The Phoenix

Two years ago one of Christmas presents from Danielle and Rudy was this weird gold bird statue...something we have now come to call "The Phoenix". Not being a member of the Audubon society, the bird may very well be a replica of a phoenix....who knows? Anyways, I suppose this gift was supposed to be the beginning of a family tradition...that the receipients were supposed to take it everywhere they went for the coming year. And then it was to be passed along to someone else.

So we're coming up now on the first anniversary and this bird has done nothing more than sit on our fireplace mantle. (See above...it's that ugly....oh, s'cuse me....the fabulous looking gold statue on the right hand side of the mantle). Before I tell and show you where it has now been, let me mention some of the more important events it was supposed to have attended this year. These are in no particular order:

• A nephew's wedding in Cape May, New Jersey back in June.
• The subsequent trip to Bethany Beach and Washington DC (Said he gets car sick!)
• To Mexico with the entire family back in March (how do you explain something like this in your suitcase to the Customs agent?)
• Rudy's graduation and family gathering held in Athens only a few weeks ago (Phoenix respectfully sent his regrets!)
• The Harrahs NC Cherokee Reservation... Phoenix declined because they have hawks in them-there woods.
• Las Vegas to a wedding in March (He was too scared to go because The Mandalay Bay restaurants might have wanted him there for other reasons....you know those Chinese places have alot of receipes on their menu that featured birds!)

With all of that setting the stage we wanted to let y'all know that Phoenix did have one prior outing....to a Japanese Restaurant several weeks ago. There was no mention of any aviary-type entrees mentioned on their menus so the setting was another safe one aside from our mantle!

But, by far, the most memorable outing to date happened only last evening. Not to be outdone by the arrival of Gabriel Josiah, Phoenix demanded to experience the Birthing Shrine and made that visit last evening.

So to all of those who thought that we were NOT great caretakers of The Phoenix, think again. Here's the most recent sighting and proof....He does still live and he loved recreating the "Babe" scene in the Birthing Shrine... even if it was only for a moment!

The Birthing Shrine of Gabriel Josiah

The Birthmobile

The Birthing Room...cleaned, sterilized and ready for the next visitor! Spacious and accomodating for a discreet, no stirrups delivery! Essence of "Eau de Placenta"!

The Arrival of Gabriel Josiah Sarine 9/05/08

Ah...Fridays!...We have come to love Fridays because, after a long week at the office, we try to close up shop an hour or two early, head home, put our feet up, have a drink and get an early start on the weekend! Ah....Fridays!

Yesterday, our Friday was somewhat different because Rebecca's intermittent contractions that she had been having for the past couple of weeks suddenly became regular and it became apparent that little Gabe's anticipated arrival on 9/17 was going to happen 12 days early.

Fast forward though the afternoon and early evening and the typical timing of the contractions. Before we knew it we were like bumbling idiots...who's driving? (that would be me..Sherry); Oh, my God...where is the hospital? What's the best and fastest way? Do you have the camera? The last minute chaos of running back into the house to get cell phones, etc. "It's OK Becca . Remember to breathe...it's OK".... In between Jeremy was telling her "Don't push"! ....(Now doesn't that just sound like a man? WHADDYA MEAN "Don't Push"?) Hmmm...me thinks we should have called 9-1-1.

We made it probably three miles from home when this really gutteral, then high pitched scream came out of our normally very quiet daughter-in-law. Rushing water sounds coming from back seat...Hmmmm...did we think to bring towels....of course not! (Thank God Jeremy was sitting in the back seat with her because a cursory feel in the dark confirmed Rebecca's assertion that the baby's head was indeed already out. It was very obvious we were not going to make it to the hospital. So pull over on a desolate road outside of Greensboro's city limits; mid-wife on speaker phone telling Jeremy how to finish delivering the baby; baby crying in the back; me on Onstar communication as they remotely noted our location and called the paramedics. (We're sure that they won't use us in a commercial because in a moment when we thought that they weren't listening we called the guy an idiot!).

Remember the "no towels" bit??? Not even a napkin in the dang car to wipe the baby's face! Jeremy pulled off his t-shirt, wrapped it around the little guy lying on his Mommy's tummy as we waited for the ambulance to arrive. One glance in the back seat at this shirtless father sent me into hysterics as he looked like a redneck whose very pregnant wife had waddled over to interrupt his evening snooze on the couch and said "Honey, it's time".

Long story short, all are fine. Onstar, despite the "idiot" guy was great, as were the phone instructions from the midwife, the response from the Summerfield Fire Department and the Guilford County paramedics! JR, Becca and L'il Gabe will all be home tomorrow and our lives will be changed once again for the better as we all fall in love with yet another little Sarine.

Ah, Fridays!