On the eve of Thanksgiving, at 11:51 pm, the phone rang. I sat upright, knowing exactly who would be on the other end and answered the phone. The voice was strangely calm, gave me the details I needed and I ended the call by saying "I'll be right there." My husband rolled over and started to protest my running out in the middle of the night, at such a late hour, the night before we hosted our very first Thanksgiving and I paused a moment, not quite sure how to respond. I went and got dressed quickly in the bathroom and came back to him, simply saying "I know it doesn't make any sense, but she asked for me."
He understood.
In the car on the way, I called my dear friend Megan who was also en route. We laughed at our late night antics, made predictions and agreed to rally together to get through the long night ahead. We arrived within minutes of each other and quickly got to work.
There was a baby to be born.
I will let her fill you in on the details as it really is her story to tell and what a story it is. I will say this: she was fierce. She was determined and strong and capable and amazing and it was an honor to be with her at this most precious time. There was a ton of laughter, quite a few tears and a palpable bond of sisterhood that leaves me standing in awe. The work of a woman is never more defined than when in the throes of bringing a new life to this world and to see it first hand is a most sacred experience. It is life changing. It is affirming. It is the stuff of dreams and magic.
When I returned to my family after a very long night and with only an hour and a half of sleep under my belt, I set about readying my home for Thanksgiving. My amazing mother and sister-in-law had prepped everything in my absence and the house was already starting to smell of Thanksgiving. We worked quietly, dressing the table and rearranging the furniture to fit everyone in. We took time in creating a beautiful table that helped usher in the feelings of the season and when the time came, we gathered round, gave our thanks and enjoyed our meal. It was a wonderful day from start to finish with only a few hiccups along the way (ie a bird that big will take a. long. time to cook)
When I settled into the couch later that night, I found myself very, very thankful. Thankful for a family who puts up with my antics and loves me all the same. Thankful for woman willing to step in and take over when I'm unable to. Thankful for friends who have become another part of my family. Thankful for new life and the sweet smells of a baby. Thankful to be where I am, living this life.
I hope yours was just as good, with maybe a little more sleep.
He understood.
In the car on the way, I called my dear friend Megan who was also en route. We laughed at our late night antics, made predictions and agreed to rally together to get through the long night ahead. We arrived within minutes of each other and quickly got to work.
There was a baby to be born.
I will let her fill you in on the details as it really is her story to tell and what a story it is. I will say this: she was fierce. She was determined and strong and capable and amazing and it was an honor to be with her at this most precious time. There was a ton of laughter, quite a few tears and a palpable bond of sisterhood that leaves me standing in awe. The work of a woman is never more defined than when in the throes of bringing a new life to this world and to see it first hand is a most sacred experience. It is life changing. It is affirming. It is the stuff of dreams and magic.
When I returned to my family after a very long night and with only an hour and a half of sleep under my belt, I set about readying my home for Thanksgiving. My amazing mother and sister-in-law had prepped everything in my absence and the house was already starting to smell of Thanksgiving. We worked quietly, dressing the table and rearranging the furniture to fit everyone in. We took time in creating a beautiful table that helped usher in the feelings of the season and when the time came, we gathered round, gave our thanks and enjoyed our meal. It was a wonderful day from start to finish with only a few hiccups along the way (ie a bird that big will take a. long. time to cook)
When I settled into the couch later that night, I found myself very, very thankful. Thankful for a family who puts up with my antics and loves me all the same. Thankful for woman willing to step in and take over when I'm unable to. Thankful for friends who have become another part of my family. Thankful for new life and the sweet smells of a baby. Thankful to be where I am, living this life.
I hope yours was just as good, with maybe a little more sleep.
11 comments:
Always so eloquent...
I'm still sad I missed out on really a once-in-a-lifetime experience. You are right, she is amazing.
I, too, am thankful for all my many blessings.
That is a Thanksgiving you will never ever forget. Hooray for healthy babies and happy families!!
She is a sweet baby, lucky you to meet her so quickly.
You have a way with words....this was beautifully written.
It sounds like you had a very blessed Thanksgiving.
Ahhhhh! Words well written! Cheers to Tiffany! Can't wait to lay my eyes on that beauty!
I've come back and read this post at least 5 times, and every time I get all weepy. (Postpartum????)
The first time I clicked on your blog today, I saw your title of this post and immediately began sobbing. What you don't know is that "This Woman's Work" was running through my head throughout my entire labor. I got chills when I saw that you used it as a title for this post!
I'll be posting my story sometime soon...as soon as I feel like tearing myself away from my baby for more than 5 minutes. I just can't get enough of her!
Thank you for everything you did that night. It was so wonderful having you and Megan there, and the ONLY thing that could have made it better (besides a faster labor...) would have been if Lindsay and Cindy could have been there too.
I love you all!
This was such a beautiful post. You walways have a way of taking my warm fuzy feelings inside and putting them into eloquent words. Thanks. I am glad you also had such a great holiday. I loved it. You did a great job on your first hosting. Thanks for all you do and for who you are.
I can't wait to hear Tiffani's story, and to hear the details.
This is a really sweet post.
How beautiful! What a wonderful moment to share woman to woman!
It was a fantastic dinner. The atmosphere with the candles and beautiful centerpiece made such a difference. Thank you!
i loved this.
i've still yet to meet this new babe!! tiffani is ah-mazing and such a woman - lucky to have you for such sweet support.
love, lindsay
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