A tale of drama and humor...

Twenty four years ago, my big sister--about a week shy of 9 years old--was praying that our mom would go into labor, so that she (my sister) wouldn't have to go to school and take the test she hadn't studied for. It just so happens that her prayer was answered.... But wait, let me back up just a minute. There are so many funny little parts to this story. My mom's parents were overseas, visiting my uncle and his family in Britain. That day they (my grandparents) were going to head back to the States, and my parents were going to pick them up at the airport. Before they left New York for SLC, they called my mom and asked if she'd had the baby yet (she was past due). No baby yet, my mom told them. My dad kept calling from work to see if she'd made any progress, and she hadn't yet. Okay, well I don't remember the story perfectly since I wasn't there (yet), but I believe my mom's water broke shortly after my dad called. Luckily, my dad had decided to leave work even though the last time he'd called she'd had no progress. At that time, we were living in Riverton, and my dad was working in Bountiful (it's about a half hour driving distance, for those who aren't familiar with Utah). Anyway, my parents packed up my four older siblings in the car and turned around to head back up to Bountiful to Lakeview Hospital. I'd be willing to bet he made the half hour drive in a lot less than half an hour. Oh, and my dad's parents were supposed to watch my older siblings, but my parents couldn't get a hold of them. So anyway, on the way to the hospital my mom kept saying she felt like she needed to push, and my dad kept saying "no, you don't!!" All four of my siblings took turns praying I wouldn't be born in the car (I told you it was a tale of drama!!). Every time they'd pass an exit with a hospital sign, my mom would say, "I don't think I'm going to make it to Bountiful, we should go to this hospital!!" And my dad would insist that she'd be fine and they'd make it to Bountiful. So... when they finally got to the hospital, my mom said again that she felt like she needed to push, and my dad again insisted she didn't need to. And a nurse came and scolded my dad and said "she DOES need to push!!" because my mom was dilated to a 9 already!! Well, my dad still had my four older siblings to deal with, so while he was getting them situated, my mom got into the delivery room. He was afraid he'd missed my birth!! It was a close call. 13 minutes after we arrived at the hospital, I was born. Weighing a whopping 9 lbs. 6 oz, I was born frank breech--BUM first!! I still don't understand how my mom did it--and without an epidural!! In the meantime, my grandparents had arrived in SLC, and there was no one there to pick them up. When my dad finally arrived, they jokingly said "oh, let us guess, were you late because the baby was born?" And when he told them yes, they didn't believe him, so he showed them my little footprint on his hand as proof. There are probably other little details I'm missing, but that's as much as I remember from what I've been told.