Friday night

you will NEVER guess what i did this weekend.  no, don't even try, it's pointless.
i was with my friend when she gave birth to her beautiful baby girl friday night.  YES!  it was incredible, absolutely awe inspiring. 
awe
in
spir
ing.

to see my friend's stomach, hard as a rock, shifting downwards, i promise you i watched it dropping.  lots of breathing, lots and lots and lots of pain, bodily fluids, exhaustion, waiting, waiting, suffering, surviving, a few minutes of scrambling and medical professionalism and then there's a baby girl! little finger nails, peeking out between her lashes, staring at her mother, smiling at her father (i swear!).

i must say, i feel for the husband.  i know, i know, what a ridiculous thought when staring at your dear friend who is hardly able to breath she's in so much pain..  but i felt completely helpless, there was nothing i could do to take any pain away from her, all i could offer was a hand to hold and a smile and some encouraging words.  after a while i started wondering if my "you're amazing!  you're doing so incredible!" were starting to irritate.  i mean, i was irritating myself.  and i looked at her man, so intent and caring and calm and thought - it sucks. i wonder if most men think "this is my fault.  what have i done?"

at one point she was sitting on an exercise ball, and her husband was sitting behind her on a chair, and she was leaning back on him.  he was supporting her and talking with her and holding her.  what a beautifully intimate picture of their marriage to be privileged to witness.  i bet my mouth was open.

and then, to see her baby stare into her eyes.  i thought i'd never witness it again - it has to be one of the most beautiful of all life's moments.  and THEN, and i was waiting for this, watching my friend realize "holy crap!  I just did that!  I'm invincible!!".  there's nothing like the rush you get from birthing a child - experiencing the impossibility of life.  one minute you think you're going to die, and the next you think nothing could kill you.  if only they could harness the strength of a brand new mom.  then they could feed it to one-day-old moms. there could be a series of little white capsules you break open that are labelled "when baby reaches two". 

and, in case you're wondering, we made it through the entire process without me seeing her lady parts.  nothing short of miraculous.  i didn't have to relive grade 10 biology, hallelujah!  and my friend did not lose her sense of privacy (that's pronounced with short "i" sounds, like the British say it.  i've decided it sounds more sophisticated that way.  especially when your five year old busts in the bathroom.  "give me some privicy!").

sorry that my friday night was much better than yours.  i bet your saturday night was better than mine though, so we're even.  unless you were sick on the couch as well - then i guess i'm still winning. :)