“Oh my God, Jimmy, Layla is turning over! Oh my God, oh my God!”

She pulled up her shirt and in the half light of dawn, right there in front of us both, we watched our baby turn around inside her mamma. It was amazing—all elbows and tiny feet pulsing and pushing and turning. Maggie was crying, I was crying, and we just watched in disbelief and joy and amazement as our little girl turned herself around for her Mamma and Daddy.

“I can’t believe this is happening!” I said with tears running down my face. Maggie was laughing and crying at the same time. We were stunned and so very happy. Nothing could have ever convinced me until now that this was possible, much less that it would actually happen. But here it was, and after a couple of minutes Layla was done and she lay still, head down, right where we asked her to be.

Then Maggie’s water broke.

“Holy shit, baby, my water just broke!” Maggie screamed. “Call Mama, call Mama, Jim!”

I called Mama and all I could get out was “Mama, it’s Jim,” and Mama said, “I know, child, I know, I’m on my way over.”