Last Friday, September 26, it began to rain. Rain is very unusual in Ankara (until this past week, I don't think it had rained since May or early June). Not only did it rain, it down poured. Those of us left at school by 5pm Friday even watched the outdoor overhead light fixtures fill with rain and turn into full blast shower heads. Then it began to hail. At that point, something told me the night was strange enough that we just might see an appearance of our baby boy before midnight.
We locked up the school and headed home to pick up our bags just in case we needed to go straight to the hospital. Ross took me to the Armada, which is a large mall near us, just across the street from my hospital. We had a dinner of Chinese food and when my watch hit 7pm, I popped a miracle pill. My doctor had given me a medication that is technically for heartburn, but has a side effect of triggering labor. She told me to take it Friday evening and we'd meet at the hospital in the morning, if not sooner. Thankfully, my friend Tiffany warned me that it worked for her within a 1/2 hour.
As I said, I took the pill, to which Ross exclaimed, "You just took it?! Just like that? No comment? No analyzing?!" I trotted off to the bathroom, wondering if this pill would even work...10 minutes later Ross began calling my cell phone (do you know how embarrassing it is to be called in a restroom stall?) and threatening to come in after me. I assured him that I was fine, but the pill was working. By 7:20, my contractions were 2 minutes apart. I asked for a cappuchino, in case the night went long, and we started walking the mall. I really was content to keep on walking until they got more severe, but Ross insisted we call the doctor. She told us to head straight over.
When we checked in at the ER, Ross left me and began searching for a newspaper. I held my tongue but continued to watch in complete shock that he felt he'd have time to read a newspaper in the delivery room. After we got to the room, I said, "Can you fill me in on the intense newspaper search?" He said, "I think this boy is going to be born before midnight and I want the day's newspaper for him!" :) Oh. Glad I held my tongue.
By the time we got to our room and met with my doctor, it was about 8:00. At 10:10pm, Benaiah(Ben-I-uh)Ross Campbell entered the world. Even though we had been told he was a boy (and this was a first for us to find out ahead of time), my first response was just complete shock and amazement that we had a boy. And of course, lots of that love that is indescribable when you see your offspring for the first time.
He was a whopping 8 lbs, 12 oz, and 21 inches long. His first few minutes with the pediatrician brought cries followed by the saddest frowns between cries you have ever seen. I am attaching my favorite picture because it captures it perfectly.
The joy that comes with being given such a gift as a newborn baby, entrusted to us by the Lord, is beyond description. How can I blog such deep wonder and love? It's impossible. He is perfect. We don't deserve such a privilege as becoming parents, and yet God has allowed me to do this 5 times and has given me a son on the tail end of our family.
So the 2 strange happenings...a hailstorm and a boy for the Campbells, both rarely, if ever seen, and both on Friday night.
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