During one of my last prenatal visits before Active Son's birth, my OB reminded me that I have "precipitous labor" and directed me to call him at the first sign of labor, contractions or otherwise. If Oldest Daughter came so (relatively) quickly and easily, Active Son would likely enter the world even more quickly.
I guess that was good news, but it made Dear Husband and I a little nervous. We had recently moved to a new apartment and though we were settling in, it was the middle of winter, the Winter of '92, Jordan's worst winter for snow and ice storms in over 50 years. Not accustomed to harsh winters, the people survived from storm to storm as the extreme weather paralyzed the country. People lost power and water, and the civil defense was called on to transport women in labor to hospitals when the roads were impassable. We prayed that Active Son would make his appearance between storms, and thankfully, he did. Though riding to the hospital in a tank would have trumped the broken down delivery station wagon that transported me to the hospital for Oldest Daughter's birth.
My water broke just a couple hours after going to bed on the night of Februrary 19th, and we immediately called my OB, along with our good friend, Bruce, to request his offered ride to the hospital. It's a good thing the roads were clear or Active Son might have been born on the way to the hospital. My OB arrived just in time to deliver Active Son, and welcome him into the world after my quickest and easiest childbirth experience.
Here's Oldest Daughter visiting us in the hospital. Along with my new son, I acquired a new identity in Jordanian society: 'Um Active Son, or Mother of Active Son.
Thankfully, we had power, heat, water, and food; we lacked only a phone connection.We enjoyed a very cozy, peaceful existence for a few days--just our little family.
This next picture, Active Son's newborn "portrait" reminds me of how woefully inept we were at capturing those precious, poignant, adorable, timeless, newborn moments that now proliferate Facebook, Pinterest, and blogs. And I only have a few newborn pictures of Active Son--maybe ten? That would probably constitute child abuse these days. I remember thinking that our chair cushions would make a pretty neat backdrop. It was definitely too cold to even think of doing any au naturel shots. Those would have to wait until summer.
I guess that was good news, but it made Dear Husband and I a little nervous. We had recently moved to a new apartment and though we were settling in, it was the middle of winter, the Winter of '92, Jordan's worst winter for snow and ice storms in over 50 years. Not accustomed to harsh winters, the people survived from storm to storm as the extreme weather paralyzed the country. People lost power and water, and the civil defense was called on to transport women in labor to hospitals when the roads were impassable. We prayed that Active Son would make his appearance between storms, and thankfully, he did. Though riding to the hospital in a tank would have trumped the broken down delivery station wagon that transported me to the hospital for Oldest Daughter's birth.
My water broke just a couple hours after going to bed on the night of Februrary 19th, and we immediately called my OB, along with our good friend, Bruce, to request his offered ride to the hospital. It's a good thing the roads were clear or Active Son might have been born on the way to the hospital. My OB arrived just in time to deliver Active Son, and welcome him into the world after my quickest and easiest childbirth experience.
Here's Oldest Daughter visiting us in the hospital. Along with my new son, I acquired a new identity in Jordanian society: 'Um Active Son, or Mother of Active Son.
Two (or three) days after Active Son's birth, the biggest snowstorm of the winter blew through Amman. Everyone was tucked snugly in their beds, but we could hear the wind howling and the thunder crashing all through the night. We woke to an amazing amount of snow: three feet had fallen overnight, with drifts even higher.
Oldest Daughter on our back (walled in) patio
This next picture, Active Son's newborn "portrait" reminds me of how woefully inept we were at capturing those precious, poignant, adorable, timeless, newborn moments that now proliferate Facebook, Pinterest, and blogs. And I only have a few newborn pictures of Active Son--maybe ten? That would probably constitute child abuse these days. I remember thinking that our chair cushions would make a pretty neat backdrop. It was definitely too cold to even think of doing any au naturel shots. Those would have to wait until summer.
Though many miles separate us, Active Son, you are never far from our hearts. We love you and pray for you daily, trusting you to our Heavenly Father and thanking Him for your life.
Happy Birthday, Active Son!
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