Memphis, Tennessee on January 1, 1994 was a cold dreary night, I was 9 month's pregnant and couldn't sleep. So Luann, Heather and I went up to the local Block Buster close to midnight for a movie. As we were walking in the door Luann turns and says to me, "Don't you dare go into labor here". I laugh it off because the baby wasn't due for another 21 days.

But wouldn't you know there I am looking at the new releases when all of a sudden a pain shot through me and I thought I was going to die right there in the movie store. I gasped out loud and Luann turned around. She couldn't believe I had went into labor. We quickly left the movie store and went home.

As we walked in I went into a contraction and fell to the floor. I had never felt anything as painful as this. Kathy helped me to my room and I laid down on the bed. Soon I drifted off to sleep but it wasn't long before I was screaming like a ban chi.

I slept off and on until about 4 in the morning. Finally I got up and took a bath thinking that would help but oh no. So I went running across the hall to Kathy and Luann's and they drove me to "The Med". The smell of sickness and disinfectant knocked back as I walked in.

The room was packed and as I waddled up to the counter for help, screams rang out from the room across the hall. I checked in fully expecting to be taken to a room right away but the Nurses had other ideas. I wasn't dilating properly so the Nurse sent me to walk the halls of the hospital.

The hall was quiet and busy with Doctors, Nurses and patients hustling to get to their destination when all of a sudden another contraction hit and I went down. I became so exhausted from the contractions and walking that I made Kathy and Luann take me home.

As we got home and I laid down another contraction hit and I was in agony and all of sudden Luann is yelling at me to focus on the lips. I looked up to see what the heck she was talking about, and there is she was holding a pair of lips with arms and legs with the tongue hanging out. I couldn't help but laugh.

Several hours later I became very weak and the contractions had taken a turn for the worst. Kathy and Lu rushed me back to the hospital and this time I got a bed. The doctor came rushing in and gave me an epidermal and I feel asleep.

When I opened my eyes my head was towards the ground and my feet were in the air. Kathy was standing beside my bed and she was crying. I tried to ask her what was wrong but I could barely talk. I was exhausted and soon drifted off to sleep.

For hours that led into days I would sleep and when I opened my eyes another face was there with tears in their eyes. Unable to communicate from the exhaustion I didn't understand what was going on.

On January 3, 1994 I woke up and gathered enough strength to help push Emily into this world. She was just perfect. Her fine blond hair, pink face, 10 fingers, 10 toes and perfect soul was breath taking. She was the most beautiful thing I had ever seen. She was a miracle.

I call her a miracle because once we arrived at home Kathy and Lu filled me on the 3 days I barely remembered. Emily and I almost didn't make it through the birth. My blood pressure bottomed out, I became paralyzed from the neck down for several hours, and Emily went into distress because the umbilical cord had wrapped around her neck. But by the Grace of God we pulled through.