One of the coolest things I have ever done!

So Sunday morning @ 7am I got a call from a friend of mine in our ward. She was about 37 1/2 weeks pregnant, her husband was out of town on a job interview (due back later that day) and...her water had just broken. I figured she was calling me so that I could watch her son while she was at the hospital. I was absolutely floored when she asked me to help her through labor and be there when the baby was born. It was one of the few moments in my life that actually qualify as "surreal". Me? Be someone's labor coach? Wow, never done that one before. Without any hesitation whatsoever, I said yes, and that I would be there as soon as I could. I then proceeded to run around my house like a chicken with it's head cut off for the next 10 minutes as the reality of what just had happened just sunk in. I was going to be someone's labor coach - one of the biggest jobs EVER, in my mind. I inhaled some breakfast, packed a backpack with some random stuff and headed off the the hospital to do something I had never done before - watch someone ELSE go through labor and delivery.

Now granted, I have, of course, done the labor thing twice myself, but let me tell you - NOT the same thing when you are watching someone else do it!! Well, the labor and delivery went great. It was a short labor (only a little over 4 hours, from start to finish), with only 15 minutes of pushing time. My friend did fantastic, and I felt absolutely in awe of the fact that I got to be the witness to something so intimate, life-altering and magical as bringing a child into the world. She gave birth to a little baby girl who reminded me so much of my own girls at birth - a head full of beautiful dark hair, and a sweet, delicate little face. She was perfect.

It's kind of funny, because just a few weeks prior to this, I had watched a couple of live birth videos online, and I distinctly remember being soooo grossed out by them. I know it's immature, but I kept thinking - "Eww, that looks really nasty - I can't believe Lou has watched me do this TWICE!" Strangely enough, I did not feel that way at all on Sunday. I was so swept up in the magic and intensity of the moment, it never occurred to me once that anything about it was "nasty". I actually teared up when they put the baby on her chest. I just felt so honored that she would trust me enough to want me there, and all I could even think of the entire time was helping her get through the whole process. It's kind of like when you're in labor youself - the whole experience is like you step outside the world, and you're in "the labor zone", where naked parts and bodily fluids aren't personal anymore - just all part of the process. :) All in all, it was an absolutely incredible experience, and being on the other end of things gave me a whole new layer of appreciation for what women go through to bring Heavenly Father's special spirits here. I got to see the birth process from a totally different perspective, and was reminded what a beautiful and miraculous thing it is.

Of course I wish that her husband could have been there (although he did get to hear the birth on the speakerphone setting on her cell phone, which is better than nothing, I suppose), but since he couldn't, I am so glad that I was able to help her and be blessed enough to witness one of the most beautiful moments in life - when one of our brothers and/or sisters comes here to join us on earth and a Mommy and her baby meet for the first time - it doesn't get much better than that, folks.