This is the story of my daughter Lydia's arrival. She was overdue, but she made an amazingly beautiful grand entrance once she decided it was time.
August 13, a fine Monday morning
@ 1:40a, wake up // Lea's water breaks
This is the moment we've been waiting for, a perfect day to finally meet Lydia. Past her due date, the last week felt like a year. It was starting to feel like she would never arrive. Then, a gush of water in the middle of the night and we're off to the hospital.
@ 2:18a, Violet leaves for Grandpa's house // Mom and Dad leave for the hospital
After a flurry of gathering and packing we were all ready to leave; Violet to Gigi and Grandpa's house; Mom and Dad to the hospital. Lea is starting to count contractions now. At one point on the drive I think of the moment I first found out Lydia was on her way.
I was driving back to work from lunch when Lea sends a picture to my phone. I glanced at the thumbnail and read "I'm going to be a big sister." My next thoughts were, "that's good news, one of her friends is pregnant... wait... ... was that Violet in the picture?"
@ 2:41a, express train directly to labor and delivery
We arrive at the hospital. Lea has counted 8 contractions on the trip, about 2.5 minutes apart. The staff wastes no time in triage. Lea's nurse Suzie escorts us to suite 516. The sensors to measure contractions and the baby's heart rate are setup.
@ 3:20a, IV started
Lea gets her IV started, providing the hydration needed for the epidural. Lea's cracks some jokes about being deathly afraid of needles despite her tattoos. She's currently between 3 - 4 cm. We sit back as the contractions ebb and flow.
@4:00a, Socks!
A pair of warm socks (the only thing Lea forgot to pack) is the first delivery of the day and they are awesome, warm and yellow.
@ 4:30a, Dr. Green arrives
Dr. Green arrives to crack some jokes and help Lea relax. He does a cervical check and finds that Lea has made it to 5 cm. He explains that Lea's bag of water did break and the fluid is discolored from the baby's meconium. There is an elevated concern to check her lungs after birth, but other than that we'd do nothing else different. Last, Dr. Green removes a piece of the forebag in a quick procedure very similar to breaking her water. He does so without injuring his fingers (a joke he had during Violet's birth).
@ 5:05a, Epidural
Dr. Mike Kline arrives to insert Lea's epidural. He was on-call for Violet's birth, where he went 0-2 on inserting the catheter. Still, we were happy to see him as he is one of the doctors who would let me stay in the room for the procedure. Lea is nervous and anxious, but she stays steady as a rock. Unfortunately the epidural doesn't work. 0-3.
Across the hall we can hear the excitement of a baby just born. It is something for Lea to focus on to endure the discomfort of the epidural, a reminder of the final joyous payoff. The baby's cries remind me of Violet's birth and add even more anticipation to hear Lydia's own.
@ 5:15a, Epidural #2
Equally strong and perhaps steadier than a rock, Lea is ready for the final attempt. This time it works beautifully. Now Lea can relax and enjoy the relative comfort that medicine can provide while the contractions do the work.
@ 5:55a, Dr Green checkup
Dr. Green comes in to do a checkup. Lea is still at 5 cm, so a dose of pitocin is added to her IV. An internal heart monitor is also placed on the baby for a clearer reading.
@ 6:47a, Dr Green checkup
Dr. Green comes back to check on mom... or so I'm told... I was sawing logs / snoring up a storm at the time. Lea didn't want to wake me. She was happily playing "With Friends" games and playing with Instagram on her trusty iPhone.
@ 7:00a, Suzie's shift is over :(
@ 7:25a, Dr Green checkup
I decided to get a coffee from the shop downstairs. I had to wait around for 5 minutes for the place to open. While waiting I get a text from Lea. "9 cm" Nine centimeters! Do I start my Ferris Bueller run back to the fifth floor now?
@ 7:35a, meet new nurse Caroline :D
@ 7:57a, Time to push
The time has come to start pushing. Lea is ready. She has worked hard these last 41 weeks for this exact moment. She begins pushing and she is strong. She means business. Twenty-seven minutes later (such a short time) I can see Lydia's head. Things are progressing so much faster this birth.
@ 8:30a, Lydia is born
Built to Spill's Carry the Zero is playing in the background. The driving guitars blend perfectly with newborn screams. Lydia is beautiful, Lea's face is filled with joy, and some might claim to see a tear in my eye. There are no complications, so I am allowed to cut the cord. I pull my eyes away from Lydia long enough to do so then dive right back into newborn baby bliss.
After the birth, Lea is so excited. Her joy fills the room. Lydia is on her way to meet Mom and I am capturing the moment. Mom's first words to Lydia,
"Hi sweetie" // "You smell so nice" // "Look at those nails".
Soon after, Lydia is nursing for the first time. Lea knows exactly what to do and teaches Lydia to nurse so quickly. They have a long and beautiful bonding moment, a perfect way to start out life.
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