A mother's intuition

I've never been a big fan of "due dates" when it comes to pregnancy.  So when I became pregnant last year and people would ask me when I was due early on, I would simply say "near the end of the year". However, once fall rolled around I would respond to that same question by saying "around Christmas and New Years". Then right around the end of November, I began simply responding "Christmas". I'd find myself saying this over and over again.  And then it hit me - this baby will be born  on Christmas.

I wasn't crazy about the idea of delivering on Christmas.  Having two small children already, I kept telling myself, "As long as I can spend Christmas Eve and Christmas Day with the family, the baby was welcome to come at any other time". One night I confessed to Jean my worries about delivering on the 25th.  His response?  "It's not up to us to decide. I'd rather have a baby who is healthy comes when they are ready, not when its convenient for us." And that did it.  The perfect response. I accepted the fact that I had no control in the matter.

Still with the feeling that the baby would make his/her arrival on Christmas, I told myself I needed to be prepared. All the kid's presents were wrapped and stored at my mother in laws a couple weeks before Christmas. Stocking goodies were all ready to go as well.  This relieved me from the stress of going into labor on Christmas Eve/Christmas Day and having to explain that Santa forgot their presents. Even if Christmas wasn't spent with us, at least Santa would find the kids elsewhere.

The other planning I had to consider was Christmas dinner.  Here in France, Christmas Eve dinner is when you pull out all the stops. It's one of those meals that literally has you at the table for 4-5 hours and people go to great lengths to make the meal the most special one of the year. I felt like at 9 months pregnant, I had a good reason to not make a magnificent meal but I had to have something planned nonetheless.  My plan was to purchase all of the items for the meal that were frozen.  That way I could wait until as late as possible on the 24th to start my preparations.  Don't get me wrong...this would still be an impressive meal - turkey stuffed with figs, apples and chestnuts along with a vegetable medley and mashed potatoes.  Dessert, a typical "bûche", was also frozen.  I was totally prepared.

Christmas table just minutes before leaving for the hospital

Then Christmas Eve rolls around.  The turkey (still frozen) needed 3 hours to cook.  I told myself if didn't go into labor by 4pm, the turkey was in the oven and Christmas Eve dinner was on! So in the turkey goes.  My plan worked perfectly ! Or almost.  At 5:30pm my water breaks and contractions start simultaneously. It's a bit surreal.  This is really happening! I have a vivid memory of walking down the stairs to tell Jean and seeing the twinkling of the lights on the Christmas tree and the table all set for Christmas dinner with Bing Crosby's "I'm Dreaming of a White Christmas" playing in the background. It couldn't get any more Christmas than that!  That perfectly planned frozen turkey comes out of the oven exactly 1/2 way through its cooking time.  Our good friends are called to come and pick up the kids.  My heart sunk as they drove away knowing that we wouldn't spend Christmas Eve together. But I quickly turn my attention to the fact that our new baby is on his/her way and that I needed focus my attention to bringing a new life into the world.

This is what your hospital room looks
like when you deliver on Christmas day in France

For those of you who know me well, the birth experience is something that I find incredibly empowering.  The birth of Mathias was as calm and serene as I could have imagined. Born at 1:27am on December 25th, he was the only baby born in the clinic that day (despite it being a full moon!). The kids spent a fantastic Christmas Eve and Christmas morning with good friends and Santa did indeed find them after all. And now when people ask me when Mathias was born, I hear that familiar ring when I reply simply, "Christmas". A mother's intuition I guess. And every time I say that, I think how Mathias was the perfect gift that arrived right on time.