Today was the first birthday of my beautiful daughter, Penelope.
That’s her in the photo with her dear, sweet mom Ely (Elizabeth). I love them both dearly.
Ely called me today at work around 4:30 pm. She reminded me Penelope was born just before 5. 4:54 I think, I’d have to check our baby book to be sure.
What a day, and previous night, it was.
We wanted a natural birth but it wasn’t to be. After 16 + hours of labour we had to go for a C-Section. The doctors had booked an operation room for 5:30 and it was all scheduled and set in place. But at about 4:30, little Penelope’s heart stopped briefly. It was the second time during labour that it happened. All of a sudden nurses and doctors were swarming about, one yelling, “Get us a room now, we need to get her out now!” Needless to say I was a little unnerved.
But she came out perfect and unscathed, and peaceful. What a day it was.
I remember:
- the moment Ely’s water broke, and the 2 or 3 minutes it took to sink in, that this was really happening. Our child was coming! You prepare for 40 weeks, but it doesn’t seem quite real, that it’s actually happening to you, when the labour starts.
- the drive to the hospital - man, Ely’s pain levels rose in a hurry, and at one point I was navigating in circles trying to get to the parkade across from the back of Mt. Sinai. Needless to say Ely’s patience was thin.
- after Ely got the Epidural, she just needed to be quiet, she told me that she didn’t mean to offend me, but I should just be quiet. It’s possible I was talking a lot. She needed peace.
- we didn’t shower or walk or any of those exercises they tell you about, although Ely was working on her own custom form of the breathing.
- time becomes a blur, the labour was 16 + hours, but it hit after we had only 1 hour sleep after a long day previously. So we are essentially going almost 2 days without sleep. And in Ely’s case, dealing with the most intense physical stress she had ever experienced; It becomes very surreal. Beautiful, but surreal - time kind of melts.
And when our precious little Penelope came screaming into the world, the thrill and feeling of love and pride and possibility is just the hit you need to keep you up for another day. As most parents will tell you, especially first-time parents, the miracle of life, although common, is truly a miracle. When it happens to you it blows your mind.
And life marches on and you face your hopes and dreams for your little girl, and your fears for the challenges she will face.
But tonight, on the eve of her first birthday I feel blessed, that such a perfect little girl has come into my life and that I have her wonderful mother Ely to build a family for her with.
I didn’t plan it this way, but sometimes, the Universe looks out for you. Every morning, I wake up excited for what’s next…
September 24, 2009 - A.
