Christmas Essay

Christmas of 2008 was the most memorable of my life.  I was pregnant with my daughter Karina and past my due date.  I had desperately hoped she would come early so her birthday would not interfere with the holiday, but even a scheduled induction did not work.  I gave up on her ever arriving.  By Christmas Day, I had resigned myself to carrying my child in my uterus until at least college.  My husband and I opened gifts, including one very special one for me: a pair of pink origami baby booties he had specially ordered.  I spent most of the day lounging in our recliner and my mom's rocker.  Finally, after the days events were over, I settled in for the night, watched a little television, and turned off the light around 9:30pm.  I know that's early for many people, but for me being very pregnant and having had a busy Christmas day, it was late.  I was still awake around 10, when I felt a funny twitch.  I thought it was just the usual bubbling all pregnant moms get.  Then it happened again.  As usual, I started timing it just to be sure.  There it was again.  But it wasn't very regular, and my bedside alarm clock wasn't very effective for timing.  The twitches varied between 8 and 10 minutes apart.  I finally got up and went downstairs to have my husband help me time them.  Five minutes.  He called my doctor, even while I insisted that I was not in labor and our daughter was never coming out.  Our doctor said it was time to head to the hospital.  So, I got up and got dressed, and Bill ran frantically downstairs to make a sandwich (he never ate it) and pack the car.  By the time I came downstairs, I could tell they were definitely contractions, and they hurt.  I wasn't in denial anymore!  Off we went to the hospital, and by the time we got there they were 2 minutes apart and really hurt.  I thought the baby would arrive imminently.  Once again, she had other plans.  She was not born until 10pm December 26th.  And I did not sleep at all.  By the time she was born, all I could say to anyone was, "I just want to go to sleep".  I remember only bits and pieces of the evening, but the next day, my whole extended family came by to see us.  I missed our family Christmas that year, but it was worth it.

This isn't the kind of Christmas event that could be recreated, and to be honest, I wouldn't want to, but celebrating Karina's birthday each year does honor it.  When Christmas rolls around each year, I start thinking how unreal it is that she exists at all, and that she is a year older. 

It was the most amazing, memorable, and wonderful Christmas of my life.  Even though she wasn't born on Christmas Day, Christmas will always hold the memory of going into labor with her.  There couldn't have been a better gift.  Before she was born, I couldn't imagine life with her.  Now, I can't imagine it without her.



“This post was written for an entry into the baby clothes holiday writing contest.  One lucky blogger will win a $50 Amazon gift card!  For a chance to win see the baby clothes blog for more information.”