My best and most favorite Valentine's gift EVER!

We’re snowed in today. We’ve gotten about 30 inches or MORE of snow since this morning. It’s still falling. It will STILL be falling tomorrow. The winds have been high….there’s drifts going up the side of the house and the van. Our neighbor’s car is completely covered. We can just BARELY see the posts from the garden fence sticking up out of the snow.

My mom reminded me of a snow storm like this 8 years ago on the same day. Well, it wasn’t QUITE this intense, but it was storm and it happened on Valentine’s Day 8 years ago. I remember VERY well what I was doing that day.

Eight years ago, my husband I decided that we would take our last date night out before our first child arrived. We wanted one last date as just the two of us before the little one came. Valentine’s Day was a Sunday, so it was perfect since he didn’t have to work that day. And our due date was February 23rd, so we figured we’d have plenty of time to get out for that last date.

Well, the day before Valentine’s Day, we knew something was happening. We also knew that we wouldn’t be going out for that last date on Valentine’s Day.

My water broke on the 13th and things held off until the evening. The snow started falling during the day and it got heavier as the night went on. We were living with my parents at the time…..we had just moved up from PA to Vermont and they let us stay with them for 13 months. (It was only supposed to be 4 months…..but you know how that is.)

We waited for the midwife to show up as the contractions got stronger. My mom thought for sure that she was going to have to deliver our baby….and she had only been on the OTHER side of birth….the giving end. Not the receiving end.

Our midwife finally pulled into the driveway about 3 am. It took her about an hour and a half to drive what should normally have taken only 35 minutes. She had to come down off the mountains and through the back roads to get to our house.

The candles in our room were lit and I was anxious to have it all be over and to have a baby in my arms. I was tired and falling asleep in between contractions. My mom and my husband were my anchors, but I know my mom was praying that she didn‘t have to deliver that baby on her own. My dad and my brothers took off downstairs to play video games and watch movies. They didn’t want to be near any part of the birthing process. I was okay with that. ;)

The midwife’s assistant pulled in just 5 minutes before I gave birth. She had gone off the road in a snow drift and she had also been pulled over by the police for driving a bit too fast in dangerous weather conditions.

At 3:43 am on Valentine’s day of 1999, our little Zachariah Judah entered the world, in my old bedroom at my parents‘ house. He was the best Valentine’s gift I’ve ever been given. I was more than happy to have him 9 days early, but I was especially happy that he was a Valentine’s baby. I was glad to forfeit the dinner date and hold our first child in our arms on Valentine’s Day. What a special and precious gift.

My dad cooked a very early breakfast for all of us that morning. The midwives were hungry and I was starving. He went into town later in the day and brought home a beautiful card and a single rose for me.

Ever since that Valentine's day, I've sent my midwife a handmade Valentine's card with an updated picture of Zach and a thank you for being there to help bring my Zachy-boy into our world.

Eight years later and we’re in the middle of a snowstorm again. But there’s no labor pains. Just a happy and healthy eight year old with a brilliant mind. And he’s all ours. It’s kinda funny how we haven’t really celebrated Valentine’s day for the last 8 years. Once Zach was born, it was his day. All his. Davy and I don’t give cards to each other on this day. We celebrate it all as Zach’s day. The way we look at it, Valentine’s Day just happens to fall on HIS day. :)

Comments

[Jen]

AWWWW this is such a darling story!!! Happy birthday to your little guy!!

Thanks for sharing that story! :)

[shelley davis]

What a beautiful love story Erika. What a handsome young man. Thank you for sharing it.
Shelley

[Kim Schofield]

A truly touching a wonderful story! Thank you for sharing the arrival of your most precious gift!

[Nicole Seitler]

Happy Birthday, Zach!

[Kathy scs kathat]

That is so cool! Thanks for sharing.

[Jean Roehlke]

What a great story! Thanks for sharing it with all of us. Your posts always cheer me up! Happy Birthday to your special gift........

[Jeanna (scs-copsmonkey)]

Ok, so I just read on another blog that she had her son on a Valentine's Day....and now on yours, and guess what? Last year at 8:52 am, on Valentine's Day, I gave birth to my second son! They are truly the best Valentine's gifts ever!

[GinaK]

Beautiful story...*tears*. Love it.
Gina K.

[Lourin]

I love to read your blogs.. You have so much heart and it shines thru your words. Thanks for taking the time to share your Valentine with us.
Hugs and much love.
Lourin

[Emily]

Aww, that's sweet!

[Cheryl McCoy]

Thanks for the things you share. You seem like such a perfect person. With your wisdom creativity and love that you share. A friend told me to come to your website and said you will love her. So here I am I do and I will check you out every day

[Donna]

**teary-eyed** what a sweet, sweet 'love' story. I love the saying children are God's way of saying he wants the world to go on. I love these pictures of Zach