TULSA, Okla. — When Laura Latta thinks about the night her tiny blessing was born, she still can't believe it. "We had everything planned out. We were going to have a scheduled c-section. I had my hospital bag packed for weeks," says Laura.
But this baby, her second child, would make an epic entrance arriving a week early during a historic storm.
Laura says, "I was 38 weeks pregnant, and I'd had been having Braxton-Hicks contractions through the week. Around 11 o'clock that night, I had a few contractions, and we heard a storm was coming in."
Minutes before midnight on Father's Day, destructive winds over 100 miles an hour sent sirens screaming through Laura's midtown neighborhood.
"We got in the closet. I was having contractions, and they started coming more regularly, and I thought to myself, I don't think these are Braxton-Hicks contractions, actually," says Laura.
It turns out Laura was in labor.
"I was so uncomfortable, and I was trying not to complain because, obviously, it was not the moment to talk about comfortability because safety was number one," says Laura.
But as she, her husband Derek, toddler Sam, and their pets hunkered down in the closet, Laura's contractions quickened.
She recalls, "The thunder and the wind, you could hear it so strong!"
After the sirens stopped and the storm passed, this family, sitting in total darkness, dialed for help.
"I called Saint Francis, and they said to come in. This is like 2 in the morning. At that time, I realized that I definitely was in labor, and I needed to get to the hospital pretty quickly," says Laura.
But they needed someone to watch Sam.
"My mother-in-law, who lives in Sand Springs, this was enormously brave. She drove and had to take about a million side streets, weaved through downed trees, and got here to be with Sam. We had candles everywhere, and at that point, my contractions were very quick, so she got here, and we left and we straight to the hospital," says Laura.
Carefully navigating the maze of debris, The Latta’s made it to Saint Francis Labor and Delivery just in time.
"He was born within the next hour. Yeah, it was fast and furious," says Laura.
Nathaniel Isaac debuted during the calm after the storm. A healthy 7 pounds 10 ounces.
"I turned to Derek and was like, Happy Father's Day! It really was special even though it was wild circumstances," says Laura.
The Latta’s stayed in the hospital for a few days and then with family for about a week while their power was restored. They're back home now-- thriving and thankful for the many blessings of the storm.
"From the nurses and doctor who got us in so quickly and delivered him when we got to the hospital to the family who took us when we didn't have the power to take care of our pets, our house, to help watch Sam, my other son, it was really a beautiful time for people who are able to help so much and come together; I was always so grateful for that," says Laura.
Weathering life's storms has never been so sweet for this now family of four.
And baby Nathaniel is proof that sometimes a greater plan outshines our best-laid plans.
"It didn't happen as planned, and that's ok. He's really our miracle, and I am so thankful he's here," says Laura.
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