6 years ago today I was in the middle of coaching a junior girls basketball game.
I was also in labor.
I was in denial.
Until half time.
When I no longer had the ability to talk and breathe and stand at the same time.
It was then that Ryan took over coaching for me.
His first time out he called was to diagram a play where, if my water broke, all 10 girls were to pour their water bottles on me so that no one would know what had happened.
They thought this was funny -
I did not
I was bothered that one of our time outs was used in such fashion! What if we needed that toward the end of the game?
Turns out that by the end of the game I really didn't care how timeouts were used, the outcome of the game, the crowd, etc.
I cared about getting to the hospital.
Which is exactly what we did.
Things were going slow though.
There was still another game to be coached that night. I was in no condition to coach knowing the basketball contained inside of me could come bouncing out at any time.
So I sent Ryan.
He resisted, I insisted.
Don't mess with a woman in labor.
Two hours later he returned, we had lost the game, sad loss.
But no time to dwell on it.
Several more hours passed - 24 in all - this was a long labor in rural Canada - no epidural, go ahead and feel sorry for me now please.
4:19 am my little Ryan Tate was born.
7 lbs 1 oz 21 inches long
Ryan didn't love the name, but I begged him during labor, you can really get your way with a lot of things during labor I have learned.
He had a cone head and was blue. He didn't cry at all and we were concerned.
Turns out, he just wasn't a crier -
We slept for a few hours
Ryan returned to the gym for yet another game, we were hosting zones, our last tournament of the year. Tate couldn't wait just one day.
But I have never received such attention after having a baby. My room was filled to overflowing with 14 and 15 year old girls coming to visit. Bringing flowers, cards, sleepers, chocolates, etc. Even other teams sent flowers.
Tate has always been loved by those girls, he is their baby, their first experience with a newborn.
I love that boy.
2 comments:
oh wow that's awesome i totally remember hearing about that i didn't actaully know they threw water on you though. awesome i bet you will never forget that one! Tate is soo handsome
That is so cute. I need to write about my experience with the boys. Thanks for the idea!! I don't know if I'll be able to write with such finesse as you did...though.
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