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Sept. 1, 1977:   Wow, it seems like it was yesterday when I made the trip to town to deliver my third child.  I woke up in the morning to an annoying phone call.  While I was on the phone I noticed a slight cramping in my stomach.  So for a joke, I thought I would call my mom and get her blood pressure up.  I called and said "Mom, do you have your hospital shoes on?"  She said, "Is it time".  I said, " no, I'm just teasing you, but I did have one pain".    We talked a few minutes and I had another pain.  I said, "Mom, I just had another pain."  She said "let's keep talking, and time these, you may be in labor."   We talked some more, the pains kept coming, Mom said, "those pains are 5 minutes apart.  I think you need to call your doctor".  I told her to come and get me, I would call from her house.  So I called my favorite sister and asked if she could care for my son and pick up my daughter Brandy from kindergarten, she said sure.  Everything was happening so fast, I wasn't due for another 13 days.  Mom got there and we dropped off Michael.  We went straight to Mom's house.  I called the doctors office they told me to go to Memorial.   Then I called my husbands job, he worked in Taft, they said they would send him to the hospital.  We were off to get a new baby.  I had no idea what I was having.  The pains weren't bad.  I felt fine.  We got to the hospital about 9:30,  They checked me out, I was dilated to 4 cm, it would be awhile.  Then they started the routine which wasn't much fun ( I won't go into detail but you older mothers know what I'm talking about, times have certainly changed).  I had been there about an hour.  When they checked me again, I was at 6.  Still doing fine.   My husband came in around 10:30 a.m..  He gave me a kiss and said he was going to get a candy bar.  So my mom stepped back in.  In those days, you could only have one person in your labor room.  I had a pain and felt the baby move down.  I said, "Mom call the nurse".  Mom said, "they just checked you, everything is fine".  I had another pain and felt the baby move farther.  I said, "Mom call the nurse".  Mom said. " honey they just checked you and you are at 6, it will be awhile".  I said,  "Mom I know it should be awhile, but I just had the same pains I had at the end of my labor with Michael.  I've had two pains and this baby is ready to come.  Now call the nurse for me, or hand me the button and I'll call myself".  Mom called.  She said, "This girl thinks the baby is on it's way".  She couldn't have sounded more sarcastic if she tried.  I thought "UUGGHH, I probably rolled my eyes too".   The nurse came in and started screeching wheres the father.  I said he went to get a candy bar.  She said he needs to get in here and get these clothes on if he is going to observe.  I said mom go get him.  So she ran out one door as they started wheeling me down the aisle.  The nurse was saying pant blow pant blow.  I hadn't taken Lamaze again and it had been two years since I had my older son.  I wasn't sure if I was doing it right so I did a quick "pant pant pant blow" and asked. " am I doing this right pant pant pant blow".  She said,  "just do it whatever you do don't start pushing".  I didn't have the urge to push.  So I kept on pant pant pant blow.  We passed the first labor room on the left.  It was dirty, a baby had just been delivered.  The second on the right had a baby delivered.  The third on the left had a baby being delivered and   the fourth and final one was dirty.  The nurse said they had been swamped having one baby after the other all day.  I asked well where am I going to have the baby?  She said right here and she pulled my gurney off to the side at the end of the hall.  I was looking straight at the Exit sign above the door at the end of the hallway.  She ran and grabbed two small mirrors and attached them to the gurney as my doctor was washing her hands.  My son was born a 10:40 a.m..  He was beautiful.  I hemorrhaged and it was scary.  That made me realize that I didn't need anymore children. Daniel was my last,  happy birthday my beautiful son.  I love you.