In Austria, Joel, my brilliant, loving, artistic, strong, gentle renaissance man.
At 10:55, Clay and I had gone to bed in our little 900 square foot, creaky old home on a narrow street in Vienna, Austria. Having gained 50 pounds in my pregnancy, I felt quite like an elephant. As I climbed into bed, I began to have excruciating pain. I said to Clay, I think the baby is coming. Since Sarah had taken 22 hours of labor to appear, I just knew that this was going to be a long labor.
"I think I want to take a shower and wash my hair," I said to Clay. "Especially since I know it is going to be a while." So, I took a short steamy shower, but was feeling much worse than I thought I should. I climbed out of the shower and was doubled over when Clay found me in our tiny bathroom.
"You'd better not take any chances!" he said with a worried look on his face.
"I just don't want to get to the hospital too early," I said, as I held a dryer to my hair and just blew it wildly to get it dry. Thirty minutes after the first pain, I looked at him and said, "Wow, these pains are so strong. I think we should check in the hospital now."
The hospital was only 5 minutes away. Austria required that a mid-wife deliver babies, though a doctor could be present. On my way out the door, I called my best friend and said, "I think you should meet us at the hospital now."
Clay took me in the front door, the nurse took me in a wheel chair to the stark, sterile room upstairs. Almost by the time Clay got up the stairs, I was pushing and Joel, my darling, brilliant, first son, popped out, just an hour after my first pain had struck me in bed. And my best friend had just walked into the hospital room with a camera to get a shot as he was coming out.
It only seems right that since Joel was born in Vienna, since he is now a wonderful composer, graduating from Berklee college of music in Boston this spring.
You might want to hear some of Joel's beautiful compositions. The one below is the first song on his second album. So many of you have told me how much you like Joel's cds. Here is a sample off his newest album, A Thousand Dreams in One Life
Me and my prayed for, first son, Wonderful Joel, in Boston.
Happiest of Birthdays, wonderful Joel!
PS I will have his albums up next week, since people have been asking how to order them. The site with ordering and pictures is down tonight, but I had to post this on his birthday!