Urgent travel, Bridgette, Granddaddy

Thursday and Friday were quite eventful for me and Mama – and for Becky. Becky called Mama on Thursday afternoon while she was at the doctor’s office to tell Mama that they were going to induce her that evening or the following morning. Mama asked to speak to the attending nurse – just in case - and got solid confirmation on the news. So we made plans to get to Hot Springs, AR that evening.

We had to wait on Victoria to get off work because we were taking her car for the trip so we ended up leaving about 7 pm. Both of us had had very little sleep and we could feel it as we drove most of the way in the dark; arriving in Hot Springs a little after 1 a.m. We drove straight to the hospital and went through the emergency room entrance to the OB ward to find Becky.

At that time her contractions were just beginning to intensify and they were not going to induce until around 4:30 so I went to the car, rolled back the seat and went to sleep. Mama joined me a little later but was not there for very long. Becky called her to come back to the room and help her after what Mama tells me was a little less than two hours. In my sleepy state I thought only a few minutes had passed between her getting in the car and Becky’s call. I slept soundly until just before 7 a.m.

When I got to the room a few minutes later the baby had just come and the doctor was stitching Becky up from a very slight tear; or, so I was told. What surprised me most was that Mike, his mother and his sister were in the room through the entire delivery. I cannot remember that happening anywhere else any of our babies or our grandbabies was birthed – even in West Virginia. Mama was there – as she should have been (comforting and coaching Becky) – and was the only active participant other than the doctor and nurses.

Becky was in hard labor less than an hour; complaining the entire time that they did not give her an epidural. She dilated from 2 cm to 10 cm in the course of less than an hour so by the time the nurse checked it was too late for the pain relief. The baby was crowning less than an hour after the nurses final check and the doctor on call was in attendance for less than a half hour. Bridgette weighed 6 pounds even and was nineteen and a half inches long; healthy and beautiful. She appears to be a very good baby – sleeping for long stretches and nursing well every three hours or so. Becky is very blessed.

Becky does very well with the baby. It is surprising to see her as a mommy. We were not terribly impressed with the baby’s father but he is a big step up from Becky’s estranged husband. He appears to be harmless and seems to be interested in the baby’s welfare – and Becky’s by extension. Perhaps, if they do stay together he will grow on us but it was awkward to be around him and his family. We left on Sunday afternoon after a very disappointing morning at church and after taking Becky and Mike to lunch so Mama could snuggle her two day old granddaughter one more time.

On the way home Cori let us know the Granddaddy Davis went home to be with the Lord. She and Nate got to be with Granny as he left this world; not a happy event for those close to the family but not necessarily an overwhelmingly sad event either. He’s home now.

Thank God for a blessed hope.