A year ago today....

If my first labour had been filmed for the television series 'One Born every Minute' it would have required an entire episode, and then some! So when baby number two was due, I was very blasé about the fact, and certain that whatever happened we would have plenty of time.

So this time last year I had bid hubby farewell on a night out in central London and had a date with chocolates, a magazine and a long soak in the bath. Child number one having just gone to bed happily, baby decided that he had other plans: my waters broke round about the time that hubby was hopping onto the tube for a 40 minute journey.

'It's fine,' I told myself, calling the hospital, an emergency babysitter and my parents, before leaving a fairly calm message on Dave's phone telling him to turn around and come back. A trip to the hospital to be assessed lasted no more than half an hour before we were heading homewards again 'to get some rest' before labour began. An hour later we were back on our way to hospital, with me trying to control the urge to push.

To cut a short story even shorter, baby narrowly avoided being born in the empty reception area of the hospital just after midnight, and a very kind maintenance man helped us up to the delivery suite with the reassuring words as we were entering the lift that he had "delivered a baby four years ago" so knew what to do!

Thinking back to a year ago, I have some many wonderful memories: of first cuddles; first feeds; watching the man I know and love as he changes and dresses our new perfect baby who I don't yet know, but love beyond belief; lying next to him on the ward as daylight started creeping through the blinds, unable to take my eyes of this tiny peaceful bundle that God had seen fit to gift to us; committing his little life into God's hands.

One might be born every minute, but each one is precious and unique and planned by God. And as we celebrate the first year of my little one's life this weekend I want to thank Him for our son and commit him again to God.