The Day You Were Born . . .

I was reading my friend Ani's blog about the day her daughter was born and thought I'd like to write down the events of the special day Lucy entered our world . . .

Lucy was born on Wednesday, November 7th, 2007, but let me begin a little before that. It appears that the women in my family are smaller in the birth canal region and do best by having their babies via c-section. I thought for sure I could be different and have my baby not only vaginally, but 100% naturally as well. I got a Doula and met with her faithfully etc, etc. Bottom line, as Lucy's due date got closer, my body was showing no signs of her dropping or getting ready to push a baby out.

Marc and I discussed the options and it was so clear to us that having our baby via c-section was the right thing to do. It was immediate peace. We went into the doctor on November 6th for our scheduled appointment and after he checked me you could tell he was gearing up for a big speach about thinking more seriously about having a c-section. I stopped him and said, "Ever since we left last week, Marc and I have felt very at peace about having a c-section". He said, "Well then let's have this baby". He made some phone calls and came back in and said, "You'll have your baby sometime tomorrow between 11am-2pm".

It was so fun to call our family and friends and say, "We're having a baby tomorrow between 11am-2pm". We knew we wouldn't sleep well that night so Marc and his Dad gave me a blessing, we got pizza, rented a movie and stayed up until 2am. The next morning we got up at 7:30am, went for a walk, showered, got ready, packed a few last minute things, my parents met us at the house and then we went to the hospital (dropping the video we had rented off on our way).

When we arrived at the hospital, we leisurely checked ourselves in (they already had a room ready for me). We got set up in a room where they put a heart rate monitor on the baby and got me hooked up to some IV's. Everyone got to be in the room with us while we waited our turn.

It was really a very enjoybale experience mixed with some anxiety, but Marc was so good to play music for me, tell me stories and keep me calm. I know people really fear c-sections, but if I could, I would be the Doula of c-sections because they really can be a wonderful thing.
Then Marc got ready to go in to the operating room with this great outfit that we have kept . . .
I just walked in to the operating room. When I sat on the operating table, I actually grabbed the camera from Marc and took some pictures. You get enough medicine to make you VERY numb from the waist down and just enough to make you relaxed, but you are still very aware and I remember all of it (even the parts I wish I could forget when I kept rambling about everything from the BYU nursing students having a nice experience, to telling my doctor he was the best doctor ever to breaking out in tears and telling Marc how lucky we were to have a baby . . . I was non-stop!)
This picture is amazing to me. Lucy is literally coming out of me. To date, her birth is the most spiritual experience I have ever had. I had a completely overwhelming feeling and I knew the very moment she left the presence of her Heavenly Father and entered this world as a new spirit to join our family.
After her birth, Marc was running back and forth taking pictures of Lucy while still tending to me and showing me pictures of her.
She had a little bit of a hard time breathing right after she was born so she was placed on a c-pap machine for a few hours. I love this picture of her, I am sure she is thinking, what on earth just happened.
Marc would run to the NICU and take pictures of Lucy and then run back to show me her pictures. I could not wait to hold my baby.
By the time I was transferred down to my room, they brought Lucy to me. I loved her immediately. A lot of people were in the room at the time, but despite their prsence, for a brief moment it was just me and my daughter. This little thing that I had bonded with for the past 9 months was finally here for me to meet her on the outside. I just had to hold her tight while my heart overflowed with grattitude. The statement "My cup runneth over" had never been more true in all my life.