Seven years ago today, our little boy was born. He was a dinnertime baby, and I'd been in the hospital for about 23 hours by the time of his birth. 
He was born two weeks early. Early enough, in fact, that I had done a bunch of "baby laundry" but hadn't gotten the changing table or cradle ready. I was working right up until the time I went into labor, grading exams online for Educational Testing Service. The job ended that day, and my husband emailed me that he expected me to put up my feet for the next two weeks. I wouldn't even have to cook dinner if I didn't feel like it.
By dinnertime that same day, we were calling our friend who had offered to watch the older children, ordering takeout pizza, and heading down the highway to the hospital.
On the way, we argued about what we'd name the baby. (He was the third kid. We didn't have a lot of time to worry about names!)
After he was born, my husband went home to take care of the kids and to assemble the changing table, bring the cradle out of the basement, and find the diaper bag.
Two days later, we came home to find balloons tied to the house and our driveway and sidewalk covered in congratulatory chalk messages. Friends of ours had visited to decorate the place, and they came back later with a hot dinner.
Now he's a big seven-year-old with a Pokémon obsession and a winning smile. Happy birthday, Luke!
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