#9) Savor life's joys. Take one magical moment... describe it fully, in specific detail.

It was easy to pick this moment because it happened recently and was without a doubt the most amazing miracle I've ever had the privilege of witnessing. I was present at the birth of my granddaughter, Aubree.  Michelle designated that Craig, me, and her mother-in-law Sherry could be in the labor room for Aubree's birth. I arrived mid-morning when the labor pains were mild and watched the monitor as they slowly increased in severity over the course of the morning and into the early afternoon. Michelle was incredible; as the pains got more and more difficult, she held onto her cool. Never did she scream or even cry out. Craig was amazing as well; he could hardly contain his excitement or his curiosity during the whole process. The labor nurse, Tracy, remarked how refreshing it was to have an excited father in the room. She said that so many times they have either single mothers with no father in sight, or fathers who stay out in the waiting room and act as though they don't want to be there. You couldn't have pried Craig out of there with a crowbar!

When the pushing started in earnest, it seemed to go on forever. Each time, Tracy would count to ten while Michelle pushed with all her might, then she was allowed to lie back and take a breather until the next labor pain began. This probably went on for close to an hour. Michelle pushed at least a dozen times, perhaps more, and it required an amazing amount of strength and stamina. Tracy remarked that as a first-time mom, Michelle seemed to instinctively know how to push. She said that in so many first-time births, she spends a long time teaching the mother how to push correctly. Michelle made us all laugh when she replied that she had learned how to push during all those bouts of constipation while she was pregnant!

As the labor pains cycled and the pushing went on, emotions got more intense. There were a couple of times when tears crept down Michelle's cheeks and twice she said, "I can't do this anymore." We all encouraged her to hang in there and told her what an amazing job she was doing. I spent a lot of time observing and quietly talking to Michelle. I kissed her so many times that once, mid-push, she impatiently asked me to stop; then immediately apologized for her impatience. A true mother-daughter moment. <smile>  Sherry stayed off to the side, sitting on a couch in the room. A very religious person, she was obviously praying to herself during the entire labor process. Her hands were clasped and her lips were moving, but there was no sound. She sat with one leg crossed over the other, and as Tracy counted to ten over and over again, I noticed that Sherry kicked her leg with each count. The rhythmic movement was somehow comforting to me.

Craig was watching in utter amazement as the baby's head made its first appearance, and Tracy asked Michelle if she'd like a mirror to see it herself. Without missing a beat, Michelle answered, "No!"  The nurse chuckled and remarked that the mother usually has a strong opinion about that one way or the other. She asked Michelle if she minded if I watched the birth with Craig, and Michelle said she didn't. The hide-and-seek game that the baby played surprised me. First you'd see the top of her head, then you wouldn't. For some reason, I was under the mistaken impression that once the baby's head appeared, it stayed there and emerged a little more with each push.

Finally, with one last mighty push, the baby's entire head emerged, followed quickly by her slippery body. For one split second, I remember being in awe at the way her skull bones appeared skewed as they came out of the birth canal and then they quickly readjusted themselves into their normal position. It was 3:29 pm on December 6, 2011. As they placed Aubree on Michelle's stomach for a few moments so that mother and daughter could meet, Michelle glanced up at me. It wasn't until that moment that I realized tears were streaming down my face.

Craig asked to cut the cord and then the nurses took the baby over to another corner of the room to clean her up and apply her ankle bands. When Aubree was cleaned and bundled, I was the first person to pick her up. I still have no words to describe how it felt to hold my granddaughter for the first time. The feeling of love I had was almost breath-taking and indescribably over-the-top for both Aubree and Michelle. It literally hurt my heart. Aubree's birth was an incredible moment I'll remember forever.