Happy Birthday Ben!

Ben turns 5 today.  This time 5 years ago, I was on my hands and knees in the kids' section of Borders, wagging my "tail" to get through a contraction while almost-3 year old Julianna looked at Spot books nearby.  We walked over to Sports Authority so that I could buy a stopwatch to time the contractions  and know when to call my doula, Melissa.  They were pretty far apart, but strong enough that I was stopping to grip countertops until they passed.  What a sight I must have been...

As it turned out, those contractions STAYED pretty far apart, but long.  In retrospect, I was probably having one and then another, and then a break.  Whatever it was, I never got near that birthing center in Hagerstown.  Ben was born about 10 minutes after I staggered into the ER, naked from the waist down and wearing an open bath robe.  Now THAT was a sight to take your mind off the long wait to see an ER doc about a sprained finger.

Ben has continued through life much the way he came into it--he waits until he's absolutely sure it's time and then BAM.  Didn't fully potty train until 4 and a half.  But when he did, he was done.  No bed wetting, no accidents, just done.  Didn't walk until 17 and a half months.  But then he got up and took off.  Went from "buh" and "da" at  nearly 2 years old, to "Pardon me, do you have any grey poupon" in about a week.  Maddening at the time, but amazing with hindsight.  And still maddening.