Hello World! I'm Callie Marie by K. Denise Holmberg

August 6, 2015

“Stop pushing!” the nurse said.

I came to an abrupt halt and my hands flew off the wheelchair.

“Not you!” She grabbed the handles and took off down a long, cold, antiseptic smelling corridor with me on her heels.

It gave me goose bumps like all hospitals do.

Bree Cook
A few hours before, my daughter, Bree Cook and I were getting dressed to putz around Rapid City, South Dakota. She was due the next week with daughter number two. Her husband had to be out of town on business, so we decided to have much needed mother-daughter time.

“I’ve been having a few cramps every now and then,” Bree happened to mention as we slipped our shoes on. “Do you think I should time them?”

“That’s probably a good idea,” I answered. “Let me know when you feel it again.”

“It’s happening now.”

The contractions felt different to Bree than they had with her first daughter, so we were not sure what was happening.

She pulled out her cell phone and pushed a contractions icon … because … yes, there’s an app for that!

The next “cramp” came just four minutes later.

"Okay," I said. "Let’s sit a while and see what happens."

Four minutes later another one came.

Bree called her doctor. 

“Come on in the office. It’s probably false labor, but I’ll check it out,” she said.

We waited in a little exam room while the doctor tried to “fit us in” and still timed the cramps.

The clock on the wall ticked loud and  slow.

According to the app … the cramps were now two minutes apart.

I stepped out of the examine room and shouted to no one in particular, “We’re about to have a baby in here!”

The doctor heard my urgent words and with a quick examine of Bree gave us specific instructions, “Go to the hospital. Do not stop at Wal-Mart. I’m right behind you.”

I start shaking.

Bree let slip a four-letter word under her breath I’d never heard her utter before. Her hubby was out of town, but even worse, it was too late for an epidural!

Of course I went the wrong way in the hospital parking lot and hit a few dead ends, but finally found the emergency room.

We hopped down out of her Ford F150 truck and took a few steps toward the entrance when Bree stopped and squatted. “I have to push,” she said.

I looked around and my wide-eyed panic tipped off a good Samaritan.

“Do you need a wheelchair?” she said.

“Oh yes,” I answered.

Bree sat in the wheelchair and I pushed her into the hospital shouting, “She’s pushing, she’s pushing!”

That’s when the nurse made her command to stop. Only she wasn’t talking to me, she was talking to Bree.

After a brief exasperated look in my direction, she took control of the wheelchair and we ended up in a delivery room.

“Don’t push, wait for the doctor,” the nurse told Bree.

“That’s not happening,” Bree said and began to push.

I took her hand. "Look in my eyes and keep your eyes on mine. Breathe with me.”


We hee-hee’d and haw-haw’d together.

Her doctor literally arrived in time to catch Callie Marie as she made her early arrival into the world.

For we are His workmanship, created in Christ Jesus for good
works, which God prepared beforehand that we should walk in
them.               
Ephesians 2:10 NKJV

Counting Blessings:                                     
I saw my granddaughter take her first breath.
She just turned one and is happy and healthy.

I get to see my daughter become a fabulous mother.

God is Good!

Tell me what you are thankful for this week!

Blessings,
Denise




Bree & Callie


My granddaughter is named after my aunt Callie Marie whose story is this weeks featured blog. She was a remarkable woman and would be honored to know she has a namesake.


Bree & Callie at 1 year old!
                   

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