November 10, 1983

A memorable day. I was pregnant "out to here" and anxious to have this baby who was already 5 days overdue. It was an uneventful day and at 11:00 PM I went to bed, hoping that perhaps, tonight would be the night.

It was.

Around midnight, my water broke and Wes and I headed for the hospital. We had a lovely young woman living with us at the time and I gently knocked on her door to tell her we'd be leaving. It was great not having to worry about Ben who was only 2 at the time.

I hadn't been at the hospital long when labour was becoming too much for me to handle. I asked for an epidural and was given one almost immediately. The pain and discomfort left and Wes and I both actually dozed off for a few hours. It was the most peaceful, pain free labour I could have had. After a while, I noticed that something was feeling different. The nurse checked my progress and told me that I was ready to deliver.

Eric was born, with the help of forceps at around 6:00 in the morning. I couldn't see much but I did hear my doctor say, "Wow! Look at the size of that shoulder!" And then someone else said that perhaps there was a future for Eric in football.

And then he cried. Anyone who has delivered a healthy baby knows that sound. It is the most unbelievable, amazing sound in the world. I will never forget the first cry of each of my children.

There was some concern for Eric's health because of his size so he was whisked to the intermediate care nursery along with all the other wee little babies. I was sent to a recovery room to wait for the numbness in my legs to subside, worrying about my baby, reminding myself that he was in the best place possible. Besides, Wes was with him.

A few hours later, he was brought to me. He wasn't the cutest newborn, especially with forcep bruising, but he was absolutely precious. He was almost 11 pounds and considering he had to move through a pretty small passage, he did quite well.

Today, Eric is 24 years old and still precious to me. When I look at him, I still see that helpless, beautiful baby. At the same time I see a talented, intelligent, compassionate man. It's been fun watching him grow and I'm looking forward to the next 24 years.

Happy birthday Eric!