wednesday, february 11 was like any other day. i woke up with a few cramps. matt went to work. and i started to make myself an apple pancake. on a visit to the bathroom however, i noticed there was some blood on my underwear. slightly alarmed, i called my OB at 8:30 in the morning and left a message with the answering service. the physician on call told me to go to the hospital to get checked out as dr. huang, my OB, was already at the hospital.
honestly, i felt fine and didn't think anything of it. i called matt and told him not to worry. i took a leisurely shower then hailed a cab to the hospital (without bringing any packed bags nor our ViaCord kit).
it wasn't until i got to the hospital, was whisked away to get examined with gown and monitors that i began to think i might be having baby bailey soon. apparently, i was having contractions and dilating. thankfully, i really didn't feel more than mild cramping. after asking the attending physician if i should "call my husband." she said, there was a 9 in 10 chance i'd be having the baby. the call went out to matt who proceeded to head home and pick up all the things i forgot.
by the time my dr. showed up, she said we were going to the OR for surgery. i was first in line for a c-section. she told me to call matt and see where he was at. he apparently was just finishing up walking dodger. we told him it was showtime, and he hopped in a cab stat.
within minutes after my call to matt, i was being walked to the operating room. the anesthesiologist put the epidural in and within minutes, my legs were completely numb. they put a hat on me and lay me down on a table with my hands to my side and started prepping me for surgery. once the curtain between my head and my abdomen went up, they escorted matt into the OR. he was in his surgical getup along with his giant nikon camera. it was a funny sight indeed that provided immediate relief. he took his seat next to my head, and we started chatting.
within what felt like minutes, they were pushing on my upper abdomen, and then i heard the sweetest cries i think i've ever heard in my life. it was at the moment those cries broke out that i snapped into the realization that there was another person in the room. i was no longer pregnant. i was a mother.
tears immediately welled up and poured down my cheeks. matt stood up to see the (at first blue then healthily pink) baby. then he walked over to be with the pediatrician as bailey was cleaned up, weighed and stamped.
after a few minutes, he came back with the little warm bundle and put her cheek next to mine. i couldn't believe how perfect she was. just typing this now brings the tears back to my eyes.
we were able to hang out in the OR together and get a quick family portrait for the next 40 minutes as the dr. stitched me up. then off to the recovery room, the nurse helped me get bailey nursing right away. no surprise (coming from piggish gluttons like me and matt) bailey had no problems latching on and sucking. she was already a pro which made my job super easy.
here are some mementos from bailey's first minutes of life:
