My sister just went through a crazy 36 hour long giving birth process that resulted in 9 doctors pulling out "Stewie" with actual prongs. She held out without drugs for almost 30 of the hours and then very smartly asked for some painkillers. She saw the humour in it and apparently at one point said "I guess it's got my husband's goddamn big ears!". Then she cut the cord herself like a champ because nobody else wanted to.
I am just overwhelmed with emotion, and it isn't only the vodka speaking. Oh, I can say without a shadow of a doubt that this affected my sister a hell of a lot than it affected me - but even though I wasn't even anywhere near the actual birth.. seeing her and realizing what the hell happened and then seeing the baby... has had a tremendous impact on me.
She went through so much pain, and now there is new life. That sort of sacrifice.. I can't say I understand the desire to want to feel that much pain - but the bond between mother and child has never been more apparent to me. I understand my own mother so much more after gaining that understanding of what my sister must have gone through.. Sure, I've heard the all stories before, but none of it really felt.. real.
My sister's face 2 hours after the birth .. holy frapping crap.. She looked like she'd been to hell and back. Her husband looked even worse though... I really don't know what to think. My other sister drove down from over 800km away with her new husband. Right after I got home from the hospital, I shoveled my driveway (holy crap is it ever hard to shovel a driveway when you haven't done it at all this winter and all that snow has turned to ice), cleaned my house, then my parents came over, my sister arrived (not the one who gave birth, the one who is here for the weekend and staying at my place), and we all started doing vodka shots, drinking champagne, looking at pictures..
I still don't really want to have kids, but I already feel a special bond with my new niece. She has a big head, so I already know that she's going to be smart.. like her mother, and all the women in that part of the family - all very smart women who have impressive resumes, usually academic in nature.
This is really weird for me. I knew that I was going to be excited about this, and I was always very excited for my sister, but today it all sort of hit home. Life.. Man.. Who knew!!