The Miracle in Motion…

As I get older…I realize that my memory…as I cram more information from school into it…is not as vivid as I like it to be. So, today I will catalog my experience of having a child in a brief synopsis.

October 22,2009

That day I was as busy as a bee, trying to help Bridget prepare for this and that, getting the house clean, checking the bags and making sure everything was together (i.e. making sure the car was loaded, snacks were purchased, and clothes were cleaned). That night, I tried to rest…but it was like waiting on the trip you have been waiting to go on for a lifetime, you really can’t sleep from anticipation. Although I had been up since 6:00am that morning, sleep was the last thing on my mind. Nevertheless, I attempted to rest and just as soon as I did that…it was 3:25am about time for us to go.

October 23,2009

We checked into the hospital at about 4:00am and our parents got in around 7:00am (Just the women). Most of the day was a lot of waiting and nodding and then the afternoon came. Dr.Chohaun came in, for the last time, around 3:30 or so and said “You will have to have a section”. I just knew deep down that this hurt my wife’s feeling because she really wanted to have a vaginal so that her mother,sister and others could be in the room. I could see it in her face…she wanted to cry…and I did too. Not because of me, but because I felt bad for her to not have that experience. Then I looked over and saw the grandparents and her sister and they were looking sad. Then I thought to myself “Mario, GET IT TOGETHER!, you’re the only guy in the room and you need to get it together!”. So, to create some distraction  I asked my mother to pray for us. I should have known that my mom would get emotional and cry during the prayer…NNNNNOOOOOO MMMMMOOOOOMMMMM!!!. At this point, I am about to start balling and I just struggle to hold it together (Remember Mario, you are the man…GET IT 2 GETHER!!!)

At this point, time seemed to go into lightspeed. The next thing I know, Bridget was being prepared by the nurses and I was putting on gear to go with her. (3:50PM) At this point, I am dressed and ready to go…ready to be there for the wifey in the birth of our first child. I must admit that in some ways, I am glad that we experienced that alone. It may sound greedy, but I think it was a good memory for us to have shared together as husband and wife, father and mother.(Approx. 3:56PM) Bridget is being rolled out of the room, I follow behind and tell everyone “See ya’ later!”. Secretly, I was still trying to hold it together…there were like a million questions going through my head “Will Bridget be okay?, Will the baby be okay?”, Exactly how does this work?”……it was a lot.

Then they told me to sit in this chair as they took Bridget into another room. While I was sitting there I was just as nervous as nervous could be! Next thing you know, a lady came, without saying a word, a motioned me to come here. I got up, like a child, and followed  her quickly. When I walked in to the operating room, I saw Bridget and it looked as if she was sleep. I then walked over to touch her and she was awake and doing okay. So, I just talked to her…to try to keep her calm…but being the soldier she was…she was doing just fine. (4:08pm) The nurse told me to stand up so that I can see her, and so I nervously got the camera that our neighbor (Ebonie) let us borrow and hit record. At 4:09pm, I saw this beautiful thing come out and I was just overwhelemed with excitement. I couldn’t believe it, it was a real live baby!!!.

I must have said this several times outloud because the doctors said that yes she was a real live baby.  As soon, as she came out she was quiet…the doctors said that when they went in to get her, she was sitting there looking at them (Pankins trait…to be nosy). When she came out, she was quiet and then she yelled, opened her eyes and  looked around and then started yelling again. It was so wonderful!

Shortly, thereafter I went over to the baby station and a friend of mine (Lauren Russell) was the nurse and was taking care of the baby. They began to wipe her and clean her up and I just stood there still amazed that this living thing, the product of Bridget and I was here, alive and well. After a few minutes, I got to hold her for the first time, yup that was the point that I melted and I have been gone every since then.

7lbs 90zs., our baby! One of the best gifts God can ever give life. The details of this experience will never leave me, but in the case that something does happen to me…I now have this short log to recount the most amazing miracle that I have ever witnessed with my own two eyes…the birth of Maya Denise Brown.

Even to this day, I can’t believe that after all the things that Bridget and I both have been through; that could and should have prevented us both from possibly having a child, we did.

Behind every baby is an unbelievable story, continue to read our blog to learn more about the life and  times of  Maya and sometimes the parents to find out more on why miracles can happen and why our story is so unbelievable.