My youngest sister kindly waited for me to arrive on Thanksgiving Day before giving birth to her first child.

I spent most of the day in ignorance, actually.

Thursday morning, I left my father-in-law’s house in East Texas and pointed my car toward the Austin area, where my parents and two sisters live. A few minutes after I pulled out, my mom called Hubs to tell him that Re was in labor.

“Don’t tell Cathy yet,” Hubs said. “She’ll speed.”

So the kids and I drove nearly 6 hours with no idea that the latest addition, overdue by a week, was about to arrive.

As I neared my hometown, I called Hubs.

“So have you talked to your parents?” he asked. “I’ve been calling their house, but no one answers.”

“Do you think they’re at the hospital?!” I shouted gleefully.

“Uh …”

“What?!”

“Well, your mom called right after you left my dad’s to say that your sister was in labor.”

“Why didn’t you call me?!”

“I didn’t want you to speed. I told your mom not to tell you either.”

Sigh.

I made it to the hospital with a couple of hours to spare.

This was especially exciting for me because I missed my middle sister’s birth. (I had delivered Tootie only a week earlier!)

I confess to a moment of third-baby lust …

… until I walked into the hospital room the next day and saw my sister and brother-in-laws haggard faces and the dark purple circles under their eyes.

I don’t think I have the stamina for those early months anymore.

The most fun, however, was helping my sister wake up my nephew for feedings. After years of trying to get my kids to sleep, it was a refreshing experience!

Logan and Nana