Thirty two years ago today I gave birth for the first time. Lindsay Renee was born at 6:10 P.M. after 13 hours of labor in the midst of what was to be the start of a two-day blizzard. Events surrounding her birth were somewhat amazing. When I was pregnant women didn't have the luxury of the high-tech ultrasound pictures that give away the gender of the baby. They did do ultrasound, but images were so distorted that we all thought we were giving birth to aliens. Somehow my mother's intuition told me that I was having a baby girl. Artie and I had decided on the name Jennifer for a girl, and Matthew for a boy. About three weeks before I gave birth I had a VIVID dream about giving birth to a dark-haired, pink-cheeked baby girl and we named her Lindsay. What is noteworthy about this is we had NEVER discussed this name. Because the dream was so vivid, and because of my Italian superstitious belief in dreams, the name was going to be Lindsay if/when our baby daughter was born. Another noteworthy item is that I KNEW I was going to have her on Dec. 7, even though I was due on the 17th. I even discussed the possibility with my OB the day before Lindsay was born, when I had what was to be my last prenatal check. She told me I had a while to go. When I woke Artie up to tell him I thought I was in labor he didn't believe me. When the start of contractions began and I called Dr. Olson, she sort of chuckled at me and gratuitously told me to go to the hospital to be checked out. Artie and I packed my bag into the car and began the drive to Lutheran General Hospital in Park Ridge. When I got there I was in the very early stages of labor. When Dr. Olson was finally called in she once again gave a little chuckle and then checked my progress. She smiled and told us that yes, we were going to have a baby that day. I think she was more surprised about this than we were.
When finally whisked to the delivery room, Christmas carols were playing on the radio. It was really quite soothing amidst the chaos that is childbirth. As Lindsay was entering the world, Dr. Olson and the nurses were singing "The Christmas Song" sung by Nat King Cole - our favorite rendition to this day. Thirty two years later when I hear, "Chestnuts roasting on an open fire, Jack Frost nipping at your nose..." I smile at the memory of giving birth for the first time.
Everything surrounding Lindsay's birth had something to do with the number 7. She was born on 12/7/1977 She weighed 6 pounds 10 ounces, which if you add up the digits equals 7. She was born at 6:10 P.M. which again adds up to 7. She was my parents seventh grandchild. The letters in her first name add up to 7. Interesting, isn't it? The last 7 is that her birth sent us to Seventh Heaven. Happy birthday, Lindsay.
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