Baby D and Family: The Stork is here!!!

I left off at about 2:30 am on December the 4th. Dr. Chillara was called to deliver our package and we were going through the pushing efforts with the nurse and waiting for the doctor to arrive. The contractions were becoming increasingly more painful and more frequent. And the baby was getting increasingly closer! Around 3 am, as I was holding Jenn's leg by the knee and ankle stirrup style (yes, I had "court-side"seats!), the nurse said, "Dad, look here. You can see his head!" As I looked down in amazement I could see what appeared to be hair. Where was that Doctor??!!

Shortly after seeing the little man's hair, Dr. Chillara finally arrived (around 3:20 am) and was ready for action. Promptly she suited up and hopped down between Jenn's legs, grabbed random medical instruments... forceps, etc, attached a large, plastic-lined sack at the base of Jenn's bed directly below where where the baby would be emerging and began directing traffic.

Chillara, like the nurse, instructed Jenn to push. And push Jenn did! With in 3 or 4 contractions, the head emerged! I gotta admit, it was a little odd seeing my son's head poking out of Jenn's nether-regions! "One more big push and he's out" Chillara announced. With Jenn pushing and the doctor pulling the head, Jenn let out the only scream of the night and at 3:39 am our son was pulled, yanked and pushed into the world.

I couldn't believe what I was looking at. This little human, crying, covered in amniotic fluid, meconium and blood, being held by the scruff of the neck and leg, opened his eyes and looked at me. Just for a second. But I know he looked at me. I was in total awe, becoming overwhelmed with emotion and relief. All the parts were there! Arms, legs, mouth, nose, ears, eyes... all looked good. No, they looked perfect. Even covered in all that icky stuff he was the most beautiful thing I had ever seen.

In an instant, the Dr. had the umbilical cord cut and the nurses rushed our baby over to the heating table to get him cleaned up. I started following the nurses to get a closer look at my son and remembered... Jenn was still on the table! Looking back at Jenn I saw the doctor doing some indescribable things and quickly learned what that plastic lined bag was for! The details will be spared! I decided I would let the doctor do her thing and I would continue on to check on the baby.

The nurses were cleaning him, putting salve in his eyes and sucking the meconium and fluids out of his mouth. I kinda just stood there not knowing what to do. One of the nurses, Arian, said, "You can touch him Dad." Dad... that was the first time I had been called "Dad" and actually been one. It sounded pretty good to me.