HAPPY BIRTHDAY ARDIS, ABBEY AND BABY!

The new dad with his daughter

"I'm not used to these bright lights.  It was pretty dark where I came from!"

"Hello from Norway!  I'm so glad to meet you."

For the past week I have been taking the phone to my bedroom at night so I won't miss an important call from Norway.  Thursday morning it rang at 6:30 - the contractions had started!!  I had been awake since four and couldn't go back to sleep.  I was lying there wondering if there was some action in Kristiansund and there was!  So it was an exciting day waiting for the arrival of this eighth grandchild.   Friday is Abbey's birthday so she's hoping the baby arrives that day.  It still might as first babies sometimes take their time and Norway is eight hours ahead of us. Time will tell!  I'm writing this just before eight am which is four pm there so if labour lasts for eight more hours Abbey will have her wish!  Ardis also has a birthday tomorrow so baby's arrival would make it a triple birthday in the Johnson family.

It's now 6:30 pm.  Todd sent a text around noon saying that Kristy was admitted to the hospital so we are playing a waiting game.  It's now September 7 in Norway, so it looks like Abbey will get her wish!

Clare went back to Weyburn so the house is really quiet tonight.  The four o'clock awakening is starting to hit me so I'm planning to have a nap after I have some supper.  I'll keep the phone close by.  Texts and email messages have been coming and going as we eagerly await this precious arrival.

I feel some sadness today too in that Grandpa Howard isn't here to share in the joy of this new grandchild.  It seemed strange to just sign "Grandma Johnson" on Jamie's birthday card and now I will have to do the same on Abbey's.  I might go to Crosby on Saturday to find a special card for this baby and get a parcel off to the new parents.  It's always fun to look around at J Company Drugs too!

The phone rang at 11:09 pm -  IT'S A GIRL!  Great news, although Kristy ended up having a C section as the baby was breach.  Everything went well and I got to hear the baby on the phone.  Tomorrow there will be pictures of this little one who weighed 7 pounds, 8 ounces!  So now I have five granddaughters and three grandsons.  A girl evens up the number of girls and boys in the Milford and Hulda Erickson list of great grandchildren.  This baby is number 28, fourteen boys and fourteen girls.

Congratulations to the new grandparents in Brooks, Alberta!  Dan and Helga will be making a trip to Kristiansund in a couple weeks.  There are also three new sets of aunties and uncles who are rejoicing today.  Congratulations Jolene and Gib, Jenny and Troy, Danielle and Danny!

Now it's Friday morning and I've been busy making phone calls as it was too late to make many calls last night.  I haven't put the news on Facebook or my blog until I get the go ahead from Todd!  It's best to wait until most family members have heard about it first hand but it's hard to keep good news to yourself! Now that there are pictures on Todd and Kristy's Facebook pages, I'll post this and also put an announcement on my Facebook page.  It's a very special day!  "Praise God, from whom all blessings flow".

"How are you doing, Mom?"