Father's Day 2006 (June 18, 2006) started as a normal "I don't think I can get any more pregnant" morning. My due date was July 3 and boy did that seem far away. As the day progressed I began feeling twinges of contractions, nothing I couldn't handle.

I phoned my midwife and she instructed me that first-time moms can labor for hours before any progress is made and to call her if my contractions came closer or my water broke. I had no set pattern in contractions but my water broke about 8:30 p.m. I called my midwife again and informed her my water broke and I'd be in the shower when she got to my house.

Lo and behold, when I was "checked," I was 9 centimeters dilated and in transition. She instructed me to push if I started to feel pressure. I asked her, "When will I know to push?" (Ha! First-time mom!) As I was pushing, my hormones were making me sleepy so I'd almost sleep in between each contraction.

My midwife informed me that with your first birth, it's two steps forward, one step back. I remember telling her, "When I'm 10 steps forward, I should have this baby." At 11:59 p.m. my son (we didn't know the sex) was born. I told my husband, "Happy Father's Day, honey. I didn't get you anything, but I made a baby". Then I munched on a PB&J, fed the little guy and we all passed out! WHEEEW! He was in no hurry to come out.

Shaw is 3 years old now and he's in a hurry to go nowhere.