19) New Beginnings

"She's going to be born on your mother's birthday." Grandma would confidently say throughout the summer. "No, I just know she's going to be born on my first day of school." I'd reply each time.

My oldest sister Marcee was going to have a baby girl any time now.  Her official due date was September 3rd, but I knew the baby was going to come on the 2nd so I couldn't be there.  I was going to start school at Brigham Young University on the 2nd, and it was just my luck that I'd be in class when the family went to see her at the hospital.

Well, August 29th, my mother's birthday, came and gone.  Still no baby.  My grandma finally agreed that the baby would be here on my first day at college.  I moved my things to my dorm on the Sunday night before school started.  September 2nd was a Tuesday, and we patiently waited for the telephone to ring.  It wasn't until Monday night that I realized my classes were on Monday, Wednesday, and Friday.  My first day of school was not really December 2nd after all.  Now Marcee could have the baby and I could be there! But, of course it didn't happen that way.

December 2nd, my not-really-first day of school, came and went.  Then the first call came.  My dad called that night and said my sister was going to the hospital.  Disappointed, I assumed that the baby would be born in the middle of the night and no one would be able to see it until the next night. I reluctantly went to bed and prepared for my first day of college. I didn't know whether to worry more about when the baby would come or about where to go for my classes.

Finally, my real first day of school came.  I made it through a total of two classes before the official call came.  My dad left a voice mail informing me that my sister had the baby at about 9:00am.  I knew it! On my way up the stairs from the Richards Building to my next class, I called my Grandma and we laughed as I said, "I told you so! The baby really was born on my first day of school!"  "You were right!" Grandma agreed.  I anxiously finished my day of classes and sped home.  My other sister Lisa was already there, waiting unpatiently for my parents to come home from work.

Once everyone was home, we all drove to the hospital together.  We saw my brother-in-law's family in the waiting room and excitedly waited our turn to see the new arrival.  Finally, we all took our turn holding the baby.   September 3rd was an exciting day filled with new beginnings. It was my first day at college and my first day being an aunt.