Don't go changing to try and please me

You never let me down before... Ok, maybe once or twice. But you never let me down the same way twice. You learned from your mistakes. Even the ones you had to make twice to be sure they were mistakes.

I was starting labor with my second child. I lived with my husband, his father, in a small apartment in a small town with a small budget. While we did have a car for some reason the husband was gone with it and I could not reach him.

We had some hillbilly neighbors that I used to play guitar with sometimes and I went over to ask them for a ride to the hospital. It was early afternoon and everyone I might have called was at work.

I had this little, red, sleeveless summer dress on because the weather was so beautiful that day. I left the eldest girl with my friend and her kids while her dad drove me up to the hospital.

This was my second birth and I knew what to expect a little better but I was ready to be un-pregnant and in a hurry to get it over with. It's hard chasing an almost three year old with your belly in the way all the time and being tired from the extra load.

I had walked every day to try to move this one along. I wanted a baby, not a belly! .When I got up to the hospital I checked right in as I had done the paper work two weeks earlier. They wheeled me up to a room and fetched me a gown. I was having some pretty good contractions already and there were two nurses helping me get the gown on.

They couldn't find the doctor and they couldn't find the husband and I was headed right for delivery. The nurses wheeled me into the delivery room and left me for a minute to scrub because it looked like they were going to be doing the catching.

I had a wowser of a contraction! I came right up off the bed and clenched my whole body. I couldn't breath! The gown was too tight around my neck and I thought I would pass out. As soon as the contraction stopped I reached up to loosen the tie. It was knotted, not bowed. Another contraction was coming and I panicked! I put both hands in the neck of the gown and ripped it in half, just like Hulk Hogan's t shirts! The contraction hit and I curled up around my belly again, both hands pulling against the rails on the bed to increase the pressure.

I was still in the middle of that one when the older of the two nurses came into the room. She took one look at me and flipped out! "Mrs. Babymaker! You can't be NAKED! Where is your GOWN! and she started trying to pull the shreds of paper over me. I was gasping for breath but the contraction wound down just as the second nurse, who I had been in school with, stepped into the room. She saw what happened and watched the fussbudget lady trying to get the gown around me When I could speak I looked at the older nurse and said, "The baby's going to be naked, why do I have to have clothes on!" The younger nurse just lost it

I was perfectly comfortable with no clothes. With four sisters and one bathroom naked is just no big deal. But it blew the little nurse away because the older nurse was shocked speechless. She had no good answer to that and she knew it. Then we all laughed.

I did let them lay a gown over me but the ties were left undone so I could breathe. I did tell them why I was naked after we got done cracking up, but the contractions were too close to do much more comedy just then.

The nurses did deliver me of a beautiful boy. My number one son. Maybe all the laughter that day is what gave him his priceless sense of humor.

I didn't get to wear the cute sundress home. Three days later I had to have full winter gear, including snowpants, to go home in because we got hit with a blizzard! Four feet of snow. It was a joker's weekend!

My number one son has continued to add joy and laughter to my life along with pride in a son that has grown to be a man to match any. He and his lovely wife have birthday's only 3 days apart and I want to wish them both the Happiest Returns of the Day and may their love continue to grow and bloom along with their beautiful eldest girl.

I love you both and can't say how it touches me the ways you show me your love for me. You are a fine pair of adults and don't let anyone tell you different. Many hugs and Happy Birthday!

oh yes! You are such a thoughtful Son! As per your very timely email I have saved myself the cost of two cards and two stamps and postage on two gifts by making a suitable deposit in your PayPal account. (You kill me!) Enjoy!