My labour began while at work on October the 14th. As I squirmed in my chair, helping clients with their investments, shifting my weight and rubbing my back, surely these were braxton hicks… he wasn’t due for another 2 weeks! Just breath… they’ll go away.  I had appointments at work for the rest of the week… we had not yet finished painting his room, my hospital bags weren’t packed and my mom wasn’t due to arrive until later that week!

This was our first baby and needless to say we weren’t quite ready for him.

As we pulled up to our house after work, I told Dave I was too tired to cook supper. All I wanted to do was lay down and sleep. No sooner after taking a few nibbles of the meal he prepared, POP was the sound I heard and suddenly the couch was wet. My water broke. These were not Braxton hicks!!!

I have never seen my husband pack a bag of clothes so fast in all my life!

We called our families, told my mom to get on the next flight out of Vancouver, and we sped off into town.

A few hours later the hospital sent us home to labour, this little miracle wasn’t in a hurry to come out after all.  We went to my in-law’s townhouse as they lived a few blocks from the hospital. Dave’s mom was a retired Obstetrics nurse so it was the perfect place to hang out. 

We made our way back to the hospital in the wee hours of the morning.

After a few more hours of labouring, the doctor told me to start to push.  I told him I couldn’t, I had to wait, my mom’s plane had landed but she wasn’t at the hospital yet. I had to wait for my mom!!

There was no way I was going to have my first baby without my mom around.

Quinton finally made his appearance just after breakfast on October 15th, 1998, and all who I needed to be there were. At 8lbs 1oz… I’m glad he came early!

I wonder where his love of Photobooths comes from…