A Memory

At 11:30 p.m. at night, 21 years ago, the nurse told me that within 30 minutes, my third child could be born. It would take another 4 hours, but he was worth the wait (not that I had any choice). Within seconds, the nurse said, “it’s a girl.”

Ultra-sounds were already common “way back then” but I didn’t want them to tell me if it would be a boy or a girl – besides, deep in my soul, I knew. I knew I was having a boy. I can’t tell you how I knew, or why, only that I did. After I heard the nurse pronounce the birth of my daughter, I looked at my husband. He was as surprised as I was – we were both so sure, “A girl?” I asked him. Later, he would tell me he thought those were his words and that I would be upset that he’d voiced his inner surprise.

I had a girl and a boy at home. It really didn’t matter if this one was a boy or a girl – we loved both of our children without limitation and were excited about this one joining. But I’d been so sure. I was sure about our first being a girl, and I was right. I was sure about our second being a boy, and I was right. Both times, I didn’t ask or receive any help from any ultrasound. So, I just was sure that I was right again, that this would be a boy. A second later, the doctor said, “it’s a boy.” We never thought to ask the nurse anything. My husband later joked that the doctor had more experience.

So our second son joined our family and to this day, looks at us and wonders why we have to keep telling this story, when we’ll stop. Shmulik – my beautiful baby boy – born 21 years ago today.

Happy birthday, my beautiful baby boy now a soldier of Israel.

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