Dear Shey,

We arrived at the hospital at 7:15 a.m. on Thursday, December 9, 2004. My doctor and I had decided you were getting pretty big for my belly and it was safe for you to meet the world. Grandmommie brought me to the hospital that morning and Daddy stayed home to take care of your big brother, Peyton. When we arrived the labor and delivery ward was a bustle of activity as several women arrived in active labor and there was an emergency c-section being performed.

Grandmommie and I waited in this little waiting room watching The Today Show for an hour and a half when Dr. A dropped by to see what was going on. I asked him to make sure the nurses hadn�t forgotten me and sure enough they had! A few minutes later a nurse came in to tell us they were working on getting a room ready and they promised not to forget again. Finally, at 10:30 they called me back, but I wasn�t actually hooked up to the Pitocin until 12:15. The staff was just so busy.

Grandmommie and I just hung out and waited for the contractions to start. All seemed to be going well, my contractions had a nice rhythm to them and, well, things in that area were progressing. But then they stalled. My water started leaking around 3:30 and the pain became a little worse, but I was still able to bear it ok. Around 4:30, Dr. A came to check me and I was still between 4 and 5 centimeters and your head was not coming down. While Dr. A was doing his exam, my water really broke and I knew things were about to get serious. I remember the intense pains that happened after my water broke with your big brother and I didn�t want to have that again.

I think it was around 5 that afternoon when I received the epidural. The contractions were still manageable, but I could tell they were getting worse. The anesthetist had an assistant with him that I can only assume was an intern and she put in my epidural. It took FOREVER because he was telling her step by step how he did it and I felt like my neck was going to snap off from being hunched over so long. Finally it was in and the pain in my stomach eased. I still had some feeling and the nurse told me that was good and they wanted me to. Huh?!?! Actually, the contractions weren�t bad, but (you�re going to love this part) my catheter was killing me. Every time a contraction hit, I felt like a needle was piercing my, well, the place where I pee. The nurse didn�t seem to understand that your mommy has a pretty high pain tolerance so if I even mentioned being in pain, it must be pretty severe. She tried something to help, but it didn�t and I just breathed through it hoping things would hurry up.

Daddy, Peyton, Poppy, Grandma and Grandpa K had arrived by now and everyone was busy keeping your brother occupied in the waiting room. About 6:30, we called our friends to tell them it probably wouldn�t be till about 9:00 before you were born because at the last check I was still only 4-5 cm. After that phone call, your heart started doing some pretty crazy things, speeding up, slowing down and generally being all over the board. The nurse flipped me from side to side and gave me oxygen and you would even out for a while, but then things would go crazy again. My whole body started shaking and the nurse looked at me for a moment and said, �Do you feel pressure?� I shook my head no, but then the next contraction hit and whoa buddy, I felt like I had to take the biggest poop in my life. �Oh, yeah, I feel it now.� She nodded and told me she thought so. The nurse checked me again and I was already at 9 cm and you were coming fast.

They rushed to call Dr. A who later told me he had just gotten home, lit his menorah, and turned around to come back to deliver you.

At 7:00, I started pushing and luckily, unlike with your brother, this time I was doing it right and you were on your way out. Fortunately, they had removed the catheter at this time and the needle was gone, but it was replaced by the overwhelming desire to push, soon to be followed by the feared �ring of fire.� With Peyton, I didn�t feel any of this, just exhaustion from pushing for 2 hours straight. Honey, I felt every last bit of pushing you out.

Grandmommie and Daddy were holding my legs and helping me count to ten. Soon Dr. A said those blessed words, �With the next couple of contractions, we�re going to have a baby.�

Thirty minutes I pushed. Thirty minutes! I was so excited that I almost didn�t care about the pain.

I think my favorite and the funniest part of delivering a baby is the moment the baby�s body is out and the whoosh of my stomach deflating. Daddy and I laugh about it, how I go from having a basketball in my belly to almost normal in 2 seconds. I enjoyed knowing you were growing inside me, but I love you being here so much more. Pregnancy just isn�t always that fun.

As soon as you arrived, Dr. A placed you on my belly as Daddy cut your cord, but you were so pale and not screaming. I rubbed your little belly, but you just had too much gook in your lungs, so the nurse took you to the incubator to suction your nose and mouth. I watched anxiously for 30 seconds while she scrubbed you and stuck things up your nose before that first scream came pouring out of your mouth. Instantly you pinked up and I let out the breath I had been unknowingly holding. The nurse brought you to me and I melted.

I love you more than life itself, my little one.

The rest of our hospital stay was uneventful and you passed all your �tests� with flying colors. I think you must be the best baby in the world since you only cry when you have gas and that�s only for 20 seconds until you fart. Yep, you are a little tooter.

Right now, you�re sitting in your bouncy seat patiently waiting for me to finish typing this, so I must go. You�re sweet little face is calling to my arms and my heart.

Love,

Mommy