The Birth of an Angel

 

The apple of my eye, the world I revolve around. She turned two in August, and every single day of these last two years has been amazing—comical, breathtakingly beautiful.

Is that just the rambling opinion of a first-time grandparent? Maybe. But when Sloane was born, I was there. Sam wanted me in the room with her and Everett. It was her first time, and she was understandably nervous, but I jumped at the chance. After all, my first was having her first. We both had similar feelings, running parallel to each other. The only difference was that I somewhat knew what to expect, and she didn’t.

While Sam was worrying about having a C-section, I was more concerned about her health. Pre-eclampsia is a serious condition and can escalate quickly into chaos for both mother and child. I should know—I had it with her. Sam had heard all the nightmare stories, and her stubborn, determined nature made me fear she'd put her own life at risk because of them.

As her determination rose, so did her blood pressure. Everett, unaware of the specifics, stood gallantly by her side, whispering encouraging words. I, on the other hand, kept my eyes on the monitors, praying like hell those numbers wouldn't rise any higher. Seizures are a real threat with pre-eclampsia, and I wasn’t about to witness that.

Long story short, Sam never seized. They gave her the right meds, and with a few breaks and some extra nurses helping, Sam pushed Sloane out into the world to meet us. I missed that exact moment, though. I was recording, of course, but my focus was entirely on Sam. I wanted to witness her reaction, those first raw emotions as her life changed forever, becoming a mother. It was soul-changing—for both of us. I pray one day she’ll have the same experience I was blessed with.

Watching Sam hold Sloane for the first time, I realized that this tiny girl truly is the apple of my eye, the center of the world we both now revolve around. God has definitely blessed us with an Angel.