and then

I found myself too caught up in the moment to be anxious about the fact that all that separated a not quite born baby from the floor was my hands. With the screams in my ears and my hands being guided by larger more experienced hands I was the first to hold the tiny baby girl as she came into the world. She came quickly and before I knew it she was in my arms and I was lifting up toward her Mom. It was surreal, it was euphoric, it was amazing. When I walked into the room there were 8 people, now there were nine. Even though I knew from a practical standpoint of course that this was going to happen, watching it happen, helping making it happen was far less of a practical moment and more of a spiritual one.

Its one of the most extraordinary moments of human existence. Its messy, smelly and bloody, so much in fact we wear big disposable blue boots. It can be dangerous, even deadly but its a journey that every person has been present for at least once. I have studied the details of the embryology and the physiology of pregnancy but as I held that baby girl I can’t help but stare in wonder at what didn’t even begin to exist nine months ago. What didn’t exist entirely 9 seconds ago….is now living, breathing and screaming.

And the first thing she ever knew was my big clumsy hand grasping her with all I had and clamping the cord with my other hand.

and then there she was on her own the world’s newest person.

and then I did it all over again two more times.