Patience.

"Wake up" she said.

"You're about to become a daddy." 

He was groggy and rightly so. 12 hours of excitement had turned into 24 hours of exhaustion and was fast creeping on 36 hours of endurance. The student woke him again..."she is pushy." Mama was working hard. Baby was slowly making it's way through to become a firstborn. Come sweet baby. You are so welcome here. Barefoot, warm blanket, middle of the night, sleepy Midwife patiently waiting for you, protecting this sacred sweet space...welcome.

As the last star slowly faded, the sun began to rise. The trees became colors of all shades of Fall slowly emerging instead of black silohettes. Like the shadow of the baby, slowly emerging...mama worked....and we waited.

Finally this little head, full of dark hair peeked it's way out, mama working so hard, with the last of her energy pushed this amazing little person out into the world. As I untangled a nuchal cord which was around her neck and pressed between her feet (like a little primate holding onto a vine with her toes) she let out a perfect little wail. Mama reached down and pulled her onto her chest. My student and I stayed perfectly silent, knowing already the secret the parents had waited nine months for, but it was not our job to announce. 

"Hey buddy" said daddy. "You're so perfect." Slowly they discovered a little crooked nose and sweet plushy cheeks. So much hair. Long fingers and the softest feet. "Oh my gosh!" exlaimed daddy..."you're not a buddy, you're a little girl!!!" and they both laughed and cried. We all began to tear up. All that hard work, that extreme patience in waiting 9 days overdue...it was worth it. Every minue of that day of contractions, every second of that long, long night had melted away into this tiny being of love, hope and all things promising... 

I watched a family be born this morning. I have seen nothing more sacred.

Life. The adventure begins....welcome little girl.