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05/21/2013
My husband is in the military and we have 6 children. I had some very exciting births.
We came into the military with 3 children. Driving behind my husband from Kentucky to Texas for our first assignment, I wondered why I was so tired. Soon found out it was baby #4. My husband deployed when I was 7 months pregnant. I had the baby without complications, so after 2 hours everyone went home so I could rest. Then, the doctor came in to tell me they were transferring my baby boy to another hospital with a PICU for possible pneumonia. I had them release me 4 hours after giving birth so he would not be alone. I got to sit in a hospital hallway and waiting room for 5 days until they determined he was fine. Luckily, my mom was down to watch our other 3 kids. I think it was harder on my husband, not being able to help out. I was covered though with lots of good support and he was needed where he was at.
Baby 5 came as we were moving to Germany. Planned the move for my normal 38 week pregnancy and of course she was late. At 7:00 am on the morning my household goods were being put in the truck, I thought labor might have started. By 7:30, I knew there was no time to drop off kids. They went with us to the hospital and I did not want to be dropped off at the door alone. (Labor can make you crazy!) I made my husband and the kids run across a parking lot and up three flights of stairs with me because there was no way I was having my baby in an elevator. They were in the waiting room when she was born 10 minutes after making it to maternity. Believe it or not, my husband was able to return home to meet the movers at 8:30 am. I came home the next day to clear housing.
On baby 6, we were in Germany (2003), and my husband left for Iraq when I was 6 months pregnant and living about 15 miles from the base. Long story short, my husband got sent home on emergency leave at the end of my pregnancy when his dad died. He flew through Germany on his way to the USA and picked up our four oldest children to take to the funeral in Missouri. I had prayed God would take care of this baby as I neared the end of my pregnancy. He did! After the funeral, my husband and children returned to Germany. He had a few extra days to replace some gear as he waited to return to Iraq. During that wait period, baby #6 came. My husband helped me deliver the baby in the hospital's parking lot. Thank God it was 2:00am, hot, and our other kids were with our Polish neighbor. I can still picture my husband holding out our son, tipped downward, with the parking lot light making a silhouette of them. It was beautiful!
Still love this military life. Still in. Now we're just coping with raising happy, healthy teenagers and preteens. This is much more challenging than giving birth!
Kathy
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