Happy Birthday, Olivia...Er, Andrew!

Six years ago tonight, anticipation and exhaustion were running high. After 26 1/2 hours of labor (not that I was counting or anything), Steve and I were eagerly awaiting the appearance of our first baby. We'd been waiting 9 months to find out if we would be welcoming a baby named Andrew or Olivia.

At 8:58 pm, our question was answered. The baby was born, and the doctor said, "Congratulations! You have a baby girl!"

I looked at Steve and said, "We've got our little Olivia!" and I was overwhelmed for the briefest of moments that I had given birth to a baby daughter.



BUT THEN...




The doctor said, "WAIT! WAIT! It's a BOY! Wow, I've never done that before."

????????? What can I say? I guess you put a 9-pound baby in a 5'2" mom, and stuff gets a little smushed toward the end. But once everything got, ahem, straightened out, it was clear that our firstborn was indeed a boy.

And, as we all know, that little "Olivia" received a name change on the spot and became our sweet Andrew. In the weeks that followed, I kept looking at my little son, whom I immediately loved with all my heart, and thinking, "What on earth would we have done with a little girl?"

Now, as I look at my (gulp) 6-year-old boy brandishing his beloved light sabers, reading The Chronicles of Narnia, fake burping every chance he thinks he can get away with it, making his baby sister laugh like no one else can, and proudly insisting on sleeping without a shirt (just like Daddy), I think, "Oh, Andrew, what on earth would we do with an Olivia? What on earth would we do if you had been anyone but YOU?"

You are our precious little (but not for long) Andrew. You are the Andrew-est of Andrews, and we could not have done with anyone but you! We are so glad God made you YOU...and that He made you ours. Happy Birthday, ANDREW!