Skip to main content

Delivery Story

At the doctor's office, Jen found out that the uncomfortable feeling was contractions. Patrick was not quite ready to join us, but we were getting close.

Jen woke me at about one in the morning to tell me that her contractions had changed. I asked how far apart they were and was told about forty minutes. What I didn't realize at the time was that she had not cleared the data out on her iPad from the previous day's contractions.

She woke me again about five in the morning to let me know that the contractions were about ten minutes apart and it was time to head to the hospital. Excited and a bit fearful, I got everything together and we got on the road.

Once we arrived at the hospital, we made our way to the delivery ward. Once in a temporary delivery room, the doctor arrived and we found out Jen was much further along than we expected. The nurse was surprised Jen even managed to walk into the hospital.

They quickly moved Jen into a regular delivery room where things proceeded smoothly. We worked together ... toward an amazing goal, that morning. I remember the took of trust in her eyes ... something I have never seen before and can only hope to obtain again someday.

We did switch the music from the soothing jungle tones Jen had selected to some of her workout music ... nurses were stopping in to listen throughout the day.

Several hours later, the decision was made to perform a cesarean-section ... Patrick has his head twisted slightly and would drop down, then back up again after Jen pushed.

I got garbed up as Jen was prepared for the procedure. I'll never forget the waiting area (it seemed like forever) and a young doctor stepping out of a break room across the hall. He was on his phone talking about the procedure (c-section) he was getting ready to do (he indicated he had never done it before) ... the excitement was clear. I was tempted to say something, but knew that our doctor would be there and in control of the situation.

I was led into the operating room to find Jen laid out ... she looked nervous, but was comforted as soon as she saw me. The doctors and nurses kept us up to date as the surgery moved forward.

Then, we heard it ... Patrick's first cry. I was again led ... across the room to where Patrick was being cleaned up. They placed him in my arms (what a terrifying and exciting experience). I took him over so that his mother could see him for the first time.

Once the surgery was complete, Jen was taken to a recovery room and I followed Patrick to the nursery where he promptly peed on me (another story) ... later, we were all together as a family again.

I hope I never forget a moment of that day.
Labels:

Comments

Post a Comment

Popular posts from this blog

Playing On The Stairs

We were playing near the stair from our kitchen to the lower level. Patrick had a squishy toy we bought for him a few weeks back. When it hits something, it flashes brightly ... he loves it. He was tossing the toy down the stairs and I was flipping it back up to him, often bouncing it off his head or chest. The laughter was incredible ... so much fun. Then, he made a run toward the stairs to get in a good toss ... and I knew he was in trouble. He tripped as I launched myself up the stairs ... just in time to catch him before his head hit the first step down the stairs. As Jen came around the corner to see what all the commotion was about, I was just getting my nerves back in order and began lifting him back to his feet. He let me hold him for a few seconds then, seeing his mother nearby, his tears stopped and he stretched out for her. ... so much fun!
Post a Comment
Read more

What If?

Jen and I have asked ourselves few questions along the way ... I'm sure there will be more, but here are some of the answers we have found: What if he drinks the bath water? He might feel queasy or get diarrhea if the water is soapy, but he will not have a problem with germs unless he bathes with someone else, says Philip Tierno, Ph.D., director of clinical microbiology at New York University Medical Center, in New York City, and author of The Secret Life of Germs. Wash children one at a time, and try not to let them drink the water. What if he sticks his finger into a socket? Standard household current would give a child a mild shock, similar to that from static electricity, says Liza DeWitt, M.D., a pediatrician at Children's Hospital of Wisconsin, in Milwaukee. The child would be startled and probably pull his hand away, but electrical skin burns can still occur. What can be more serious is not pulling away immediately, which can put him at risk of internal o...
Post a Comment
Read more

Getting Involved

This is the second night in a row that we were able to spend time and Grandma and Papap's ... Patrick enjoys it so much! We even had a rousing rendition of "Row, Row, Row Your Boat" with all five of us involved ... yes, Patrick is pitching in now. He runs from person to person, giving a bit to each one of us ... there is never a dull moment. Tonight, he repeated a new activity from last night. Last night, it was getting everyone involved in chasing him around the house ... tonight, we had this activity, but what we saw was that he wanted to play different games and wanted certain people involved. This is when he went to each person that needed to be involved and grabbed a finger, pulling them along. He even checked every now and then to make sure they were still following. Such an amazing child ... knows how to ensure that we sleep well.
Post a Comment
Read more