Happy Birthday Jay

Jay

James Samuel Darwin III

Back in February of '85, I was going grocery shopping at Piggly Wiggly and when I got to the first aisle I started feeling sick. Oh, I wasn't about to throw up and I didn't have the runs. Just sick when I looked at food, you know..... ladies. Well I ran out of that store to get me a pregnancy test and went home and peed on the stick (I know more information than you needed). I don't think these test had been invented back when I was expecting our other two 'cause this was a first time for me. Sammy was at the office in Burnsville (8 miles away). I was so glad 'cause when I pulled up in the parking lot, I didn't remember how I got there, lol! Now I hardly ever went to his office 'cause he was always busy and on the phone pretty much all of the time.
Sammy: What's going on.
Me: I want you to take a look at this.
Sammy: What is that!
Me: A pregnancy test.
Sammy: What are you telling me??
Me: Just look at it.
Sammy: I see a plus mark.
Me: It says I'm pregnant.
He grabs me and hugs me and says now tell me how this thing works.
Me: Oh its easy, you just pee on it.
Sammy: You've peed on this thing that I'm holding?
Me: Yep and he drops it on his desk.
Sammy : Lets go spread the news.
Me: No don't tell anyone 'cause I'm leaving and going by the doctors office to see if I really am. I don't believe that thing.
Sammy: Call me so I can tell everybody.

About 7 months later we took the girls to the walking park and there was a lady there walking. I had heard she was very good at predicting the sex of a baby and most of the time she was right. She did the ring test. I can't remember where she came up with the string but she threaded my wedding ring and dangled it in front of my stomach and she said, It's a Boy! You have never heard such crying from the girls. Nikki was on the ground crying saying she didn't want a stinking boy and Beth was just crying. We didn't know what to think and when we looked up that lady was gone. We loaded the girls up and went home.

The day before Jay was born the girls and I went over to visit my parents and I told them I had a doctors appointment the next day. I wanted to see if mama could pick the girls up at kindergarten in case I was running late.
Daddy: Is Sammy going with you?
Me: I normally go by myself.
Daddy: Well I'm going, if he don't.
Me: What???? I'll ask him then.
I get home.
Me: Sammy, you wanna go with me to the doctor tomorrow.
Sammy: Why? Are you not feeling well?
Me: Oh I feel fine but daddy's going if you don't.
Sammy: Well I could drop you off and I could go look at cars (yep thats my man).
Me: Sounds good.

My appointment was around 10:30. I got the girls off to kindergarten and Sammy got up a little early to get some work done before we had to leave. He drops me off and I tell him to come back in an hour, routine check-up and shouldn't take long. My doctor was Hermit Mitchell in Tuscumbia, AL. I remember when I first went to him, I ask if he did epidurals. He said, I hadn't done one of those since back during the war. I said, Lord don't start with me then. He told me to stick with him and everything would be okay. I did and it was.
The nurse calls me back and doc checks me out.
Doc: Are you hurting?
Me: No, I feel good. Why??
Doc: 'Cause you are dilated to 4 1/2. Where's your husband (he knew he traveled)?
Me: I hope sitting out in the parking lot.
Doc: Y'all can't go home, so here's what I want you to do. Go to the mall (South Gate), walk around for a while, then eat a light lunch, and this afternoon come on back and you'll have a baby.
We did as we were told. We walked, holding hands and then it dawn on us we hadn't called home to tell them. Back then pay phones were throughout the mall and we only had three quarters. So we call mama first and she wasn't home. Next......Mama Helen! Keep this in mine, she is hard of hearing (here we go).
Me: Mama Helen I'm in labor.
Mama Helen: What???
Me: (louder) I'M IN LABOR!!!!. People walking by are just a looking at me. Sammy's having forty fits 'cause I'm so loud. He had already placed his call to his mama.
Mama Helen: Shittttt don't start that with me!!!!
Sammy: What's she saying?
Me: She doesn't believe me.
Sammy: Let me talk to her.... Helen, she really is in labor. Find Burnette (my mama) get the girls and y'all come on. We should have a baby shortly.
Mama Helen: Laughing. That's a good one!!! Y'all got that all planed out and I'm not calling anybody. She hangs up.
Sammy: Looks at me .... She hung up!!!
We only had one quarter left so we had to think of who we could call that would believe us. We ended up calling a friends of Mama's. She believed us and got them all rounded up.
We walked awhile longer, I ate a light lunch, and Sammy looked like he ordered everything on the menu. After eating, I decided we might wanna do our walking at a park near the hospital. I was afraid my water might break, so we did. As we were talking and walking Sammy noticed I'd squeezed his hand every few minutes.
Sammy: Hey lets go on over to the hospital and get checked in.
ME: Why??? I'm good. But we went on over anyway.
We tell the lady at the desk what's going on.
Lady: Hon, you sure don't look like you're in labor.
Me: I'm not but he thinks I am.
Lady: Why don't y'all go on up and let them check you. If you are in labor he can come back and tell me.
We get up there and here comes Mama, Mama Helen and the girls. Daddy's on his way from the Paper Mill. Mama tells us they are gonna take the girls to McDonald's and would be back shortly. Well, I lay down... the nurse calls the doctor.....and 13 minutes later.....We gotta boy!!! A natural boy, no epidural.
Sammy: Doc while you finish up, I'm gonna tell the family.
Doc: No... she gets to tell cause she did all the work.
They wheel me out.
Doc: Tell them what you got.
Me: He said, it's is a boy.
Doc: It is a boy and he was born on my birthday. The nurses went crazy because they didn't know it was his birthday.
Everyone stays at the nursery and the nurses take me to my room. Daddy comes in, sits down, and I notice he keeps looking at his watch. We talk and finally he says are you not hurting.
Me: Naw, I'm just a little sore. Then I realized he doesn't know I've had the baby. Daddy, I've had the baby and everyone's at the nursery.
Daddy: I was a wondering why you were in here by yourself.
Me: Hey, It's a boy.
Daddy: Well, I'll be dog-gone.... A Boy.... I'll be right back.
This was the first time we lived close enough for family to come and visit after having a baby. We are so blessed. I had 18 family members in my room that night. Party in the Darwin's room.

Dear Lord,
Thanks you for lending me Jay even if it was for a little while. I can't help but smile when telling stories of him. I always told him you threw the pattern away when you made him. He put so much into his 9 years here with us and now he is 27 today. Will you put your arms around him,and give him a big bear hug, and tell him it's from me. My memories are like gifts of the heart, they give me a inner piece and I'm so grateful. Amen.