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CAUTION- RELIGIOUS UNDERTONES, OVERTONES, & POSSIBLY OTHER TONES MAY FOLLOW. READ AT YOUR OWN RISK.
God has blessed us with our fifth child- A little girl by the name of Beth. She was born on Saturday, the 14th of January, at 10:31, perfectly healthy, but 2.5 weeks sooner than we expected. Her delivery also happened sooner than expected for we had her in the front seat of my Ford Taurus.
Now you know one of those people that really truly had their baby in the car.
It all started 8 1/2 months ago starting with a romantic dinner...wait, thats too far back. I'll just start with the night before the birth. Cindi, my wife has had contractions all day and we go to the hospital about midnight, withe contractions every 10 minutes or so, 1 minute in length each, and get hooked up to the baby checking machine. Slowly though the contractions decrease to 1 every 45 minutes or so, and not so intense. So they send us home, saying she could go into labor in 1 week or in 2 hours, there is no way too tell.
Well the next day she spends on her feet, trying to keep things moving, cleaning like most soon-to-be mothers like to. About 8:30pm the contractions are getting pretty good. This is where a good husband drops what he is doing and takes his wife to the hospital. I on the other hand convince her to try to rest (yeah right) because I figure these contractions will be like yesterdays and will fade away when she gets off her feet. The ride to the Hospital is also an hour and we did not want to drive down there on a false alarm. I don't know what I was really thinking though because it was raining all day and then the temp dropped, so the roads must be terrible. Plus, it is snowing and the blowing wind is making visibility almost nothing. I didn't relier this though until we finally decide to go, the baby sitter came over and we get in the car at 10:01pm. Well, it was white-knuckle driving just on its on, but then you put a moaning, load, aching women into the mix, that NEEDS to get to the hospital, and it gets a little more hairy.
We are praying and driving and hoping we are going to make this 1 hour trip as quickly as possible. I can't drive faster than 25mph though, have my nose to the windshield in hopes to see the road better and my wife is thinking we are not going to make it. I laugh now. I may have been laughing a bit then too. We were actually both very calm, not scared a bit. She was quite uncomfortable though. Well, I was praying asking the Lord to stop the storm, or stop her contractions or just teleport us to the hospital I also asked for wisdom in what to do. The answer came out of my wifely yelling lips as she cried out to the lord: "Jesus...ohhhh...I want an ambulance...I want to have my baby...ohhh" Thats pretty much a quote. I took that as my answer, pulled over & called 911.
I gave the 911 guy (Cliff) all the info on where we were, our situation and anything else he asked. I told him I was encouraging her NOT to push. He said "oh, let her push, we can talk you through it". NO THANK YOU I thought and said I would wait for the ambulance. Meanwhile, I can't hear him half the time because I have this pregnant woman with me, emoting loadly and I'm not about to ask her to quite down. She is just holding on for the ambulance to show up, which I'm now told is just moments away.
I'll interject that my wife has, & is studying to become a labor assistant, or a doula. Plus she has 4 other children so she is quite prepared for labor and birth. She had even read about car births and knew somewhat of how to prepare. So, with her half bare, reclined on the front seat and still waiting for the ambulance to show up she says "oh Phil, I feel something coming out"
Just about this time the ambulance pulls up. I hop out and go wrap on the guys window. He is writing something down and just gives me a wave through a frosty window. I decide now is not the time to argue about how he should be running over to my car, so I go back to the car to check on my wife. I hang up with Cliff (much to his disappointment I bet) and wait with my wife. It turns out, when the EMT gets over to us that her water bag is bulging. He checks her out briefly with the door open, snow blowing in and her shaking because of labor and the cold. He stands up to get something from the gurney and my wife says in a high-pitch painful way "here comes my baby" and as I look down, sure enough out comes a head...then the shoulders...back...feet...WOW! My wife had the wisdom to reach down with one hand and catch her. I was next with 2 hands and then informed the EMT that "Sir, the baby is OUT!" He turns around, agast, and quickly kneels down to inspect the little babe. He then anounces to us and his buddies out side that "It's a boy!, call the town on the CB and let them know there is a new guy in town" and more celebratory statements like this. But when my wife finally gets to embrace the little "guy" and takes a closer look, it changes to "Its a girl, actually."
Well, I got in the back seat after this so we could shut the passenger door and the EMT could get in the drivers seat to cut the cord and help get the two girls warm with blankets and such. I then took Beth to the ambulance swaddled up, and soon they transferred Cindi to the now snow covered stretcher and brought her in too. We then took a 1hour ride in the ambulance to the Hospital, leaving our car parked just 9 miles from our house.
There are many blessings in this story. Beth was early, so she was small (just 4lbs 13oz) and came out quite easily. Though she is early there is nothing wrong with her lungs. My wife, a few hours before we left, actually sanitized an aspirator to suck the fluid out of a babys mouth right after birth and brought it with- this is great because the EMT didn't have one handy when it was needed, so Cindi said "Here, use ours". She had packed extra towels just in case. In case of what??? (Now I know) I think the biggest miracle is that nothing "Bad" happened. It was a great delivery. Cindi didn't push once. She was actually anti-pushing trying to figure out how Not to have the baby before the amubulance arrived. And this is truth: neither of us panicked. Cindi had great compossure through everything. She may have been uncomcortable and wanted to have a baby, but we felt no fear or panick. That was God's grace! I also had a feeling at birth looking at Beth, and it has been confirmed with the midwives and a chromosome test that Beth has Downs Syndrome, but none of the common aliments that afflict Downs children; like a hole in the heart, or stomach problems, were present at birth. Every thing has had much of God's grace. That might be Beths middle name, Grace. That or Blessing or something similar.
Well, that was long. Here are the Picks: The first photo of Beth & Mom and EMT Kevins elbow, in the car.
Mom & Beth on the way to the hospital
Me & Beth. Her getting a little Oxygen for better circulation. (Some beard I've got, huh?)
Cindi & Beth at the Hospital, both feeling great.
I agree with most people that say my wife is amazing. I agree. I also think we have an amazing God that protects,and has good intentions, for those who love him.
-------------------- Phil Steffen, 29 Van Rensselaer St City of Saratoga Springs DPW Saratoga Springs NY 12866 Posts: 563 | From: beautiful Saratoga Springs NY | Registered: Aug 2001
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Wow Phil! That last paragraph really wrenches at my heart. I believe Beth has been blessed with wonderful parents who will be able to handle any special needs she may have. I still smile when I think of how your face lit up in Mazeppa when you spoke of your children and her upcoming birth. She will be a special blessing to you and I'm so glad to hear she is physically strong and healthy. Downs Syndrome brings with it a beautiful loving character, which will grace your home. Grace would be a wonderful second name for her. Mark my words, she will have a place in your heart like no other. Thanks for sharing and congratulations Phil!
-------------------- “Did you ever stop to think, and forget to start again?” -Winnie the Pooh & A.A. Milne
Kelly Thorson Kel-T-Grafix 801 Main St. Holdfast, SK S0G 2H0 ktg@sasktel.net Posts: 5496 | From: Penzance, Saskatchewan | Registered: May 2002
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I am happy to hear your home has even more love filling it these days! God's grace is all around us! I am happy that you found it!
Congrats on the new baby!
-------------------- Bruce Bowers
DrCAS Custom Lettering and Design Saint Cloud, Minnesota
"Things work out best for the people who make the best of the way things work out." - Art Linkletter Posts: 6451 | From: Saint Cloud, Minnesota | Registered: Jun 1999
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My sister Ellie had Downs Syndrome but she also suffered with a hole in her heart and a lung condition. She brought nothing but love to our home and I know Beth will do the same to yours.
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Phil, what beautiful story!!!! You are so right, the lord was with you both the whole way. That it some wife you have there, too, knowing what to do! The Lord gave you both perfect peace.
Kelly & Barb are right, children with Down's Syndrome are so very loving, & wonderfully affectionate. You aer so very blessed, as Beth is to have you both as parents!
-------------------- The Word in Signs Bobbie Rochow Jamestown, PA 16134
724-927-6471
thewordinsigns@alltel.net Posts: 3485 | From: Jamestown, PA 16134 | Registered: Oct 2002
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congratulations....to you both beth is a wee star
-------------------- Nicola Rowlands RGS Signs & Screenprinting Reval Green Finavon By Forfar Angus scotland 01307 850 260
'learn from the mistakes of others..you can't live long enough to make them yourself' Posts: 108 | From: scotland | Registered: Jan 2005
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Congratulations, Philip. We've never met, but I'm only in the next town over from you.
Being an hour from the hospital, I assume your destination was not the "Snuggery" at the Glens Falls Hospital?
Congrats again.
-------------------- Randy Graphic Details Promotional Merchandise Distributor South Glens Falls, NY Posts: 381 | From: South Glens Falls, NY USA | Registered: Mar 2001
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Congrats! Kids are great, you are five times blessed!
I had a friend that had his baby delivered on a coffee table in the lobby of the birthing clinic. He was going like a bat out of hell to get her there so he wouldn't have to deliver it in the truck. They had to replace the brand new carpet in the lobby by the way -eww.
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Congratulations to you and your family, Phil. I remember talking to you about the upcoming birth in Mazeppa. Little did I realize it would be such an event! I hope everything works out well for little Beth. Love.....Jill
Posts: 8834 | From: Butler, PA, USA | Registered: Jan 2001
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Congratulations on your new arrival and blessing, Phil. It sounds as though you are both very experienced in love and family. It's great that you were both so prepared. Grace sounds like a beautiful middle name for Beth. Your family is blessed-what a wonderful story.
[ January 23, 2006, 02:39 AM: Message edited by: Deb Fowler ]
-------------------- Deb Fowler
"It's kind of fun to do the impossible - Walt Disney (1901-1966) Posts: 5373 | From: Loves Park, Illinois | Registered: Aug 1999
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My daughter will be 25 in a month. She was also 2 weeks early, & living in the country, the birth clinic where I raced through mountain roads to that afternoon, was also at least an hour away.
In our case they also suspected false labor, but we elected to stay put. My wife took a nap & I went to the local coffee shop/book store & found the book that gave my daughter a name. She was born later that evening.
Thanks for bringing back such good memories. The exhilaration of your story will be one of Beth's favorite stories some day I'll bet.
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Congratulations Phil- that was exhausting just reading your account- you ought to see if a newspaper will publish that story, or reader's digest might pay for it!
We were an hour from the hospital with all of our kids too- only they were sizeable (9 - 10 1/2 lbs), and all the girls were emergency caesarians, but the boys fitted out with a struggle.
Enjoy her- you've both been blessed, and thanks for the story!
-------------------- "Stewey" on chat
"...there are no limits when you aim for perfection..." Jonathan Livingston Seagull Posts: 7014 | From: Highgrove via Toowoomba, Queensland, Australia | Registered: Dec 2002
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Mike M- Actually, a rumor got started at the hospital that she was born in a truck. I had to keep correcting every one.
And Bob S- The Birth certificate has my wifes signature as the physician delivering and the place of birth is marked as "In Route, Easton NY" What a riot for her when she's older and puting that on some form.
-------------------- Phil Steffen, 29 Van Rensselaer St City of Saratoga Springs DPW Saratoga Springs NY 12866 Posts: 563 | From: beautiful Saratoga Springs NY | Registered: Aug 2001
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Congratulations on the new addition!
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