Haley Baby.

There are people you meet  and wonder where they’ve been your whole life.  I truly believe God connects you with people whom you need in your life at just the right time. He’s awesome like that!  This is my story about a girl who walked in just when I needed her most.

Last summer after I “retired” from teaching I spent my days waddling around the neighborhood and relaxing on the couch.  JPW was 3.5 hours away during the week and I was alone with my dogs.  It was a sad existence, and if it weren’t for the baby incubating in my ute I probably would have fallen into a deep dark hole and never crawled out.

I was determined to do everything “couples” do when preparing for their first born.  One of those “things” on was attend a childbirth class.  I was not in the au-naturel childbirth camp, but knew I wanted to let my body labor as long as possible before I screamed for some epidural intervention.  But that’s not what this post it about.  A major snafu in my plans to attend a childbirth with my coach aka husband wasn’t around during the week and the class was on Monday nights. For six weeks. Damn!  I attended the first class alone, I was the only Mother-to-be without a partner. I felt like the biggest loser of them all.  But it wasn’t going to stop me from experiencing the class and checking it off my to-do list.  I would complete the class and teach JPW everything he needed to know.  Fortunately he was able to attend one class with me which was the labor positions, breathing and everything we needed to know about the actual delivery of the baby class.  Perfect!

Among the group of couples were a sweet couple about our age, they didn’t tell stupid jokes, they didn’t smell like Subway and by our definition were “normal”.   I was excited for JPW to meet them.  I was hoping we’d have enough in common that I’d have a friend with a baby (soon) and would want to keep me company on the days when I needed a break from my house and a human to talk to who would talk back.  Enter into our lives, more importantly MY LIFE, Haley (and Brandon).  I explained to them our “story” and why I was alone and they quickly gave me their cell number, they were concerned for me and the baby.  They wanted to make sure I had someone to call and help me out should I go into labor during the week and JPW couldn’t be with me right away.  I wanted to kiss their toes. I never got their last name and often would forget her husbands name, but she became Haley Baby in my phone book.

Class ended at the end of August, we both had a few weeks left until our due dates and through text messages we kept each other updated.  I hadn’t heard from Haley in a week or so.  I was headed to the hospital on September 11th to have a baby and thought, ” I should let them know I’m in labor and with my mom and JPW is on his way”  I got a quick response, “We’re upstairs in the postpartum wing we had Charlotte yesterday”  I wanted to rip the monitors off and go squeeze her, I was so excited, and our babies would be just days apart.

Our meet ups didn’t start until after our daughters were born.   Although our paths did not cross again for a few weeks we lamented through the first few days and weeks via text of breastfeeding, sleepless nights and the departure of JPW.  She told me I could sleep at their house and they would take turns bouncing Ryann and help me.  How did I meet such an amazing person who wants to bounce my fussy newborn?  She was a God send. She rallied a group of church friends together to help JPW and I move out of our home.  We couldn’t have done it without them. I made them lasagna, it wasn’t nearly enough, but to this day I still thank them, I hope one day I can repay them in some way for their kind services.

I was horribly sad to leave our home, but it was more difficult to say goodbye to a dear friend, one whom I know I just don’t get to talk to enough or visit whenever I need her. We’ve only known each other a year, but she’s one of the best friends I’ve ever had the pleasure to call mine.  In nine and eleven days respectively we’ll celebrate Charlotte and Ryann’s first birthdays.  Two girls who are so much alike (like their mothers) who won’t remember their first play date or the many days they laid next to each other and wiggled and cooed while their moms shared breastfeeding concerns, schedules and a hot cup of tea.

Haley Baby I miss you!

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