Today is Joshua’s 17th birthday.

My tax deduction for tax-day.
Josh is the oldest boy and second oldest child. He is currently attending a pre-seminary HS and will be going to college seminary in the fall. I’m sure his momma has shed a few tears today especially since she can’t see him on his birthday.

I do know that a few tears were shed on this day 17 years ago. Josh was 15 days late. He was our first home-birth (8 total have been born at home so far) and if he didn’t make an appearance soon, Sam was going to have to deliver at the hospital.
So she manned-up and took one for the team by drinking Castor Oil. Strangely enough the plant that Castor Oil comes from resembles the cannabis plant. (um if you work for the feds…I hope clicking on the cannabis link doesn’t get you sent to Guantanamo - the government is short on humor these days).

Um where was I? Oh yeah, Josh’s birth. Sorry minor flashback moment there. Anyway Sam chugged a small bottle of the vile stuff and waited for things to, um get moving shall we say. And boy did it get things moving. Almost all of Sam’s labors have been 12-hour marathons. This one was more like an hour and a half long UFC contest. He came fast and messy. And after the head came out Sam stopped pushing because she thought he was pretty much out. After we convinced her she needed to push and the midwife helped by yanking on him, he came out. He was very purple-blackish from the lack of oxygen. That may explain the ’blonde moments’ that he has. But he started breathing right away and was fine after that. Sam, who had lost a lot of blood, insisted on taking a shower right away. So I stood next to the shower to help her. Of course with the hot water and blood loss she promptly fainted in the shower. So the nurse’s husband (a friend or ours) who was downstairs came up and we hauled her out of the tub and got her into the bed. No comments please.

So that’s how Josh got his start in this world. He is now an easy-going pleasant (though very competitive) young man. Happy Birthday Son, we love you!