double the pleasure

I have a follow up on yesterday's missive

     Julia's birth was no picnic, but Emily fared a little better.
     We were living in Rochelle, on the south side.  The doctor was in Rockford, as was the hospital.
     Emily was supposed to be a bicentennial baby...July 4, 1976.  But when July 10 came around and Jackie was as big as a house, some decisions had to be made.
     The doctor gave us three days.
     Like I said, we were on the south side.  There was no overpass, yet.  If she went into labor and a train blocked the tracks, then I was going to have to deliver in the back seat of a Chevy Nova.  I did not want that.
     In those days, trains blocking tracks were pretty common.  I had a friend, Bob, who was an engineer for BN.  I saw him one night at the high crossing, where the engine of his train was sitting, and had been sitting, and continued to sit, for a long time.
     Bob told us he was westbound and all was well until the engineer in the caboose radioed up and commented on all the lumber along the tracks somewhere this side of Steward.  Lumber? Thought Bob.  I don't see any stinkin' lumber.  And his being a westbound train, he knew he didn't have any lumber because that always came from the mills out west.  When he hit Rochelle his train was flagged to a halt and could not move until the load was re-secured.  Seems some wood does go west.  It took hours.
     We did not want to be trapped on the south side.
     The point was moot when it was decided to induce labor.  So we did a casual drive to the hospital and the delivery process began.
     At one point, I thought Jackie was going to pull every hair out of my head and then yank off my skull for emphasis.  After that, I went for coffee.
     With Julia, going into the delivery room was not an option.  It was for Emily and me, with my weak stomach, tendency to faint at the sight of blood, and not being very cool in a crisis, opted to wait in the hall.  Or in the coffee shop, actually.
      The nurse asked me again and I said they really didn't want to stop what they were doing because I passed out across the mother to be.  The nurse thought I was joking.
     Julia couldn't wait for us to bring her sister home.
     We were reluctant to let her hold Emily, but all the tears convinced us to let her.
     It was one of my favorite pictures:  Julia, tears in her eyes, smiling as she holds a very content Emily.
     It all seems so long ago.  Hold your children closely, my young friends.  They don't stay little for long.
     I hope you all have a Happy Thanksgiving.  Peace and blessings to everyone.