SouthernBabyBiscuits: It was Worth the Wait!

At 9:17 a.m. on October 30, 2009, my third grandchild, Davis Hilton, was born in Chapel Hill, N.C. The evening before, I'd called my son and his wife to discuss a visit there on the 31st. We had no idea what was about to transpire in the next 24 hours. When we hung up, I pictured them enjoying the birthday cake they were about to eat. Yes, that's right... birthday cake! It was my son's 30th birthday and not only was I interested in learning how things were progressing with the pregnancy but called to wish my son a Happy Birthday. All day I'd remembered the day of his birth as mothers do and this birthday seemed a real milestone. Not only had three decades passed, but my son was about to be a father. Talk about sentimentality! October 29, 1979 was a red letter day in my book. I had no idea October 30th would also hold a special place in my heart come morning.

Just a couple of hours after my birthday wishes, at about 10 pm, my phone rang unexpectedly. “My water broke and we are on our way to the hospital,” came the surprising declaration from the other end. “What? How could this be?” I'd been making preparations to drive to Chapel Hill to celebrate my son's birth. Suddenly, I was trying to get my thoughts wrapped around the idea a new birthday was about to be celebrated. As I began to process the news, even the preparations my daughter in law had made with maps of parking lots and entrances to the hospital blurred in mind. The next hour I was packing with one hand and calling with the other as my daughter and I made arrangements to drive there for the birth, with my other two grandchildren in tow. We would leave as soon as possible and other family members would make their way there the next day. It was almost midnight when the four of us took off under a harvest moon, hoping we'd make it there before the new addition to our family made his entrance into the world.

It was 2:16 when we made it to the doors of the Children's Hospital from the parking lot. Somehow, I had the forethought to bring a camera and recorded the time via photograph. Not hearing anything from mommy and daddy, we assumed she was still laboring and we had not missed the moment. The four of us found a section in the lobby where we sat, whispering our excitement to one another, and WAITED for another October boy to be born and change our family forever. After a time, our bodies began to show signs of weariness and we were forced to find ways of catching a few winks of sleep. We pushed two chairs together and my eight year old grandson laid his head in my lap. As I looked down, I couldn't help but wonder when and how this boy's legs had grown so long. And what about that tall boy upstairs WAITING patiently for his own son to arrive. He must be growing increasingly anxious to hold his son in his arms.

I never slept a wink in the lobby that night. Memories of the births of my own children and the first two grandchildren filled my thoughts as the clock ticked away the hours. As I thought of my son becoming a father, the evening of his birth came into sharp focus.

At 2:30 pm on October 29, 1979, I arrived for my appointment at the gynecologist. I'd been WAITING for 8 days and my waist seemed to grow rounder by the hour. October 21st, my due date, had come and gone. Overdue for more than a week! My first child had been born two weeks early. I distinctly remember telling everyone I didn't want to have a Halloween baby. Why wouldn't this baby just make an appearance?

After checking the status of the baby, Dr. Jones said the words I'd longed to hear, “Would you like to have this baby tonight?” There was a bit of ambivalence since my son's father was working some twenty miles away on the second shift. However, Dr. Ashe, my favorite doctor, was on call. According to Dr. Jones, it was pretty quiet in the labor/delivery rooms that afternoon. When we arrived there a couple of hours later, I learned we were the only ones there for delivery that evening. We got extra special attention as my overdue blessing made his way into the world.

9 pounds and 13 ounces! “He looks like he's ready for some hot dogs,” said one of the nurses, soon after his arrival. He'd certainly taken his time getting here and there was no doubt he was fully developed and ready to be born. It was 9:39 pm when he took his first breath outside the womb and became more than a hope filled dream for us. Who could have imagined that thirty years almost to the hour, I'd receive a call announcing the coming birth of his son?

Time... it's a curious thing. We set our watches and make our plans but God has His own ways. He can enter our circumstances and intersect our lives at any place or time of His choosing.

When my son arrived in the lobby to announce the birth of his first child, I will never forget the words of my eight year old grandson who had waited patiently all night for his cousin to arrive. “IT WAS WORTH THE WAIT!” My sentiments exactly! When I think of the amazing link between the times of birth and how my grandson arrived like a beautifully timed birthday gift for my son's 30th birthday, I am reminded of God's perfect timing and how He gives us the strength to endure as we sometimes must WAIT on the blessings He brings into our lives.

No one anticipated the events following the birth. My new grandson spent a week in the NICU for observation which meant more WAITING. Their dreams of taking him home immediately were frustrated and their watches had to be reset as God watched over the early days of his life. Prayers were answered and finally their trip home was realized.

Davis B. Hilton is about to be two years old and growing taller every day. He's become a southpaw like his daddy. I expect one day, God will show up in his life, arriving on the scene with the gift of his own son or daughter. Who can know what the future holds? Some things can be expected. For Davis, there will likely be days of waiting on births and blessings. Like my days of longing for my son to be born and my son's longing to take his firstborn home, the waiting may be a challenge. But God in His infinite goodness will remind us each October 29th and 30th His blessings come at the perfect time and they are definitely Worth the Wait!