We couldn't wait to start buying things for the little one and neither could anyone else. The gifts started pouring in months before the baby was due. We got everything from toys to clothes. For me it was frustrating at first because we did not know the gender of our baby yet. Everytime we went shopping we picked up another item. Once we learned we were having a girl we had to return part of the gifts. Thank god for the grandparents! They sent boxes constantly. I never knew we could spoil a baby that much before

I was enlisted in the Army at this time. It just so happened that I was away from the base training when I received a message that a vehicle was being sent to return me to the base. Instantly, my mind began to race with every possible thought. When my ride arrived I asked ,"What is going on?" The only answer they would give me is that I needed to get home immediately. The ride to the base was long and the drive home seemed longer. The butterflies were in full swing, for I knew the time had come for the baby to arrive. I made it home just as my wife was heading out the door. I could tell by the nervous smile on her face that we should hurry. We arrived at the hospital in record time. The nurse took us up to the waiting room where they told us the contractions were not close enough together and sent us on our way to walk the floors of the hospital. Finally, after three hours of walking we were told they would admit her and put us in a room. We were both quite exhausted after being up for twenty-seven hours; of course my wife was worse than I was.

Some common words found in the essay are:
Noah's Ark, Arrives Gear,
Approximate Word count = 709
Approximate Pages = 3 (250 words per page double spaced)