Ginger's Birth Story- May 18th, 2014
Ginger (Virginia) Rose Gagliano – May 18th, 2014
Dear Silas and Ginger, This is a retelling of the day your mother gave birth to you Ginger. Silas, you were in a very sweet and consistently curious stage of toddler-hood.
You were approaching your 3rd birthday and were heavily interested in the alphabet, numbers, Yo La Tengo’s Fakebook...
...and a newfound infatuation with labeling things utilizing colors and letters.For instance, you labeled the 3 area Farmer’s Markets, Farmer’s Market A, B and C and you also categorized the 4 doors of our Honda Fit Green 4, Blue 4, Red 4 and Pink 4 for the 2 front seats and back passenger seats respectively.
Your mother’s original due date for you Ginger was May 9th and having been told that the 2nd child’s birth is usually early or on-time, it’s safe to say we were beyond anxious as we were now 8 days past the due date. Your mom was obviously taking this the hardest.
The day was Saturday, May 17th
and we had been keeping busy all week with numerous activities and projects. Ginger, your mom had spent the previous 2 weeks making just about every outfit she could while crafting new pants for you Silas, as well as a stunning t-shirt adaptation of your favorite record, Neil Young’s Harvest.
I was doing my regular line of business shipping and selling records while tossing every possible thing I could find on eBay including an old vintage Ferrari model, Angela’s old Sonic Youth zines and Silas, your godfather Justin’s well-loved but ultimately expendable set of comics.
I was also consistently manning the stove, particularly breakfasts (Boatcakes!), and a ton of guacamole for some reason which your mother seemed to enjoy while in general, trying to keep the house in decent working order.
I had also been spending a lot of time with you Silas since your mother simply did not have the energy or the fleet-footedness to keep up with you.
All in all, we were in good shape with our house on 611 N Tioga St having a completed kitchen and numerous other renovations that rendered our home in a semi-completed, ¾’s baked consistency. We were ready. All we needed was for you Ginger, to be ready.
On that morning, we decided to visit our midwife, Monica Daniel, for an unplanned acupuncture session at 11:30.
This proved to be the trick when you were born 7 days late Silas, so with your mother now 8 days removed from the estimated birth date; we were pulling out the big guns.
After awaking at a somewhat late hour, (7:45am was on the later side Silas), we rustled up some eggs, lacinato kale (with generous amounts of cider vinegar for pre-natal benefits) alongside our fresh loaf of Wide Awake bread via our Friday bread share pickup. (I believe it was Flax-Polenta).
After breakfast, I spoke with your Grandmother Levy assuring her that Angela was in good health, as were you Ginger in utero, and that we would be safe as we prepared to give birth in the house. We got dressed and almost made a pit stop at one of your favorite spots at the time Silas, the Tompkins County Recycling Center, to drop off some food scraps on the way to see Monica.
Unfortunately we were late so we headed straight to Trumansburg for the acupuncture and general checkup. We all sat with Monica and discussed the difficulty of late term births but we felt positive because your mother was healthy and so were you Ginger. While your mother got the acupuncture treatment, Silas we walked around Monica’s house about 4 times leading me by the hand up her stairs, underneath her zipline and around her garden. We stopped for a while so you could play on her kids’ jungle gym.
We came back in and waited a few more minutes and when your mother was finished getting the treatment, we headed back to Ithaca to get lunch, at Farmer’s Market A. We went for our usual, Macro Mammas...
...chili lime peanut noodles (that you eventually dismissed Silas) and some “brown” in the form of hazelnut pudding. As it turned out to be a pretty cold, dreary day, we didn’t stay long but did have a few minutes to head down to the water area to see what the ducks were up to.
We got home and ended up taking a family nap. Silas, your naps weren’t always commonplace those days so we were relieved that you did so. Especially since both your mother and myself ended up taking naps as well. Your mom napped in bed after likely turning a few pages of Life of Pi and me, falling asleep watching the NHL playoffs on the couch, the current game being Game 1 of the Eastern Conference Finals, the Rangers vs the Canadians.
We woke up and decided to take a little stroll for our customary afternoon coffee (at least for me anyways).
After leaving Gimme Coffee, we wandered down the Cascadilla creek walkway and stopped at your favorite spot Silas. Earlier that week I had shown you how to blow dandelions so we continued that game followed by the tossing of the stems into the creek as we watched them surf along the surface of the water downstream towards the lake.
We went back home and I decided to cook your mother a hurried tofu stir-fry which I insisted on preparing rather than watching the rapidly declining produce turn into a bland pile of rubbery vegetables. I cooked it up promptly and by the time that was said and done, it was time for your bath Silas.
It was a very peaceful and quiet bath with your mother joining us in the upstairs bathroom. You took to your customary activity of spelling out words like “green,” “blue,” and “please” and even some of your favorite states while your mother started to get the initial signs (in the form of regular contractions) that you, Ginger, were getting ready to make your appearance.
We got your pajamas on Silas and spent some time reading books before saying good night in what turned out to be one of the sweeter and more serene bedtimes we’d had in a while. Your mother was not all that interested in the stir-fry (though she did muster a few bites) and instead of forcing that down, I cut her up a bunch of strawberries and watermelon which she thoroughly devoured like she was fueling up for some kind of epic battle. We listened to William Tyler’s “The Green Pastures” from Behold the Spirit which your mother acknowledged was quite beautiful. I made note of that.
Her contractions were settling into something of a regularity and it was becoming clear to me that the evenings events were about to get much more dramatic. I took a few moments to make sure I had ice cubes, coconut water...
...and I also corralled bed sheets and shuttled them upstairs to the bedroom. After that, we watched a little tv, opting for the comedy of Louie...
...which lasted for all of about 33 minutes (about 1 ½ episodes) to which I heartily laughed while your mother chuckled along as she began to acknowledge the steady crescendo of her body activating. We decided to call Monica and she determined that birth would likely be imminent, perhaps within the next 24 hours and we made plans to call her if things ramped up. Your mother decided a bath was in order and I ran the water for her while we talked through some more contractions and began to notice that the intensity was shifting. As your mother sat in the bath, I decided to text our family and some friends that she was approaching active labor.
She couldn’t really sit comfortably in the bath so I helped her out and rather than sit within the steamy waters, your mother elected to begin laboring on the toilet; her chosen site of battling labor pains with you Silas, nearly 3 years earlier at St. Luke’s Roosevelt in Manhattan.
This, to me, was a sure sign that you were coming Ginger and possibly much quicker than we previously thought an hour earlier. It was 10:14pm and I made the call to Monica letting her know it was time. The intensity of your mother’s contractions increased and I continued to help her navigate them within the safe confines of our 2nd floor bathroom.
Monica arrived at 10:45 and I hurriedly helped her assemble the birth place with 2 layers of bed sheets, towels and multiple layers of dropcloth and hospital-like throwaways. We spent some more time laboring in the bathroom before Monica let us know that we need to move into the bedroom where your mother could hopefully be more comfortable. Having made note of your mother’s interest in William Tyler earlier that evening, I quickly snatched our old i-pod dock and latched my phone atop it simultaneously queuing up the recorded works of the young guitarist while pounding the screen in a deliberate yet focused manner.
When you were born Silas, the music of Bombino...
...as well as Beach House and Fleet Foxes seemed to bring your mother great comfort while coaxing her through the pain of steady contractions so I knew, we would definitely need some of the same aural relief on this evening. The birth was moving swiftly and the contractions heavy and steady barely giving your mother more than a few breaths before another one crept in. Our nurse Erin arrived and rather than me retrieving her at the door, Monica went because your mother would not let me leave her side. This made me focus on your mother even more with a steely resolve I remember permeating my thoughts when I presented her with a ring on the Brooklyn Bridge nearly 10 years prior.
With Erin there, Monica checked your heart rate Ginger and it was strong so your mother kept at it as the contractions got more intense with even less breaks in between them. I gave your mom raspberry tea ice cubes and water in between the work as she seemed to warm to the task taking each one in stride. For much of the labor, I sat holding your mothers hands or arms while Monica coached your mother through them minute by minute. It was strangely peaceful how your mom handled the pain as the meditative sounds and the calming presence of Monica coalescing into a somewhat placid experience which until now I would’ve thought impossible. This process repeated for 2 ½ hours until the pain your mother was experiencing started to increase and at 1:20am, her water broke which was the turning point and the signpost that we were almost at the finish line. Your mother began pushing and Monica helped your mother reposition herself to help quicken the pace of movement. Unbelievably within 15 minutes, we could see the top of your head Ginger and not only that, but a massive coif of black hair! The strength your mom exhibited at this moment was immense going far beyond the suggestions that Monica was making before taking breaks. Just before 2am, your entire head was exposed though you briefly got stuck! We figured you had gotten pretty big in the womb and sure enough, the final push was a little tougher but Monica and Erin helped pull you out and at 1:59am, you lay confused on our bed while your mom started to have the realization that it was over. Monica pushed you towards your mom and she scooped you up without a moment’s hesitation. And just like that, it was done. We all took a minute to get our bearings and we talked about what just happened. Your mother was perfectly fine and we worked on cleaning you both up while we disclosed your name and made jokes about how heavy you might actually be. Yep, within minutes of your birth Ginger, I recall some laughing and casual conversation like this amazing thing had not actually just happened.
Shortly thereafter I cut the umbilical cord with Erin’s help and we let your mother take a break before the amazingly bizarre organ grown for the occasion, the placentae. I took a minute to get your mom some cheesy crackers...
...more coconut water and finally took a bathroom break before sending off some texts to family and friends to let them know the news. I called your grandmothers and spoke with Grandma Levy who was mighty relieved to hear everything had went well. I came back upstairs right in time to get for the weighing. I thought my guess of 8 lbs, 3 oz was high but I was completely wrong. At 9 lbs, 4 oz it’s no wonder your mom was in some incredible pain. We swaddled you in blankets and you began nursing without issue. Erin made a few checks of your vitals Ginger and everything was completely normal. You just had some alien hands and bluish complexion but we knew that wouldn’t be around long. By 3:30, Monica and Erin were on their way and we were ready to get some sleep before you, Silas, would be up and ready for action. At 7:45 you awoke as you usually did Silas, asking about breakfast and requesting removal from your crib but when I picked you up this morning, I had a special question for you. “Silas, do you want to meet your new sister Ginger?” You replied: “Ginger's here?” (which was great since you had been saying "Ginger's gonna be here soon" for days) You came in and immediately started saying “Awww!” which you insisted on repeating ad nauseum (even now, 1 week later too) though you were a little trepidations to get too close to your sister.
Days later you would start to approach and lean your head in but for now, I think you were relieved just like we were. We had all created a certain relationship with you Ginger in utero and we were getting far too used to you being a part of your mother that after 289 days in utero, I think there was certainly a sense of liberation that we could now get to know you as the little human being you were. The morning was sterling and I let your mother sleep in with you Ginger while I fixed Silas a breakfast of purple yogurt (passion fruit Noosa) and granola.
By noon, Grandpa and Grandma Levy were knocking on the door with flowers and a heavy dose of excitement which would last throughout the following week as we adjusted to life as a 4-piece family.
Many pictures were taken, food was donated and Ginger you transitioned into terrestrial life in the smoothest, most peaceful manner possible. You rarely cried and you were an excellent nurser making life on your mother a little easier as she attempted to recover from the incredibly intense and fast delivery. The positivity we felt and the strength we gleaned from the experience was immense and I truly can’t say enough about your mother’s fortitude, stability and mental power. She was nothing short of inspiring from her ability to remain positive as the pregnancy stretched on to her unwavering focus during labor. Ginger and Silas; I hope this gives you both insight into how much we both love you and just important and special your presence is to us. Your mother strove to have the pregnancy and labor she wanted not only for her health, but for both of your own sakes getting you off on the right foot to what we hope is an enriching life. We love you both entirely and unconditionally.
Love, Dad
