Happy Birthday!

Dear Abel,

Happy first birthday, sweet baby.

To celebrate, I thought I would write down the story of how you were born. You were READY to come in to this world on Friday, June 11th, 2010. I woke up around 5am to strong contractions. (I had felt contractions about five days before- noticeable, but kind of wimpy, so I watched your Dad put together our new grill, and they stopped after a few hours). Even though the waves were coming steadily every few minutes, I decided to let your Dad sleep while I laid on the couch, watched the local early morning news (fatal car crash on I-70 due to a person driving the wrong way) and vaguely timed the contractions. I felt calmly excited- and in somewhat of a fog. When I realized that the contractions were picking up speed (about 4 minutes apart), I went to wake up your Dad.

Dad shook off his sleep, grabbed his stop watch, and started helping me get our bags together. At about 6am, the contractions were getting closer to 3 minutes apart, and we realized that things were happening really quickly! Your grandma gave birth to me with 30 minutes of labor, so your Dad and I had been prepared for you to arrive fast! As Dad called the midwives, my water broke, and I noticed meconium in it. I was a little sad, as I had really wanted to try a water birth with you, and meconium meant that wouldn't be possible.

We spoke to midwife Anne on the phone (who told us to head right to the hospital), Dad carried our 8 million suitcases as I carefully and painfully walked to the car. After a car ride that seemed to last an eternity, we arrived at University of Colorado Hospital (the hospital was on the same campus where I worked!). It was difficult for me to walk to the hospital, but your Dad helped me in. We found our way to the midwives, and Amy confirmed what we already knew.... you were going to be arriving very quickly!!

Midwife Anne was on her way to the hospital as we got to our room. Because of the meconium, you had to be hooked up to the heart monitor (across my belly). The nurses tried their hardest to convince me to put in an IV, but I convinced them right back that we would be fine with out it! Contractions were coming every 60 seconds or so, and your Dad was so wonderful- helping me with relaxing and breathing. He made sure to have music playing in the back ground, and gave me sips of water. I remember thinking that you were coming so fast that I didn't have time to use any of the Bradley techniques we learned! I also realized that, although I wanted a water birth, there was no way I could have made it to the birthing tub!

Anne arrived about an hour later (around 9am). She spoke words of reassurance and encouragement and I will never forget looking in to her eyes and sinking in to the feeling that "it would all be ok". By 9:30, I was ready to push, and you were ready to be born! Anne suggested that I watch you arrive, so she put a mirror in front of me so I could see. You were "sunny side up" and that caused you to get caught under my pubic bone. Anne instructed me on what pushing position would be best. Dad and I saw your head, and then at 10:25 your were born! There were pediatricians in corner of the room, waiting to see if you needed help because of the meconium, but you were FINE! Your first face was an adorable cry with your bottom lip stuck out in a pout.

You immediately began nursing as we listened to Pricilla Ahn. I was overwhelmed. The pain immediately stopped when you came in to the world. We snuggled for the next hour or so with Dad, and then the nurse came to weigh and measure you, and give you a bath (the meconium made you a messy dude!). It was such an odd feeling when you were on the other side of the room with the nurse and your Dad. We had never been separated before. The entire time you existed we had been touching. I felt my identity start to shift from pregnant to mama.

You weighed 6 pounds and 9 ounces, were 19.5 inches and flew in to the world with gusto! Exactly like your Mama when she was born!

Thank you for this day, Abel.

It was so cool and hard and overwhelming and awe-inspiring.

Love,

Mama