Nine months ago, my husband and I moved into this house. We packed up our household and my office, employed a moving company and ensnared friends. On December 14, 2013, after two days of hauling boxes, my home and office were finally under one roof. The last box came off the truck as huge snowflakes began to fall from a platinum sky. That snow kept coming. A foot of snow fell, thick and heavy.

My husband and I hunkered into our new house, made a path through the boxes and set up home and office. This is the home we never dared to dream of, more like Bed and Breakfasts that we had visited than homes we had lived in. There is a wood stove and a couch in the kitchen, a fireplace in the dining room, garden beds, locust trees and rock walls encircle the yard . Built in 1792 and overhauled over two hundred years later, this house has wood beams and history everywhere (plus modern plumbing, electric, heating, windows and good insulation). It is the quintessential midwife’s abode complete with herb strewn garden path and a black cat sleeping on the stone hearth.

Two months after we moved in, February 14, 2014, there was another big snow. I opened the kitchen door on Valentine’s morning to find two and a half feet of snow pressed against the glass panes. Digging out took us an hour and then Kevin plunged his Volvo down the driveway (without waiting for the show plow) which meant another hour of digging out before he finally left for work -what an adventure! Afterwards, as I sat with a cup of hot tea (the first of many), I wondered what other couples were doing on this second blizzard. I suspected there was a lot of snuggling going on in the Capital District and figured I would have a busy autumn. As a midwife, I am well aware that blizzards (and heavy rains, and power outages) often create babies.

Fast forward to the end of August 2014: I am happily ensconced in my new/old office-home. I have set up both home and office, doing wonderfully mundane things like baking bread and filing medical records. I have picked daffodils and lilac, lemon balm, motherwort and thyme, lilies and hydrangea. My clients with August and September due dates have had prenatal visits, home visits, labor tubs rented, birth supplies have been purchased and babies are happily anticipated.

Nine months ago, I was moving into this house and winter storms followed. Snow fall keeps a midwife busy twice, once with shoveling, once with catching. Nine months ago, I was shoveling. Now, I am ready for those blizzard conceived babies to be born into my waiting hands.

 

Michelle
May all babies be born into loving hands