dream about the kind of parents we would be, began to tell friends and family that we were expecting; felt bold enough to have a baby shower. During the week of the planned baby shower, Ewurama was admitted to the hospital with minor complications and stayed in the hospital for 3 days. She was discharged and sent home on the day of her baby shower. We had a great support group in Fayetteville who helped her throughout the time I was away until I finally arrived on 21 Dec 2006. On 26 Jan 2007, Eli was born (5 weeks early). Once Eli was born, the floodgates were opened. Liamwas conceived as a slight surprise before Ewurama’s trip to Ghana. She noticed she was pregnant while in Ghana. On the day Liamwas born, I was in the gymworking out in the morning. Ewurama tried calling me, her friends were calling me, and even the gym called me on the speakers. Surprisingly, I didn’t look at my phone and didn’t even hear my name called until I got in my car and saw the 15-plus missed calls. I called Veronica (Eli’s Godmother), and she told me she was at the hospital with Ewurama and she was ready to deliver. Come and see speed! I drove at lightning speed! Liamwas born on 11 Dec 2008, six weeks before my deployment to Iraq. He was a serial “Cryer.” My mother-in-law came to visit shortly after Liamwas born. The boy cried for no reason. All I could think of at that moment was, “I can’t wait to deploy to Iraq so I can get a little bit more sleep.” I deployed to Iraq on 20 Jan 2009. In September of 2009, I traveled to Ghana where Ewurama, Eli, and Liam had been for about 5 months, and we had our Catholic Wedding in Takoradi. Our bonus baby, Nolan, was conceived in the USA and born at Hosmith Hospital inWiesbaden, Germany on 26 April 2011. Ewurama and Nolan spent 7 days in the hospital, in typical German fashion. Fortunately, my aunt, famously called Grandma Gina, was there to help take care of Nolan during his first weeks out of the hospital. Several months later, I experienced Nolan’s first steps, my first ever of all three kids. It was a lovely sight to see. 26 The Birthday Journal
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