My mother-in-law insisted that she must be present to “assist” and “support us” when my husband and I made the decision to give birth at home. I agreed because I thought it would be nice to have her around.

But I noticed something odd when I went into labor. As though she had something else to do, she kept sneaking out of the room while looking over her shoulder. I then heard a strange noise during a pause in between contractions.

Perplexed, I asked my husband to investigate. He nodded and walked out of the room, but upon his return, his eyes were wide with incredulity and his face was pale.

As it happens, my mother-in-law was in labor when I was.

As it happens, my mother-in-law was in the kitchen preparing a cake while I was in labor.

It seems that she had determined that making a celebratory dessert was the best way to “help and support” us on this significant occasion. When my husband discovered her, she was busy making frosting with the ingredients, pans, and even a mixer she had brought.

As she cheerfully explained, “Well, I thought it would be nice to have a homemade cake ready for when the baby arrives,” my husband stood in the doorway, speechless.

I was shocked when he told me what she was doing. She was out there sifting flour like we were throwing a casual dinner party while I was in the midst of the most intense experience of my life.

I was angry at first. Did she not realize that labor was already a stressful experience? I began to laugh, though, in between contractions. The situation was too ridiculous to handle.

My mother-in-law proudly entered the room with a gorgeously decorated cake that said “Welcome to the World” after the baby was born. I couldn’t help but smile, even though I was still irritated by her priorities. It was one of the strangest, yet strangely touching, parts of that day that will never be forgotten.

Since then, she has insisted on making the same cake for our baby’s birthday every year, and it has become a joked-about family custom. The most peculiar experiences in life can occasionally become the most treasured memories.