A Prayer for Carter and Thanking the Girl in White

Today is Monday, January 28, 2008. My son was born 3 years ago this day.

Was January 28, 2005 a good day?

It wasn't the due date for Carter and he was born premature. A C-Section birth and Carter was having trouble breathing.

I remember a lot from that day. It was great to have Kara there. Kara is an old college friend who has studied midwifery (I love that word!). Kara was there at the birth of my son (and my freshman year at Graceland).

Yet the woman I think about often was this amazing nurse who stood by me when I first held my son in my arms. I looked down at this amazing lump of beautiful flesh and hope. (Yeah, that is the right word. Hope.)

Then something happened. This amazing little baby turned purple. I wasn't concerned. That is normal, right? All newborn babies turn purple. (At least they all had in my very limited experience. My limited experience being the 1 baby who was in my arms right then).

This nurse. This amazing grace-filled nursed, simply took Carter from me, without saying a word, without scaring me one bit and placed an oxygen mask over his face.

Carter went from the "normal" color of purple to a healthy pink. I was dumbfounded.

Carter was taken on that day from St. Mary's Hospital in Blue Springs to Children's Mercy in downtown Kansas City. It is probably while I hold in such high esteem the health care workers of our fine city and especially at these two amazing institutions. (I love nonprofit hospitals in general, and these 2 in particular).

I had dinner with some new friends last night. A Mormon family who has lived in Independence almost 40 years. They invited me into their home to share Sunday dinner. That touches me. I'm not afraid to say that it touches me when someone welcomes me into their home.

We talked about Emma Smith, the wife of the Prophet Joseph Smith. I didn't think about it at the time, but I forgot how many babies that Emma had that were still birthed or miscarried. We talked at dinner last night how we understood how Sister Emma didn't want to leave the Mansion House in Nauvoo and head west. Brigham Young wanted her to, but Emma stood her ground.

Yeah, I grew up in the church that Emma's son was Prophet of. That is legacy I'm proud of. Very proud of. But Emma was wrong (sometimes). And so was Joseph Smith III (her son). And so am I. And so am I. And so am I. But aren't we all?

So, today I'm thinking about Carter. I don't think I will get to see him today, but I will try to talk with him on the phone, but more importantly. Today I'm trying to be the father he can and will be proud of.

Oh, I forgot to answer the question, was January 28, 2005 a good day? Well part of it kind of sucked, but I think it was the best day of my life. Yeah, I'm sure of it.