through the heavens as our prayers reached out.

When the hours bound yet another chain of impatience around our ankles, a text message would vibrate the cellphones like an eager hacksaw sawing them off.  Announcing milestones in the process kept our sanity.  Up and down we’d walk again, getting more coffee, declaring it good, and forgetting to drink it.

Around 1:36AM, looking at the clock I got chills and tingles.  I told my husband the baby was here.  I knew it.  Turns out the first one was born at 1:38.  A short time later, we got the text that both babies were here, healthy, and great.  But there was no mention of names yet, as the new father wanted to walk into the waiting room and make the announcement of who and what they were.

Two more excruciating hours went by.  I felt like a dog waiting for master to get home, drilling my eyes on the doorway, WILLING him to walk through it. Nope.  He did not appear.  Tick, tock, tick, tock. 

It was now 3:30AM.  The rain had stopped, the wind had calmed down, and there was a hush.  Little breezy puffs outside conducted the leaves in a lullaby, and a weary new father appeared in the door frame.

I had been wondering for days how he was going to say it, and he simply said: “A boy and a girl.”

Every single one of us screamed, and were glad later there was no one around but a few nurses.

Of course we got to hold them for a little while, hug our tired daughter and son-in-law, and take the precious pictures we will always cherish.

We didn’t stay too long, knowing the new family needed to rest.  As we walked to our car, a sweet little waxing moon beamed down on us, ready to catch the dreams of newborns. 

I am so happy.  So truly, truly happy.  Congratulations, kiddos.