Dramatic Entrance

We thought that Micah and Paul were the members of our family who enjoyed drama; they are currently putting on a play about a doctor, a farmer and a flying cow. Their little brother decided to make sure that someone said, "Ladies and gentlemen, presenting Samuel Tongen!" Here's the story of how he made that happen with a half-hour labor. On Tuesday afternoon, my contractions were more sporadic than those I had been having as part of supposed false labor, so I didn't take them too seriously. We went on a long, family walk after dinner. When we got home at 8, I was surprisingly tired and laid down while Anthony put the boys to sleep. Kaboom! My water broke and my contractions were probably every minute apart (I didn't have time or the frame of mind to look at my watch.) We ran around the house (mostly Anthony, since I only had a minute here or a minute there with a coherent mind) and he called my mom (1 hour away) and the midwives. Thankfully, our next-door neighbor, Wendy, was willing and able to hurry over so the boys could keep sleeping and we could hurry to the hospital. The problem was that as she was walking me to the new van, I realized that our son was trying to come out in our driveway! Praise God that we live so close to the hospital! I was doing everything I could to hold "Skippy" in while Anthony drove the few minutes to get us there. An orderly quickly brought a wheelchair (side note: when I was in labor with Paul, I thought it was silly that they made laboring moms ride in wheelchairs, since it is more comfortable to stand during contractions.) She ran me through the ER lobby as Sam's head came out. We got to the hallway and I told her, "Really, he's out!" I pulled down my shorts to prove it and she screamed for a doctor. 10 women came running with eyes the size of saucers since indeed, our newborn son was fully laying on the wheelchair. I joyfully said "This is Samuel. He needs your help." Then, the doctor and Anthony appeared behind the crowd of shocked women. Yes, Anthony sadly missed the delivery of his third son while he was (quickly, mind you) parking the car. Dr. Ahmed Mahmood happened to be the same ER doc who stitched Paul's forehead in January! They took us up the elevator to the delivery room where Anthony got to cut the umbilical cord, I got stitched up, and Samuel got a 9 for his Apgar score.

Top ten things for which we are especially thankful to God:

10. For our amazing friends and family who are as excited about Sam's arrival as we are!!

9. We live close to the hospital.

8. Our brand new car smell still remains even though it was one contraction away from getting ruined.

7. The big brothers were in bed, so they didn't see the chaos or slow us down from getting to the hospital with less than 30 minutes of warning.

6. Tuesday's child is full of grace.

5. Samuel doesn't have Downs Syndrome, despite ultrasound concerns.

4. Samuel's kidneys and heart seem fine.

3. I didn't break my tailbone for the first time! It is so much easier to recover this way!

2. Samuel is part of our family.

1. God hears.