The Story of Vi's Birth: Pt. 1

*This post is going to be in a book-like style*


     Pastor Dave ended his sermon with a prayer, and the lights above us came on. Everybody started talking at once, and I turned around when I felt a tap on my shoulder. I smiled when I saw it was Mrs. Stephenson, one of my mom's friends.
     Mrs. Stephenson, or Julie, was a pretty woman with light, shoulder-length brown hair, and soft, almond-shaped eyes framed with dark lashes. She had a daughter, Brooke, who was a year younger than me.
     "Are you excited for baby?" she asked excitedly. I smiled. "Well, Mom's not having any signs, other than Braxton Hicks, but I'm looking forward to it." Mrs. Stephenson nodded, still smiling, then turned to my mom. "Just don't have the baby tonight, ok?" she grinned. "I have work tomorrow, Monday, and Tuesday, so I can't stay with your kids. After that we'll be good."
My mom laughed. "Ok. I'm not planning on it." While they talked, I smiled at Brooke, who was quietly standing next to her mom. She gave me a small smile that reached her pretty eyes that she had inherited from her mother. It was a blessing for Mrs. Stephenson to have kids at all--she had three total-- because a Doctor had told her she wasn't able to when she was fourteen. Then she had Brooke, Logan, and Ryder.
     Logan was my brother Drew's best friend. Literally--they are inseparable. The root of their friendship started at Minecraft. Yep, Minecraft. They always compete to see who can get the newest update or who can kill the most zombies or who can get to the Nether or The End the fastest. Ugh. Boys.
     One of my mom's other friends, Kristi (who was also one of my youth group leaders) turned to my mom as well. "Yeah, Amanda," she chuckled. "It would be really bad if you had your baby while Ryan is gone. Plus, I won't be here to take you to the hospital."
     "I won't have the baby, you guys," my mom smiled, and laughed again. "I've never gone this early."


                                                                           * * *


Do you guys want to eat out?" My mom asked on the way home. I shook my head. "Mom, you don't have to do that. We were just talking about how money is tight right now."
     "It's okay, Em," my mom looked at me, flicking her turn signal on. She looked back at the kids. "Arby's or Taco Bell?"
     I was about to say something, but I was drowned out by the shouts of my many brothers and little sister. "TACO BELL!!!" "ARBY'S!!!"
     I grinned. "Ruthie is the cutest, and she said Taco Bell."
     "Yeah, but Sammy is adorable, and he said 'Are-beeps'," my brother Caleb argued.
      "I'm in the mood for Taco Bell," Mom said slowly, and turned into the Taco Bell parking lot. "Then we should get a Party Pack," I advised, while Caleb and Luke grumbled and complained.
"I guess you guys don't get anything," my mom said slowly as she glanced back at them.
     "I'll have a Locos Nachos Taco," Caleb said immediately. My mom looked into her rearview mirror and frowned. "I thought you liked Mexican Pizzas," she said.
     "I do, but I would like a Locos Nachos Taco."
     "I'm still getting you a Mexican Pizza, too."
     "Perfect. Thanks, Mom."
      We pulled up into the Drive-through, and mom turned off the engine, since Excursion engines are super loud. We ordered quickly and picked up our food. Then we headed home.


                                                                      * * *


My mom acted really odd when we got home. As soon as she stepped out of the car, she got a really weird look on her face and headed inside without picking up any Taco Bell bags or grabbing her Bible. I just shrugged and stacked up all of our Bible's and carried them in.
     Caleb helped me pick up Taco Bell boxes and brought them inside. "Hey, do you know what's going on with Mom?" I asked him quietly, so the boys wouldn't worry.
Caleb looked up at me strangely. "Why do you ask? The only thing I noticed was that she walked into   her bathroom as soon as she got through the door."
I nodded. "Ok." Then I turned to the bags and started handing out food. Luke got a hard taco, Sammy got a soft taco (no cheese; he's allergic to dairy), Ruthie got a soft taco, as well as Drew, Caleb had a Locos Nachos Taco and a Mexican Pizza, and I had three soft tacos. Yum.
     When I was done, I asked Caleb to clean up for me, while I checked on my mom.
     When I got up stairs, I saw that my Mom's door was closed. I quietly tiptoed to her door and placed my ear against the frame, leaning on it and straining my ear to hear what was being said.
     "I can't believe it . . . I just can't believe it . . . " I heard my mom's trembling voice saying over and over again. There was a slight pause. Then my mom spoke again. "But it wasn't a gush, like I had expected. It was more like a trickle. I changed my underwear and sure enough, it was wet a few minutes after."
     I gasped and put a hand over my mouth. What?? It sounded like Mom was talking about her water breaking . . . er, which is the fluid that holds the baby in place. When that water gets broken, it's called being ruptured and then you start laboring the baby.
     But who was Mom talking to? It sounded like she was on the phone. I heard heavy footsteps walking towards the bedroom door, and I quickly jumped into the bathroom and shut the door.     "Emma?" My mom called down the stairs when she had opened her bedroom door.  I quickly opened up the bathroom door and turned my head to look at her. "Yes, mom?" I asked innocently.
     I saw her concerned face. "What is it....?" I asked hesitantly, although I already knew. I felt a tiny pang of guilt.
     My mom motioned for me to come inside and shut the door once I was. I sat on the bed.
     My mom closed her eyes and put a hand to her forehead. "Ok, so, I think . . . my water is broken."
     I feigned surprise. "Oh no," I said softly. "Dad's not  home.... he's in Pennsylvania! . . . five. hours. away."
     Mom clenched her fists. "I know. I know. I know!! What am I gonna do?"
     I walked into mom and dad's walk-in closet. I picked up her diaper bag and baby's blanket. I placed them on the bed. Then I brought diapers and wipes and put them into the baby bag, too. I got the boppy (a special pillow designed to help mothers breastfeed) and the boppy cover. I opened up the bobby cover and placed it on the bed. Mom gaped at me. "You're awfully calm fo--"
     I cut her off. "Are you pre-registered at the hospital?"
     Mom shook her head. "No."
     I gave her our laptop. "Do that," I said. "I'm going to put the bobby cover in the washing machine."
     Mom shook her head violently, her pretty blue eyes wide. "I don't have time for that!"
     I hesitated. "Do you want me to just . . . put it on the boppy, then?"
     Mom shrugged, still holding the laptop. "I guess," she said.
     "Ok," I said. As I put the cover on the boppy, Mom logged into the Providence Park Hospital website and pre-registered.
     Then I ran into my room and threw random things into my backpack. I spoke aloud to help me concentrate. "um . . . iPad, phone, clothes and underwear . . . oh, I'll need books."
     I looked at my bookshelf. Good thing I had just gotten new library books! Fairest by Gail Carson Levine and Harry Potter and the Chamber of Secrets by J.K. Rowling found their way into my backpack. Hmmmm . . . toothbrush! I ran into the bathroom just as soon as I remembered that my travel toothbrush and paste would work best . . . and they were in my bedroom.
     Ugh. Maybe I wasn't calm.



Yep. This is a true story. Everything I write here is entirely from my memories. I didn't make anything up for dramatization. New chapter probably coming in a couple of days. Who knows. Maybe I'll surprise myself and write some more tomorrow or even tonight. :-) Enjoy! 

~Emma