C-Sections and Lucky Number 21

As a mom, I've always felt sorta cheated that I didn't give birth naturally. You see, I knew for months that I was probably going to have a cesarean section. My baby (I didn't know the sex until he was born) was not in the right position, and even though I tried to accept the fact that I would probably not be laboring and sweating, grunting and moaning...for hours and hours and hours...only to hear my baby cry for the very first time, I was kinda disappointed. Crazy right? Yeah call me nuts, but I always felt like going through all that was a badge of honor to gain entry into the "most important role of my life," and I wanted that badge! 

Later, I would come to understand that no matter how your baby comes into the world...via naturally or by cesarean or even adoption...it's your baby and you earned the title mother.  Since I was going to have a planned C-section, The Hubs and I had a choice of dates for when our little one would be born. That was so hard...making this decision. Who were we to decide? That's all God. Not us. What if we chose the wrong date? What if our little one wasn't done cooking in the oven? 

More on our decision later...

The number 21 has great significance to me. My sister, Chica, was born on the 21st.

And I was born exactly two years later, in the same month, on the 21st...on her second birthday. To this day, my mom swears she didn't plan it, and it was a coincidence. I believe her.

The Hubs was also born on the 21st, and we chose to be married on the 21st. No wonder I kinda have a thing for that number 21.  Right?

Anyway back to childbirth...

Guess what date we settled on? Yup, you guessed right...the 21st. And you know what? It was the right decision. That morning, bright and early, when we went in for my "scheduled" C-section...guess who started feeling sharp labor pains? Me! And guess who was kinda glad she wouldn't be laboring for hours with those kinds of pain? Me! 

And even though things didn't go the way I wanted them to, they sure worked out the way they were supposed to. And you know what? I still got to hear my baby boy cry for the first time. That was the sweetest cry, and it brought tears to my eyes. That was the first day of many tears to come. And in that moment, I knew it didn't matter. Whether he came naturally, or by cesarean, it was my journey to claiming the coveted title of mommy.

So yeah, the number 21 is pretty special to me. Some things were just meant to be!