Packet of Seeds.....: The Red Robe

It has been a long while since I've posted here on Packet of Seeds. I just didn't feel like blogging after my mother passed away. In addition, my dad was in and out of the hospital and had major surgery so my energy was focused on helping my family. I thought I would take a short break . Well, that short break turned into over nine months. It is now time to jump back on the blog-wagon....

Four weeks ago I got a call from my pregnant daughter, Adeline, informing me that she had just seen her doctor for her weekly checkup. Baby "Lamb" wasn't due for another two weeks and her labor hadn't even started. She had a small tear and had been leaking amniotic fluid for the last few days so they were admitting her to the hospital. No contractions. First baby. I thought to myself, "This is going to me a very long night/day."

I soon received a text and pic from Adeline telling me she's all checked in.

Glowing and beautiful and ready to get the ball rolling. She is looking all to happy...
She will soon experience some of the most excruciating pain e.v.e.r.

Here I am at El Camino Hospital getting checked in to deliver my sweet Adeline over 26 years ago.

I told Adeline that I was going to Marshall's after work to pick up a robe and slippers for her. My mother-in-law gave me a nice cozy red velour robe when I was at Kaiser hospital (Santa Clara) having my first baby and I wanted to do the same for my "baby" who was about to have her first baby at Kaiser (Oakland).

DZ by my side timing contractions with my first born baby
I had been in labor for a couple of days already.

Me with my sisters and mother gazing through the nursery window at sweet Sophia.
That was when they a newborn nursery ...now all the babies stay in the room with their mother.

As I drove into Marshall's parking lot, a sweet feeling of peace overcame me. I felt my dear mother giving her goodbyes to my soon to be born grandson. She was telling him all about the loving family who will soon envelop him ... (great) grandparents, aunts, uncles, cousins, and his wonderful parents, who would be nurturing, protecting, teaching, and caring for him while here on earth. With tears rolling down my cheeks, I just sat there in my car feeling this immense love. I will soon meet my grandson who had just been in the presence of my mother. I knew all would be ok.

Around midnight I got a text from.Adeline saying she was halfway to the finish line. I guess this isn't going to take as long as I originally thought! So I headed to the hospital.

At first Adeline tried to deliver naturally but the pain got too intense and an epidural was ordered up. This is what I saw when I came back in the room....dimmed lights, sleeping dad, and very quiet. Epidurals rock.