8/08/08 - Levi's Birthday

Very early this morning, my son was awakened by his 9-months-pregnant wife, Joanna.

"Matt, wake up," she said urgently, punctuating the words with a blow to his back. "We have to go to the hospital NOW!"

It's amazing how God orders our steps. Joanna had left the other two children at her mom's house, figuring she just might go into labour. So, off they went to the hospital.

Joanna was feeling pressure, breathing through the contractions. Matt drove, fast. Every so often he would pat her legs, reassuring her to hang in there. Joanna just breathed more intently.

They came to an intersection. Matt noticed the cop vaguely, but was determined to deliver his wife safely to the hospital, so she could deliver her baby. He paid little attention to what the cop was doing.

Not too many minutes passed before Matt noticed headlights, gaining on him. They kept a-coming, and the next thing he knew, the headlights were right on his tail. Then they backed off a bit. Matt kept a-driving. Joanna kept a-breathing.

They weren't more than five minutes from town when the cop put the cherries on. "Keep going, Matt. Don't stop!" said Joanna.

Matt pulled over to the side of the road amid the sounds of heavy breathing and the protestations coming from the passenger seat. He ran back to the cop.

"Get into your vehicle, sir," the cop commanded.

"My wife is having a baby!" Matt announced, his voice rising with the urgency of the situation. "We've got to get to the hospital now. I've gotta go!"

Then, "Can I go?"

"A baby?" questioned the cop.

"Yes! It's coming now! I've got to go! Can I go?"

The cop said yes, and off Matt drove like a madman.

When they got to the hospital and Joanna got out of the car, she felt the baby drop. She could not sit. So, no wheelchair. Instead, Matt practically dragged her through the long hallway to the elevator. Her contractions were one on top of the other, so she'd try to stop to breathe through them.

"Just let me stop for a second, Honey."

"No, Honey, you can make it. C'mon!"

Joanna told me later that Matt half-dragged her and half-carried her. They got to the room, and the midwife was setting up. When she checked Joanna, the baby was right there.

"If you push, the water will break."

Joanna wasn't sure it would, but she thought she'd give it a try. Break it did, shooting across the room! The midwife leaped out of the way of the spray!

It only took 8 minutes to birth the baby; the head was the hardest part, and he had very broad shoulders, but with a bit of help from the midwife, Levi James entered the world!

He's simply gorgeous. It took us all about 1.2 seconds to fall in love.