“Your daughter is going to need your help on Monday” Mike told my dad. Not sure just what I was getting into now I can imagine dad was a little hesitant to ask “now what does she have going on?”
“She ordered 500 pound of flour to be delivered and needs help unloading the pallet.”
Yes, I did that. 500 pounds of organic, non-GMO, heritage wheat flour from Minnesota! I’ve been sourcing my flour from Montana to fill in the gaps of what I’m not growing yet. I loved their flour but was searching out something more local and finally found it. Considering I’ve got a summer of baking planned starting with 500 pounds seemed a logical choice.
Any other day I would have planned to try and unload the pallet myself because really ten bags of flour isn’t that much, but being a week over due to have a baby I needed help.
Dad agreed to run up and help with the load and Spee-Dee Delivery was going to call when they were on their way. Perfect!
Well the delivery was delayed a day and that really wasn’t a big deal. I had enough flour on hand to make it through one more day.
Tuesday morning the little boy was acting sick so he stayed home with me while the rest were off to school and daycare. I figured it once the cake order was out the door and the flour was delivered all I had to do was plan something for supper. We’d have time to rest and play trucks and such.
Well, as with any of my plans, those went out the window. The cake order went without trouble. The little boy was not sick, in fact he was a little ball of energy. I called Mike to come home at about quarter to eleven. My water had broke and we both knew he didn’t have much time.
Just as I hung up the phone with him the delivery truck pulls in the yard. They didn’t call when they were on their way. I called dad and let him know and he said he’d be up shortly to help.
The little boy was at the door making faces at the driver when I got there.
“I’ve got a pallet for you. We’ll get it unloaded and then I’ll have you sign.”
“Actually, my water just broke so if I could sign first that might be better.”
“Don’t worry about it! You don’t need to sign.”
They had it off the truck were headed out in no time. (I’d bet they’ll call before going on the next delivery.)
Mike arrived home and dad was shortly after. It was a slight chance of rain so they loaded up the flour sacks to be stored in the freezer at his house and he agreed to take the little boy too. Blankie and skid steer in hand he was excited to go with papa.
The midwife was in route and her assistant was only about ten minutes away on stand-by.
“Do you need Millie to come now? She’s close.” she questioned.
“I think we’re fine. No contractions worth timing yet.I think we’ve got time.” (idiot- I should have said “yes, come now” contractions or not!)
Dad had left at about 11:30 and Mike had been unsettled and pacing since. At some point he did ask Millie to come “just in case”.
Twenty minutes later and Mike was catching the baby. This one came just as fast as the others but he did have to unwind the cord from around the neck this time. That could have been a scary situation had he not been there.
By noon he was holding a crying little baby. I was still leaning on the bathroom sink when I said “You caught it so it must be a girl huh?” And as any farmer would do, he lifted a leg and checked. “Yep, another girl.” (He’s caught all of our girls.)
Millie and Molly took over the doctoring as soon as they arrived, only a few minutes later.
And there you have it. Healthy baby girl the third of five to be delivered by her dad. (and 500 pounds of flour that I’ve been loving baking with!)
