Going Rogue: An American Life (55 page)

All three showed up and were no doubt expecting me to talk

. about stalled legislative proposals or maybe timely fishery issues. I knew I could have just spoken candidly and said, “Hey, I’m going to have a baby … ready to go eat?” Something short and sweet. Instead, I decided to have a little fun.

“Hey guys,” I said with a grin, “I wanted to let you know that the First Family is expanding.”

They all just looked at me, Dead silence,

Okay.
. .
let me try something else.

“Remember when I promised to ‘deliver’ for Alaska?” Nothing. But now they took out their notepads and pens. Big scoop coming, they could feel it.

Finally, I gave up on the jokes and went direct: “Guys, I’m pregnant. I’m having a baby in twO months!”

Three mouths fell open, and three pairs ofeyes dropped straight to my stomach. I laughed out loud. The guys whipped out their cell phones as I waved goodbye. Within ten minutes, the news was all over. And by the time we reached the reception, the room was bubbling with smiles and congratulations.

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Going Rogue

The next month, Todd and I checked into a hotel in Dallas. The following day I was scheduled to keynote another oil and gas COllference. My pregnancy was going fine, and with five weeks to go, I felt great. But at 4 a.m., a strange sensation low in my belly woke me and I sat up straight in bed.

It can’t be,
I thought.

way too early.

Moments latet, I shook Todd awake. “Something’s going on.” He sat up in bed, instantly alert. “I’m caIling CB].”

“No, don’t do that. It’s one a.m. in Alaska.” I didn’t want to caIl anyone yet. I just wanted to take stock and see whether this baby was really coming. I also wanted time to pray and asked God silently but fervently to let everything be okay. Desperation for this baby overwhelmed me.

don’t let anything

to this baby.

It occurted to me, once and for all.
I’m so in love with this
please

protect him!
After all my doubts and fears, I had fallen in love with this precious child. The worst thing in the world would be that I would lose him. God knew what He was doing. Over my protests, Todd called CB]. I told her that I felt fine and absolutely did not want to cancel my speech and disappoint the folks at the conference, including my cohost, Texas Governor Rick Perry. We agreed that I would stay in contact with CB]

through the day, I’d take it easy, give my speech, then catch an earlier flight back to Alaska. I still had plenty of time. Later that afternoon we entered a packed house at the energy conference, where I’d speak on the urgent need to tap conventional supplies and innovate on stabilizing renewable sources. I was anxious to tell them how Alaska could on a needed

national energy plan. Governor Perry introduced me with some humorous remarks about things we had in common, like loving the outdoors, and something about how we love people who cling to their guris and religion, and how we’ve faced down the

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PALIN

good 01’ boys. Then 1 took the podium and opened by teasing the audience about how gteat it was to be in OUt “little sistet state of Texas:’

Big laughs. Mote contractions.

Then 1 introduced evetybody to Todd, Alaska’s “First Dude,” who, instead of sitting at the head table, was standing at the back of the hall, giving me the “get on with it, let’s keep it shott this time” look and ptactically holding the doot open fot OUt quick exit to the aitpott.

1 told the gathered industry officials that Alaska was suspending its fuel tax-giving to consumets at the pump-and

outlined oUt “thtee-legged stool” approach to meeting out enetgy needs: conservation, responsible development, and renewable enetgy sources. Thus we set a goal of drawing 50 percent of OUt electticiry generation from renewable

unptecedented

policy goal in the United States. We would also use the earnings from a multimillion-dollat Renewable Enetgy Fund fot projects like hydropower, along with wind, geothetmal, and biomass. Those projects could not even
Iitt with snake-oil science, 1 insisted; they must be doable, economical, and real. Finally, Alaska would lead Ametica toward energy secutity and ap>