1977, Happy Birth Day Cory

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The year is 1977. Tomorrow is my parent’s 25th wedding anniversary.  Twenty-five years is a long time to be married but they make it look easy and good to be married.

I’ve been married just under 3 years and 25 years seems like an eternity to me.  I am uncomfortable. I weigh 35 lbs. more than I did 9 months ago. My belly is enormously round.  Today the child I am carrying is quiet.  Usually quite active, the activity has gone silent today.  I feel tired. Worn out and yet anxious. When will my baby be born?  The doctor said the due date was April 1.  Exactly 4 days ago.  When I planned my parents surprise 25th wedding anniversary party for Saturday, April 9th I had given myself plenty of time to have the baby, recover, and be ready to host 30 people for the dinner party.  I am wondering where my timetable first went askew.  Possibly right from the beginning. I know babies don’t arrive when the doctor says, they arrive when God says.

It 10 p.m. and time for bed.  My husband is already there and I just don’t feel like laying down.  I am tired but crawling into bed doesn’t seem comfortable.  I will just watch TV from the couch.

It is midnight and I just woke up with a jolt.  What was that?  A noise? What woke me up?  Ouch, that is what woke me up.  My belly seems hard as a rock.  I am struggling to wake up and through the haze I feel the tension rising within my body.  The grogginess leaves my mind quite quickly as I realize I may be in labor.  What day is it?  April 6 – my parent’s 25th wedding anniversary.  Is this the day our baby will be born?

I just woke up my husband who isn’t too keen on going to the hospital right now.  I think he wants to get more sleep.  We both know this process can take a while, but I want to call my mom, go to the hospital, and be around people who can tell me what is going on.  I convince him we should go.  I just called my mom and she will meet us at the hospital.  I’ll bet she beats us there!

It is about 4 a.m. now and I have been in labor for 4 hours.  The nurses tell me that everyone experiences labor differently.  For me, every time I have a contraction I throw up the contents of my stomach.  It isn’t a pretty sight.  Contraction begins, breath, breath, breath, throw up, contraction ends.  Repeat.

My husband is tired, slightly bored, and restless.  He goes for coffee and mom stays by my bedside.  About 6 a.m. my doctor stops by.  He just said, “we will have a baby by noon.”  NOON!  I don’t know if my scream was audible or just within my head.  I AM NOT GOING TO DO THIS UNTIL NOON!  No, I can’t possibly do this for another 6 hours.

It is 12:16 p.m.  Just a few minutes after noon when our baby boy arrives into this world.  Cold, shivering, and ready to test his lungs, he is just beautiful.  8 lbs. 6 ounces. Perfect.  His name is Cory Steven Anderson.  Cory, because we like the name, Steven after my brother who died in a car accident the very day the doctor told me I was pregnant.  That day seems like an eternity ago.  We cried buckets of tears that day and night. Tears of grief for a life taken too soon and tears of joy for a new life beginning.

April 6. It is a beautiful spring day.  The sun is shining, the sky is so blue and the birds are singing.  A perfect day to welcome our son into this world.  Thank you God.
Cory

Happy Birthday Cory!

 

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6 thoughts on “1977, Happy Birth Day Cory”

  1. Catherine, thanks for that lovely day of birth description. I do remember going for coffee…and I was thrilled to meet our first son. Happy Birthday, Cory. Love,Dad

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  2. What a beautiful story for a Sunday morning before going to Church! Thank you and happy birthday, Cory! (Friends of your beautiful Grandmother, Alice) Jon & Dee Schuetz

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  3. A beautiful story… a beautiful event. Thank you God for the life of Cory Steven Anderson. He is a wonderful son, husband, daddy, grandson and so much more. Congratulations on your very special day and happy birthday.

    Reply

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