Wow, almost three weeks have flown by since little Silas made his entrance into the world. I have a bit of catching up to do on my blogging, but what better excuse to be behind than having a newborn (and a 22-month-old and an almost five-year-old) in the house, right? I better get his birth story written down before I forget any more details!
We had a c-section scheduled for March 1st. I wouldn’t have been at all surprised if I went into labor early (he seemed like a giant baby), and I was a little nervous about the possibility of a leap year birthday. But Thursday morning came and there was no baby, so it was time to head to our appointment. It seemed weird and surreal to schedule something as significant as the birth of a child. Avery was ten days late before he arrived via an induction which resulted in a 22 hr labor and c-section. Kieron surprised us by arriving three days before his appointment – I woke up on Cinco di Mayo to contractions and had a baby six hours later. I was really happy to get that “honey, it’s time!” experience.
This time everything was very calculated. We arrived fresh-faced at the birthing center. I buzzed in and said cheerfully, “I’m here to have a baby.” So they let us in and we began getting prepped for surgery. I got hooked up to all sorts of machines and Jonathan ventured off to find a good cup of coffee. Before long it was time to go to the OR. I was a little nervous about the spinal this time around since I would not have the advantage of being distracted by contractions. Fortunately, it was not that bad at all. Shortly after the numbness set in, they put up the curtain and got to work. I distinctly remember trying to look all around the room and take in as much as possible – where the baby scale was, where all the docs and staff were, the expression on Jonathan’s face, etc. I kept trying to get a good look at the reflection in the light above me, perhaps I could glimse a peek of what was going on behind the curtain, but it was tough to make out much.
When they started pushing on the top of my belly, we knew we were about to meet our little guy. Jonathan stood up and snapped some shots as he emerged. I could hear his little cries, and then they lifted him up over the curtain. I remember thinking “he is so cute!”
After that they took him to be wiped off and checked out by the pediatrician. Jonathan went over to take more pictures and the doc asked if he’d like to cut the cord. He hesitated at first, but soon decided it was something he’d like to try at least once. Then they weighed and measured the baby – a whopping 9.0 lbs (I knew he was huge).
Finally they gave him to Jonathan to bring over to meet me. I think we all cried a little. We swooned over our new baby and his adorableness, and wished him a happy birthday.
The best OB ever!
