Reply #11: yep

[noshenanigans]

I grew up in the South and a lot of my friends from high school had babies while I was at college, and then I moved to California, so I only saw the kids when they were already old. I've never wanted kids myself, and just been terrified.

When we got to the hospital after my sister was in labor, I went in to see her and they had this speaker thing hooked up to her so you could hear the baby's heartbeat. It was completely surreal and I was really freaked out by the whole thing. My aunt was also there, and she answered all my questions and stuff (I was raised in the kind of place where, if youre a girl, you're just expected to know everything about children, so I had never asked). I made myself go back in.

I was able to hold him about 10 minutes after he was born (I have a picture of that, too, but didnt post it) and he started crying.. then I held him tighter, and he stopped. It was an amazing, amazing thing for me.