Friday, January 20, 2006 11:40 PM
We started the morning with Stacey getting pumped up on Oxytocin (which Michael thought was Oxycontin--yikes!). Â She worked hard for 3 hours before it was time to move on to the E-ticket option--thatâs right: epidural.
Itâs a weird feeling watching your wife first suffer through powerful, erratic contractions and then have her spinal column pierced with a big, scary needle. Â The benefit, of course, was a few moments of oblivion, as photographed above. Â Stacey took a much-needed nap (as seen above) as contractions, smoother and powerful like BIG clean mackinâ sets at Mavericks, continued.
3. Â Â The false start on pushing
Then the pushing started, but without a lot of progress. Â This took us to late afternoon, about 10 hours into an already long day for Stacey.
4. Â Â Breathing through contractions
The evidence suggested that we were not making progress. Â It was recommended that instead of pushing that we just breathe through contractions. Â That was even harder than pushing, and the pain started to jack up again as the first dosage of the epidural started to wear thin. Â
The anesthesiologist rejoined us and got Stacey back on a less-painful path, although not as âfloatyâ as before--not by a long shot.
5. Â Â Pushing, but not progressing
So then Stacey started pushing again--really, really working hard. Â This went on for a couple of hours, and was really hard, exhausting work. Â We finally started to make some slight progress, but as Stacey said, she was getting depleted. Â And things were starting to hurt MUCH more...
6. Â Â First appearance, then suction
At about 10:30, the top of Alexâs head was FINALLY visible, but we were still not making the progress needed. Â Dr. Doherty offered to use suction to help get Liâl Guy out of there. Â Sure enough, two or three VERY big--and VERY painful--pulls later, Alex appeared. Â
When his face and head first emerged, he looked awfully purple and a little inert. Â Then, after all that time in the birth canal, he started to come to and started to cry once Dr. Doherty pulled a shoulder and then the rest of his astonishingly long body out into the world. Â (Stacey has said several times since, âI canât believe you were inside me!?!â)
7. Â Â First moments (and comments)
The good Doctorâs first comment was a pretty hilarious recapitulation of empirical fact: âOh my God! Â Heâs huge!â Â And then, once business had been so succinctly summarized, it was time for encomia: âHeâs huge, but heâs cute!â Â I said it then, Iâll say it now: âHeâs perfect!â Â
Once the nurse had done a quick check and cleaned him up a bit, I had my first chance to hold our son. Â I was astonished by how heavy has was, and robust, and yet still a tiny little baby.
Stacey was still in shock from all the pain, but once the doctor had finished with her, it was her chance to hold someone who would want to be held as often as possible throughout the days and nights and weeks ahead. Â Heâs such a sweet little guy.
8. Â Â Later that night...
After getting weighed--tipping the scales at 10 pounds, 3.2 ounces--and measured--taping out at 22 inches, Alex was given his first bath and his first proper swaddling. Â He fed, latching on right away, just like a champ. Â And at last, we crashed. Â All three of us were completely exhausted. Â Exhausted but exhilarated...
...and then at about 5AM, I heard this surprisingly loud wailing. Â As I struggled to find my way back past the veils and mists through the labyrinth to consciousness, I realized it was Alex. Â And I further realized that Stacey could not yet walk, and that the nurses probably wouldnât come in yet. Â Thatâs when it hit me: âOh wow. Â Iâm the last line of defense!â
Alex was born at 11:40PM, and thatâs when I formally became a father, but when I had to pick him up and console him long enough to get him to his mother and food, thatâs when I officially became a Dad...
Stacey was such a star. Â Sheâs my hero.
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