Dear Lucky,
Once upon a time, there was a Mommy, Daddy, a dog named Clementine, and a little baby named Lucky. The baby was named Lucky because it was something the Mommy and Daddy always wanted, and were surprised when she sent word she was planning on making an entrance. They didn’t know if the baby was a boy or a girl.
Until one day……..She was born! Her birthdate was October 20, 2013, which happened to be her parent’s 1st Wedding Anniversary! She weighed 8 pounds, 6 ounces and was 21 inches long. She was an adorable baby. Here’s a picture of her within 5 minutes of her birth and us as a new family.
The story of Mommy’s labor to help you make your magnificent entrance was an interesting one that lasted more than 2 days. Mommy was also magnificent, staying focused and centered on having you.
On Friday around 5pm, Mommy started having some mild contractions which she knew were the early signs of labor. I fixed dinner for us (a salad with tuna) and we waited.
About 11pm, Mommy’s contractions became pretty regular and we knew that you were beginning your descent. She sat on the physioball rolling around trying to stay comfy and breathe through the movements, and I laid down on the floor in the family room with her getting some rest. We knew that we’d probably go to the hospital sometime in the night.
At 2am Mommy woke me up. Her contractions were about a minute each and 8-10 minutes apart. We called the doctor who told us to hang out for a while and continue to monitor. At 4am we went to the hospital and met Aunt Ka there. The OB Triage nurses hooked up Mommy to a monitor and checked her….you looked great but Mommy was dilated to 1. In order to be admitted, she needed to be at least 4-5. So…..we walked around the hospital for an hour, pausing for Mommy to lean on a handrail and endure another painful contraction.
Mommy at the skybridge in the hospital going through a contraction.
When we returned to OB Triage, Mommy’s contractions were frequent, but she was still 1cm dilated. We were aggravated because we wanted to avoid being turned down at the hospital until the Mommy is further along.
Because Mommy so distressed, she was given a “morphine sleep” that allowed her to get some rest at home while her contractions continued but the pain wouldn’t wake her up. We went to Aunt Ka’s house on Queen Anne to rest from 8-11am.
Saturday afternoon, Mommy was in a morphine fog, feeling the contractions and falling asleep sitting up between them. I know she wouldn’t approve of these pictures being public, so I want you to remember the joy in our faces in the upcoming pictures, ok?
At 2pm we decided to go back to our house to chill and allow Mommy’s cervix to catch up. It was at this time that I understood why it is called, “LABOR.” We were thoroughly convinced that we would welcome you into the world within a couple of hours. It ended up being much longer of a wait than we anticipated.
In the next chapter, I’ll recount the journey back to the hospital and the long and painful Saturday night in the delivery room.
Love, Daddy