a few years ago...

Four, to be exact. I was just settling into work for the night. Kenny was off in the mountain at Youth Conference with our ward (at the time). I had all of two patients and was just making my way between the two of them cause I was already getting bored, and it was only eight o'clock. It was going to be a long night.

We had been chosen by a Birth Mom one week prior, and she was due in one week, but as she had just been to a check-up at the doctor's the day before, and he had said she was still quite a way from being ready for delivery, we weren't concerned. That's why it was ok with me that Kenny was out of town, and out of cell phone range.

I never carry my phone around at work, and I rarely even look at it through my shift, but that night I must have been so bored I did look at it. I had a text message and a voice mail. The text was from my cousin Tory, saying that her mom (Karlene) had said that if I was going to be adopting an African American baby, I'd better learn to talk jive and play basketball. I didn't have time to figure out what that meant, because the voice mail went something like this (I wish I had saved it!):"Hi, Jill, this is Sheri from No Greater Gift Adoptions. Amy just headed to the hospital with Kimberlyn (Aiden's Birth Mom), she's having contractions. I'll call you back with updates." I couldn't even breathe. I called Sheri back in half a heart beat, and that's when she told me that the hospital was going to keep her, she was progressing into labor. I stupidly wandered around the nursing unit telling every one I saw (I wasn't a regular on that floor, so NOBODY knew me, or even who I was, really.) "My baby's being born right now." I desperately called Kenny's cell phone again and again and again. No answer. I left voice mail message after voice mail message, and sent texts "WE'RE HAVING A BABY!!!!" Sheri kept calling me with updates, and every time she asked if I had been able to get ahold of Kenny yet. Nope, no such luck.

She called at around midnight, and told me that Kimberlyn was pushing, and we should be having a baby within the next hour. I couldn't breathe. I felt ridiculous wandering around the hospital giving pain pills to my patients and acting like everything was normal. At a little before one am, Sheri called and told me the baby stats. Baby boy, 7lbs 8oz, 20in. long. Also, Kimberlyn would like us, both Kenny and I, to be there at the hospital to start bonding with the baby immediately. That put me in a pickle, as I was the only parent in cell phone range, and I was at work. But I talked to the charge nurse, who graciously divided my two patients between the other nurses on the floor and said "Bye, good luck!" And I was off.

I drove to Payson, not one bit sleepy. On the way I called my mom (at 1:30 am, what was I thinking :) and Kenny's mom. I expressed to both how frantic I was that I was headed to the hospital as a single parent. My mom said she would head up as soon as she could in the morning, and if she had to she would go find Kenny herself. That made me feel better. I stopped at Wal-Mart on the way to get some flowers (they weren't the best, but it was all there was available in the middle of the night) but otherwise drove straight to the hospital. It wasn't till I got there that I realized I didn't even have my camera, I didn't really want to meet my new baby in my scrubs, and oh yeah, I still didn't have a husband!

I went in and was introduced to this gorgeous, tan little thing with the most perfect lips, nose and eyes. I was in awe of him immediately. They put a band on me, let me into the nursery to help with his first bath and then let me take him to the waiting room to hold him for as long as I wanted. I cuddled him all by myself until around six, the nurses had to take him away for their change of shift routine. I left to go home and take a shower, and get my camera. When I get back I had Chelle with me. We ooh'd and aah'd over him for a while, snapped a bunch of pictures, and then I called any family in driving distance to come see my cute, sweet baby boy. I also finally got ahold of Kenny, asked him if he had gotten any of my messages. "No, why, what's going on?" "We have a BABY. COME HOME!" And he did. He headed straight for the hospital, with a quick stop at home for a shower. Don't judge him, he was camping.

We spent the rest of that day at or near the hospital with family and friends, cuddling our new sweet baby boy. It was weird going home that night, but we came right back the next morning to sign papers and bring him home for good. It was such a happy couple of days. I'll never, never forget that amazing experience, and I'll never forget how my heart was stretched that day to include this baby I had never met before. I love him infinitely more than I thought I could, and it's hard to believe I could possibly love him more than I do now. I can not imagine our lives without him, because our lives revolve around him.

Aiden, I love you more than a crocodile. I love you more than trains and doors, and I love you more than...Minnie Mouse. Happy Birthday sweet heart.