Happy Birthday, Dylan!

Tomorrow is my son, Dylan's 14th birthday.  Usually when I first meet people and tell them how old my son is, I inevitably get the sidelong glance and the statement "you don't look old enough to have a son that old".  Well, I indeed AM old enough to have a son that old and had him at the very respectable age of 20, even though it wasn't exactly in MY plan to have a child at that time.  Still, even to me, it's hard to believe that I have a 14 year old son.  Seems like just yesterday I was graduating high school (although it's been 16 years this year!) and it doesn't seem like 14 years have passed since I had Dylan...but I guess that's what happens as the days/months/years fly off the calendar! :)

It was actually 14 years ago today that I actually went to the hospital to give birth to my baby boy.  Notice I didn't say "went into labor"...which I did...but only after they gave me that wonderful pitocin...much sarcasm noted there.  But the best part of my whole "having a baby" story is when I tell you that my due date was June 13th.  Yes...you read that correctly.  And yes, tomorrow is July 1st.  That would be 2 1/2 weeks AFTER my due date.  Evidently 1996 was a big year for babies in Winston-Salem/Forsyth County!  Because June 30th was a Sunday.  I remember going to the doctor on the Friday before that...the wonderful nurses, oh so sympathetic, asking what I was STILL doing there.  And then my doctor sent me for a stress test...which indicated NO stress for the baby...and then he said, well, call us on Sunday morning and IF there is an available room, we will induce you.  I still can't believe that to this day!  It was so crazy...and I did everything I could think of to make that child come out.

So, there was indeed an available room and at 11am on Sunday, June 30th I went to the hospital to be induced.  By 4pm, I was technically in labor and at 10:50pm they said the magic words...you can push now!  I thought it was almost done; however, the crack staff nurse that was assigned to me UPPED my epidural just before she thought to check and see if I was fully dialated.  If you've had a baby, you will know that this can slow down your pushing.  So...yep...two hours later at 1:50am on Monday, July 1st, 1996 I delivered an 8lb baby boy. 

And after all that...I consider him the greatest blessing that God has ever given me.  Truly, he changed my life in such a positive way.  I can't even imagine what my life would've been like if he hadn't unexpectedly come along.

So...with that being said...Happy 14th Birthday Dylan!!!