It's a.... BABY!

No, I'm not pregnant. Tee, hee, hee... fooled ya. But my sister is... was. Last night I talked to my sis, Robyn, the one just a couple of years older than me... as she was preparing and anticipating her induction this morning at... wait for it... 2a.m.!? (Seriously, why on Earth!?) Anyway, we were talking about baby names... William for a boy... Lucy or Mayra for a girl... bubbling over with excitement. Robyn and Cori (her hubby) are one of the few who opted for a surprise on the delivery room table. They have two beautiful little girls, Ella and Alice. And the thought of another little beauty was on all of our minds. Don't you think "Ella, Alice, and Lucy" sound perfect together? And if it's a boy? William is such a classic name. I love that name. Anyway... I had her text me when she got to the point that she needed her epidural at the hospital (4-something a.m. here in Arizona... 6-something a.m. in Lousisiana, where she lives)... and after I got that text there was NO WAY I was able to get any more sleep.

Here is my sis, getting checked in at 2ish this morning... with her big belly and tiny little body. Pregnant women don't get much cuter than that, right?

She promised to have her hubby put the phone on speaker when the pushing began (we are fast pushers in my family... I knew it would be short) so that I could hear my sweet little niece/nephew come into this world. I was in the room when Ella was born and that is an amazing story for another day. I was unfortunately getting a root canal when Alice was born and I knew the whole time I heard my phone ringing beside the dentist chair that it was her and that I was missing the birth... that was a long root canal (when is it ever not a long root canal, let's be honest). And, Robyn was able to be on speaker phone with me when both Dominic and Damon were born. Maybe a little bit over-the-top... but we're sentimental saps like that. It's really unfair that we live so far away from each other.

I actually called her at about 6:10a.m. (8:10 her time) and talked with her for a second before her in-laws arrived. She was feeling no pain and had already dilated from a 2 1/2 to a 4 in an hour. And that was an hour ago... then she told me her contractions looked like they were about a minute apart on the monitor.

"Um... you might be complete if they're coming that fast." says me.

"Yeah... I'll have them check me when they come back." says she.

And then she had to go so she could say hello to Cori's parents who had just come into the room. I only made it out of bed, to the potty, and downstairs before my phone rang again. It was Cori.

"She's complete and starting to push!" says he.

I ran back upstairs as fast as my little legs would carry me so I could enjoy this moment from my comfy bed (and so I wouldn't wake Dominic with the whooping and hollering that was sure to follow) and put my phone on speaker... just giddy with anticipation.

Birth is amazing to me. I don't think I can ever get used to it. The miracle of it all. One moment, they're inside you and the next... they're a human being. Living. By themselves. You made them. (with a little help, of course.) Wow. Still hard to wrap my brain around that if I really think about it.

So there I sat. Grinning from ear to ear. Listening. I felt like I should have some popcorn and a soda or something. I heard the nurse counting...

"1, 2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7...."

I heard muffled voices. I heard them ask her if she wanted a mirror. Then I was startled to hear Rich's phone beside me ring. I answered it. Now I had a phone on both sides of my head.

It was my mom.

She had flown out to Louisiana from Idaho for the birth. The problem??? This hospital only allowed 2 people in the room and Robyn had been promising Cori's sister that she could stay for months now because she'd never seen a birth before and was really excited to witness this little miracle. So my mom bowed out and waited anxiously in the hall with Cori's parents, while Cori and Carrie stayed in to man the camera and camcorder.

And to witness the birth of ???? Dum, dum, dum.......the surprise baby.

I had a brilliant idea just as Robyn was pushing through her 3rd contraction. I put Rich's phone up to my phone as my mom was trying to explain to me why she wasn't in the room. And just then I heard Cori's sister (I think) excitedly yell...

"Oh my gosh! I've never seen this before!!!!" says she.

"Oooohhhhh!" says Robyn.

(Actually it was a little more like, "Oooooooooooooooooooooohhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhh!")

And then? While I, my mama, and Cori's parents eagerly awaited those scratchy, squeaky little baby cries... (I can just see them all huddled around the cell-phone via cell-phone birth broadcast from the hall in the hospital) ...I thought I heard a muffled "...little boy" from the doctor.

"Mom! Did you hear that!? Did he say boy!? I think it's a boy!" says me.

"Do you have a name?" says Doctor.

"William!" says a crying, proud Mama. (Followed by that squeaky, scratchy little cry I had been waiting for.)

"Oh my gosh, he DID say boy!!!! Whooooooo-hooooooo!" says I.

(Followed by a good cry.)

You see, we were ALL, every one of us, secretly (or not so secretly) hoping, that, well.... it would be a boy. And here he is...

Little William James Card Powell

8:17 a.m. 7 lbs 8 ounces 19 inches long... and dark curly hair!

The "Card" part is my Dad's mother's maiden name. He would've liked that. And the best part is that my sweet Dad was probably just with him moments before... sending him off on his life-long journey. That's awesome. :) And awesome is what my day is today. I have an adorable new little nephew to love! I'm so thankful I was able to hear his first little cries. What a blessing he is.

Here's the girls with their new baby brother. Do you think they're happy? I think maybe.