On the Day You Were Born...

Dear Munchkin,

On the day you were born, I was pretty antsy. Okay...I was downright crabby that you hadn't arrived. After all, you were supposed to come into the world by August 28, and here it was Thursday, September 4. I had visited Dr. Chen on Tuesday, and we had set an appointment to induce on Friday. Well, on Thursday morning around 10:00, I was on the phone with your Granny J, and having contractions that were about eight minutes apart--not close enough together to get excited, because I had been experiencing those for over a week. A contraction at that point, by the way, just meant that Mommy could feel her tummy get tight and a little crampy.

I started watching last season's finale of "House" and those little contractions started to get closer together. I decided that perhaps you were finally sending me a message that it was time to get things moving, so I started to pace around my living room...around the table....around the kitchen island...around the coffee table. Walking outside would have been more productive, but Tropical Storm Hanna (insert own joke here) was making it rain in Chicago--all day, by the way. Before I knew it, those little contractions were replaced by contractions, that were five minutes apart, and felt like a really wicked visit from Aunt Flo. We'll discuss her further when you're older.

I started to get nervous that this was really IT, and I hadn't showered, finished packing my bag, and your Dad was at work. So I prioritized: shower, makeup, blow dry...called your Dad. I said, "Were you planning to come home for lunch today?" "No." "Well, I think you should, and bring your computer because I don't think you're going back today." I waited for Dad to get home before calling the doctor, because I wouldn't have been able to leave for the hospital without him anyway. Dr. Chen said that I could either come in to the hospital or wait it out at home a little longer. I said that I was nervous with how fast and furious the CONTRACTIONS (note the intensity) were coming, and decided to come in. Well, by the time Dad got home, walked Oliver, we ate lunch, and drove to Lutheran General in the rain and traffic, it was almost two hours later. The man at the front desk told us we were "almost in trouble" for taking so long to get there! By the way, Mommy was now having CONTRACTIONS. New Definition: feeling like someone was twisting Mommy's uterus into a pretzel, while simultaneously trying to drive a truck through her you-know-where. Pleasant. 

The folks at Lutheran were fantastic from beginning to end. We got to skip triage and go straight to our ginormous private birthing room. It was 2:00 PM. The resident doctor on call and the nurses checked Mommy's cervix (more on that when you're MUCH older) and told her that she was allowed to get her epidural any time she was ready. An epidural is given to women by Great and Wonderful Doctors called anesthesiologists, who should be elevated to Saint status ASAP. Mommy told the nurse that she'd like to try and wait a little longer...which lasted for about two more CONTRACTIONS. By 4:00 PM, Mommy was feeling much better...especially from the ribcage down.

The next few hours were fairly uneventful. Mom and Dad watched a little football (okay, Dad watched and I flipped through a "People" magazine), a little "Friends," and a little "Seinfeld." We had one little scare, when the nurse tried to perform a procedure on Mommy and her blood pressure plummeted. At the same time, your heartbeat disappeared from the monitor...scary. Before we knew it, we were swarmed by several nurses who gave me oxygen and ephedrine, to raise my blood pressure. You--as it turned out--were just fine. Whew! Just after that, the Wonderful and Blessed Dr. Chen came to check on me for the first time. (She's the nice lady that took your first picture in the womb and let Daddy listen to your heartbeat over the phone.) She told us that things were moving along just fine.

At 8:20 PM, Dr. Chen gave Mommy the magic number (10!) and the thumbs up to start pushing you out. At 8:30, I decided that the whole thing would be much easier if I could feel my muscles working. So, Dr. Chen turned off the epidural and gave me a whole 45 minutes to regain a little feeling in my lower extremities. At 9:30, we started pushing again, with the help of the doctor and the nurse. And at 9:56 PM, on Thursday, September 4, you were born! Dad cut the cord (to Mom's utter shock!), and the nursing staff took you across the room to weigh and clean you while Dr. Chen did a few more things with me. I was so jealous that Dad got to hold your hand and take your picture for 15 whole minutes! Then, the nurse brought you to me, wrapped in your white hospital blanket and hat, and I cried to see my beautiful baby boy. Dad and I immediately agreed that your name would be the one we had chosen in secret.

And that's how you were born.