Our First

My first, a daughter, missed February 29th (leap-year-day) by 20 hrs about. I timed my wife when she first told me she was having contractions (a little belated I found out later) and they were 2 minutes apart at 10pm. At a little before 2 am they were still 2 minutes apart. I kept looking for the classic narrowing down of the frequency. We didn't have a phone, and she finally said that was enough timing, call the doctor. So I went to the quik-e-mart next door almost and used the payphone outside. The doctor said, like he was a relative I asked for advice, "Oh my goodness, you better get her to the hospital!" I went back to the apartment, bundled her up into our VW Bug, and proceeded to the hospital. Now, I'd been driving it for only 6 months and a stick shift the same amount of time (I only had my diver's license for 6 months too), so I was still a tentative driver. I thought we were driving recklessly when I got up to 35, 5 mph over the speed limit. We crossed a railroad track on the way and it was top-of-car higher than the street, so you did a roller-coaster ride over it. I usually went over it kind of slow but that night I took it at the limit, 30 MPH, and she nearly had the baby when we came down the other side! I rolled up to the emergency entrance and we checked in at 2:30 am. Robin came at 3:50 am, weighing 8 lbs 2 oz. I was happy cause only 6 months before we hand started the 8 to 5 grind for the first time (she didn't work, I did) only 6 months before with $200 to our name, and as a pre-existing pregnancy it wasn't covered and they made me pay cash when we checked out. It was normally a 3 day stay in those days and due to our arrival time, she got credit for 3 day stay but we only had to pay for 2, about $175 and the doctor was $150! We were going to name the baby Christopher Robin but she turned out to be a girl so we beat a hasty retreat to Robin Gail.