First days – The new beginning

Dearest Son,

You started your journey in the world in the early hours on Monday. After the labor, both of us were brought into our room at about four or five a.m. then Daddy and the cheering squad (grandparents and aunts) went home. In the stillness of the morning, I thanked God profusely while looking at you sleeping peacefully in the small plastic cot next to my bed. I fell in love. Deeply.

You cried a few times before the sun rises, after a while, a nurse came to take you to the baby room. She would take care of you while I took my much needed rest. I slept for about twenty minutes or so then Daddy woke me up. He came at about 6 pm, dropping by on his way to the office. Feeling tired and very sleepy, he slept for a while on the chair.

Then just before he went to the office, we took you out from the baby room. The three of us spent our first sweet minutes alone together as a family in the hospital room.The first day, we had a stream of visitors coming in. Two of your aunts stayed with me in the hospital that day, taking care of you while I slept. I spent the exciting day still in haze and disbelief that the little bundle we had waited for so long had finally come out!

Your dad stayed in the hospital for the first night. He slept uncomfortably sitting on the single seated couch. When I nursed you at three in the morning, I asked him to sleep on my bed while I nursed you on the couch. He agreed and slept for a good two hours! After putting you back on your plastic cot near the bed, I took pictures of the two very special guys in my life sleeping.
You went home on Wednesday, in your grandfather's car, together with your grandparents and aunt Yen. Daddy and I drove behind. I was excited yet very nervous.

Maybe a feeling I shared with all new mothers in the world, uh?

Love you, Son!
Mommy

Week 40 – Here he comes

Sunday late afternoon, I felt some mild contractions that felt different from the contractions I felt before. This time the contractions seemed to start from my lower back. Around 5pm, I told my mom and we decided to go to the hospital. So I took a shower, washed my hair, got the bag ready, and had an early dinner. Hubby and two of my sisters prepared themselves to go with me. The contractions were getting stronger and more frequent by the time we arrived in the hospital.

The nurses did a CTG check, an internal exam, and decided that they were not real contractions! This was my third CTG check. The first was on 21 June night, curious check. The second was on 22 June, false alarm, I thought labor was on the way. So this third time when we were told to go home while expecting a real labor, we were really disappointed.

We were back at home by 7:30pm. Hubby and I watched DVD in the room to divert our disappointment and my pain. Around 9:30pm, hubby went to sleep. The contractions were still painful and bothering me, but I decided to sleep as well. But I couldn't. At one point, I got the urge to poo but felt a sharp pain in the tummy when I got to the toilet. My sister looked at me squirming out from the toilet and called my parents. Now the contractions have started to be very painful, I almost cried. Hubby woke up and got ready; my father changed and started the car. My father drove to the hospital, hubby and my two sisters came along.

I was 7cm dilated by the time we got to the hospital. Mom has already called my gynecologist. My gynecologist was on leave but his colleague would replace him. That was around 10:45pm when I started my fourth CTG exam in the labor ward. My two sisters waited in the waiting room while hubby stayed by my side, holding me, my father went home to fetch mom and my other sister. Mom came bringing me socks and a cup of honey, then she waited in the waiting room too.

I lost track how long I have to withstand the painful contractions. When I started to push, I concentrated on one contraction at a time… one push at a time… The nurses and the doctor gave their full support. Then the doctor said that she could see the head already, she gave me an injection to prolong my contractions so that I could push for a longer time. For the last few pushes, I felt like I could not do it any longer, so I pushed as hard and as long as I could. The doctor made two episiotomy cuts then I felt something warm slid out and a second later a baby was kicking and screaming near my legs. I stunned. I did not know how to express my feelings exactly, but the pain that made me suffer so much suddenly did not seem that bad.

He was 3.415kg, 50cm, with head circumference of 34.5cm. He was born at 1:38am on Monday, 26 June 2006. He was perfectly formed and perfectly healthy.

The doctor stitched me up, the nurses cleaned the baby, and hubby busied himself taking photos of the baby, it was about 45 minutes later that I could finally hold my baby and nursed him for the first time.

The nurses let hubby called my mother in. The excited new grandmother came in full of smiles, said the baby was cute, quickly kissed my cheek then proceeded to see her first grandson. She then called my sisters and father to welcome the new bundle.

Dearest son, that was how you came into our world.

Week 39 - Waiting game continues

Dear Darling,

We are entering week 39 today. I woke up at about 2am this morning because of sharp pains all over my tummy. Maybe it was a severe case of Braxton-Hicks. The contractions continued every 15 minutes or so until about 3:30am. Then because the contractions did not get any worse, I tried to sleep. Woke up at 4:30am and no contractions. I helped your grandma with the meal preparations, and then went for a long walk with aunt Yen. It was quite tiring; I decided to take a nap after the walk.

Today, the contractions came and went irregularly. I hope we can have you out by tomorrow.

In this instant age where we can get information about most things instantly, not knowing when you will be born could be a source of anxiety. We’re so used to have schedules on everything, and by opting for normal delivery, getting you out into the world is out of the schedule. Every night when I was about to sleep, I always thought that I could wake up in the middle of the night and head straight to the hospital. Same thing happened every morning when I greeted the new day. Every noticeable feeling around my tummy area would prompt me to think that you could be in your way out. Well, while sometimes this can be frustrating, waiting for you has made my life more exciting.

Dearest, if you’re ready, please just come out!

Being parents

The road has taken both of us to be parents of a boy just nine months after we got married. We even found out that we were going to be parents just a month after our wedding. I could not believe that God trusted both of us with a little soul at this stage. We are still young and inexperienced. Regardless of that, we welcomed the soul joyfully and could not wait to embrace him when he finally pops out.

I prayed that both of us can be good loving parents and can live up to His expectation in raising this boy.

Week 38 and still waiting

Mommy could not wait to have you! I walked for half an hour every morning and late afternoon, did some squating, and tried some tips to start labor naturally, but no baby till now. I know it’s still too early to get all frustrated, it’s only week 38, but I just could not wait!

Actually we were scheduled to see the doctor again last Monday. Weekly visits. But since nothing seemed to go wrong, we decided to just wait at home. I want to go there tonight, though. Daddy asked me to go out for a date, having supper eating Indian snacks and drinking ginger tea. Hmmm, could be our last date together before you come out, Darling.

This week, you seems to move more! When I took shower yesterday, I managed to see a part of your body (I could not guess what, maybe your knee) sticking out quite far out from my tummy. Exciting! That made my day! Then Daddy saw the act too at night when we went to sleep. He took a camera and tried to record the action, but you have stopped moving.

We love you, Wowy!

Reaching full term - week 37

Dear Child,

The doctor declared you to be ready for being born last night, you could arrive anytime now! Both of us are so excited. But since today's date is rather scary for having a baby, we decided to start exercising by tomorrow.

Last week, on Saturday 27 May 2006, there were some chain of strong earthquakes that shook a region in central Java. Thousands of people died and hundred thousands others were left homeless and wounded. Grandma's sister and her families were slightly affected, thankfully they were okay. Anyway, help are still coming in to that region and reconstruction is on the way. I just write this for your history record.

Okay, back to the visit report. Yesterday, the doctor said that you were about 3kg (and I was 63.1kg) and your head would soon goes into the pubic bone, once you were latched there, you would not be able to move your head around. Poor baby, I hope that period won't last long.

*hugs* Mommy loves you, dear Son. I'll see you soon. :)

Week 37: Getting excited!

Dearest Wowy,

We’re going to the doctor to take a look on you again tonight! I am so excited! I hope the doctor will declare you to be ready being born by this week.

Love,
Mommy

Week 36: the preparation

Dearest Son,

I washed all your clothes, blankets, bedcovers, pillows, bolster, diapers, and the rest of the washable things this week. It took me and grandma about three days to wash, dry, and iron them. Now everything is inside your drawers, waiting for you to come out.

You moved and kicked harder this week, even harder than last week. My tummy growth seemed to slow down compared to the previous weeks. I got frequent mild cramps on the legs and tummy, they reminded me that you would be coming soon and that thought made the pain so insignificant.

Granddad seemed to be so concerned about you lately. He would scold your aunts or me when he saw us playing with you (in the tummy). He was afraid that all the pat-pats would disturb your sleep or something like that. He also scolded me if I went out too often and too long, afraid that I would be tired and you would be born prematurely. He bought me some dried herbal to make herbal chicken, and he helped grandma to pick cotton clothes to make nursing tops for me. Sweet granddad, isn’t he?

Today, aunt Ling had her second level CFA exam. We picked her up in the late afternoon with your other aunts and a friend of your aunt. Then we went to watch X-Men III and we had supper at this beautiful roadside eating place nearby.