Where Were You?

Sixteen years and nine months ago, I went off my birth control for about a week.

Sixteen years and 8 months ago, I learned that we were going to add Baby #3 to our family.

Sixteen years and 7.5 months ago I started praying for a sweet, easy baby.

Sixteen years and one month ago I was the last of the five mommies in our ward to still be pregnant.

Sixteen years and two days ago I went to a birthday party for my mother-in-law.  I thought I just might have a baby on her birthday.  You know, to celebrate.  But Baby changed her mind and went to sleep.

Sixteen years and one day ago I sat at the kitchen table for hours, trying desperately to finish a very large sewing project I had been working on.  I was sure that I was going to be interrupted by a delivery trip to the hospital.  Each time I was sure it was time to stand up and call Spencer, Baby would change her mind and go back to sleep.

Sixteen years ago today I had an appointment with the doctor, who checked me and said, "It doesn't look like much is happening."  I probably cried; at any rate he said, "Let's send you up to the hospital for a non-stress test.  The nurses at the hospital promptly hooked me up to a monitor and announced, "Woah!  Those are HUGE contractions!"  (Wasn't it nice of them to tell me that?  What if I hadn't known that?)

Sixteen years, one epidural, some tears, a small nap, some food, several book chapters, a few visitors, and some hard pushing ago, our Ashtyn Sarah Hill was born.

Heavenly Father answered my prayers by giving me a sweet-natured, happy, helpful angel girl.

Boy!  Am I grateful for the past 16 years!